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Everyone loves to smile, but not all of us have perfect teeth naturally. Crooked teeth, widely spaced teeth, and malocclusion are some of the common problems that come into the way of people who wish for smiling and shining their teeth. A decade before, people were shy to flash their braces which used to straighten their teeth. But today’s advanced technology has upgraded the orthodontic treatments to the next level, and the invisible braces/transparent braces/clear aligners are now used to straighten the teeth in much more painless and hassle-free way.

Clear Aligners are a series of transparent trays made of a medically tested harmless plastic (BPA-free plastic) which is used to straighten teeth just like conventional braces. They use a gentle and right amount of pressure to move the teeth in the desired position without going through the hassles of heavy metal wires and brackets. They are customized for each patient according to the original positions of the teeth and patient’s requirements.

So what about our good-old braces? Let’s see how they fare in comparison to clear aligners.

Braces	Clear Aligners
Visibility: These are clearly visible. However, there are some other options where you can use tooth-coloured braces or braces that go behind the teeth. Still, visibility can’t be avoided totally.	Visibility:  Aligners are transparent, thin, plastic-like brackets, making them virtually invisible and allowing an individual to achieve a perfect smile unobtrusively.
Removability: For good and permanent results, braces remain fixed to the teeth throughout the course of treatment.	Removability: Many patients appreciate that aligners are removable without any hassles. Take them out for short periods to eat, to brush, or for social occasions.
Comfort: There is some inconvenience when braces are placed or adjusted, and brackets and wires can temporarily irritate mouth tissue. The metallic wire pokes out sometimes and can cause cuts.	Comfort: There may be some initial discomfort when a patient starts using a new set of aligners, but this discomfort can be easily managed.
Hygiene: Patients will need to keep teeth, gums, and braces free of food particles so that bacteria can’t attack tooth enamel. Food debris and plaque must be flushed out by regular brushing and flossing.	Hygiene: You just need to avoid drinking soft drinks, eating sticky and hard foods with the aligners in. You can clean the aligners using soap and a soft toothbrush.
Diet: One should avoid foods that are hard, sticky, hard, and chewy to avoid breaking a bracket or a wire.	Diet: There are absolutely no restrictions on diet. You just have to remove the aligners while eating hard food and drinking soft drinks.

The treatment with aligners is completely customized, meaning that it depends on the patient’s original condition of teeth and the particular requirement. Treatment time is based on to what extent the teeth need to be moved or rotated. The more your bite is off or the more crooked and widely spaced are your teeth, the longer it will take. Treatment usually takes between 6 and 24 months. For the patients requiring small movement of teeth, the treatment can take as short as months.

For example, a typical treatment requires 10 to 20 aligners for the upper and lower set of teeth, usually, averages six to fifteen months to complete. Some of the treatment times vary from 1 to 2 years and depends on the specific alignment problem; treatment for moderate cases requires 32 steps of treatment, delivered in eight phases, while minor cases require 12 steps of treatment, delivered in three phases.

Clear aligners are made after your dental specialist/orthodontist takes three-dimensional impressions of your teeth and sends them to us to manufacture your custom-fit clear aligners. We have some of the best orthodontists in the world working with us who use their biomechanics expertise to design your perfect smile. The aligners are made using best-in-class medically certified material and are trimmed and polished for maximum comfort. We ship the aligners straight to your home, and one of our expert orthodontists keeps in touch with you throughout your journey using our app.

Seems good? Let our orthodontists answer any question you have. Book an appointment now.