There are so many brace treatments available, and it can be confusing for people looking to straighten their teeth when they are researching the available treatments.
I have been using many brace systems for a while now, and once Clearstep and Invisalign were by far the most popular, but in the last 2 years, there has been a big sift towards other kinds of treatment.
Invisible Braces
Invisalign made this treatment very popular. Out of all the brace systems, this is the least visible, and if you start treatment with this, then it is very unlikely that anyone will notice you are having treatment.
This kind of brace usually just involves special gum shields which put pressure on individual teeth, to move them. After about 2 weeks of wearing one brace, you can move to the next one.
Full Fixed (Traditional)
No one wants to look like a brace face! Braces, like the ones children wear are still the best way to move teeth, the drawback is that they don’t look too nice, but we have a solution: ceramic brackets. These make all the metal that was once visible, tooth coloured.
Traditional braces will give you an ideal finished result, including changes in the position of the back teeth.
Full Fixed (Quick)
This is probably the most popular system at the moment, mainly because the treatment times are so short! It is the same as the Full Fixed traditional, only difference is that we are not concerned with the movement of the back teeth. This means you get a dramatic improvement in the appearance of your smile, in minimum time (usually about 6 months)!
To learn more about this treatment, and look at typical cases, and six month improvements, have a look at our Six month smiles brace page
Combination & Other
Sometimes, we can use other braces, like simple removable braces, or combine some fixed braces (on the back teeth), and clear braces at the front.
Simple removable braces can be used to correct tiny problems in tooth position (assuming there is room to move the teeth), and costs a lot less than full treatment.
Sometimes, it is possible to have fixed braces on the inside of your teeth, giving you the best of both worlds, the invisibility of clear braces, and the speed of full fixed braces!
All in all, there are a lot of systems available, with a lot of brand names. It is important to speak to someone who does a vast array of braces, as they will be able to give you the advantages, and disadvantages of the systems, so you can make an informed choice, and get the results you are looking for.
