If you have crowded teeth or severely misaligned jaws, you may find that you will not be a suitable candidate for clear aligner treatments like Invisalign®, Spark® and 3M Clarity. That doesn’t mean you can’t get orthodontic treatment in Adelaide though. In fact, you might just be a good candidate for invisible braces. We can help you understand the cost of invisible braces in Adelaide.
What are invisible braces?
Invisible braces are another commonly used name for lingual braces. These are metal brackets and wires that are placed along the inside of your teeth (lingual means inside) so that when you smile they are virtually invisible. This form of orthodontic treatment can be more expensive because they need to be custom made to fit perfectly along the inside of your teeth for comfort and to allow you to speak properly. Invisible braces in Adelaide can cost upwards of $8,000 depending on the severity and duration of your treatment plan.
How are clear braces different from invisible braces?
It’s often best to refer to orthodontic treatments by their proper names as they can frequently be confused with similar treatments or different brands. While invisible braces are the common name for lingual braces, clear braces often refer to ceramic braces. These are placed on the front (or outside) of the teeth like traditional metal braces but are made from clear or tooth-coloured materials to make them more transparent.
How are invisible braces different from clear aligners?
Many people mistakenly refer to clear aligners as invisible braces. However, while this orthodontic appliance can be used to straighten teeth, they function differently to more traditional forms of braces. Clear and invisible braces are a fixed appliance that can only be removed by a specialist orthodontist. Clear aligners, on the other hand, rely on the patient to consistently wear their aligner tray all the time. Often patients will remove their tray for social occasions, but this should be avoided as much as possible.
While clear aligners are often touted as one of the most subtle and convenient treatment options because they can be removed as required, they are not always the best option. In particular, this form of treatment can’t make complex tooth movements and may also require the use of attachments to complete your treatment. These attachments are subtle, but they can only be removed by a professional specialist orthodontist to avoid damaging your tooth.
What are some considerations with invisible braces?
Because invisible braces are fixed they can’t be removed when you need to eat, drink or brush your teeth. This means you will need to be careful with what you eat and how you care for them. Similar to traditional metal braces, you may find that you need to avoid certain foods such as nuts, popcorn and chewy lollies throughout the duration of your treatment. These foods may cause the brackets to come loose from your tooth, causing discomfort and requiring an emergency trip to your orthodontist to have it set back into place.
Lingual braces can also be tricky to keep clean because you can’t see as clearly if you have food caught in the brackets. It’s important that you brush and floss regularly and follow your orthodontist’s advice to learn the proper technique.
Where can I get invisible braces in Adelaide?
Most orthodontists will offer lingual braces as an option to their patients, but it’s important to always heed their advice about which orthodontic treatment method would be most suitable for your smile.
How to find an orthodontist
Use our Orthodontist Finder Tool to search for a specialist orthodontist in Adelaide and to learn more about your options.
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