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Having straight teeth and a beautiful smile1 can make you feel good. Apart from dresses or shoes, a beautiful smile is the best accessory to boost confidence in our appearance.
Besides that, proper alignment of the teeth can protect you from overbites that may lead to issues like gum disease, bad breath, or tooth decay. If your teeth are misaligned, using braces is a good option. But you will find some other ways as well to achieve this alignment without having to worry about the cost of Invisalign braces.
In this post, we will discuss 8 incredible ways to maintain the alignment of your teeth 2because we all need a bright smile to look good.
1. Trying a palatal expander
It is also known as an orthodontic expander, or rapid maxillary expansion3 appliance used for widening the upper jaw so that it can fit the lower and upper teeth together in a better way. It is suitable for teenagers as their upper jaws are pliable.
Palatal expander costs roughly $1,000 to $ 3,000. But it also depends on the treatment length. Although you must know with this treatment, you should visit the orthodontist regularly. And this process is painful sometimes and might come with some other issues.
2. Use of invisible braces
Invisible aligners, also known as a series of clear aligners, can be used for straightening your teeth. 4You can wear this throughout the day and except when you eat. You will find many different brands for clear aligners, such as Invisalign, Candid, and Direct Smile Club. Some may require prescription by orthodontists, while others may not.
It is best suited for patients with mild to moderate gaping or crowding issues and not for complex problems. It costs around $5,000 to $8,000, and the treatments typically take around ten to twenty-four months. It works in a manner similar to braces by creating pressure on your teeth to change the position of the teeth gradually.
A report published in 2018 by PubMed stated that Invisalign is a good alternative for braces to treat mild or moderate malocclusions (alignment of teeth).
3. Using a retainer
You can use it for the lower or upper arches of the mouth to straighten your teeth. People usually use retainers after the treatment with clear aligners or braces to maintain the position of the teeth.
However, it also uses for correcting minor misalignments for patients of all ages. This treatment is cheaper than traditional braces and generally costs around $500 to $2500, depending upon the complexity or length of your treatment.
4. Go for dental veneers
You can also call them lumineers or porcelain veneers. They are the porcelain caps placed on the top of the existing teeth. They are the right choice for people with the problems like fractured teeth, crowded teeth, gaps between the teeth, or discoloration.
This option is not suitable for adults. But children can choose this option as the veneer size depends upon the shape of the face, and kids are still growing. Although, the treatment is quite expensive and will cost you approximately $500 to 1,300 per tooth.
5. Choose the Herbst appliance
This device is made for straightening your teeth by correcting the imperfections in your jaw.5 This tool has a metal extension attached to the molars and pushes the lower jaw forward. It helps to meet the upper and lower jaw to keep your teeth straight. You have to wear this device for one year to correct the misalignment of the jaw.
6. Using a headgear
It works by developing pressure against the jaw and lower teeth and helps the teeth to meet in the right position with respect to the jaw. It is one of the best solutions for teeth straightening. You have to wear this device for a specific number of hours to get the best results.
7. Closing the gap of missing teeth
It is normal for the baby teeth to fall out and make place for the permanent teeth. But the problem arises when we lose permanent teeth as an adult. And that may lead to malaligned teeth. Adults may lose permanent teeth due to extractions, deep cavities, a dental injury, or the failure of the permanent teeth to erupt after the primary (baby) teeth fall off.
Missing teeth create gaps between teeth, and causes extra pressure upon the existing teeth due to the unequal force distribution when we chew something. The only way to close the gap is by applying dental implants, dental bridges, or partial dentures that would not allow the shifting of teeth and become crooked.
8. Surgery—a safe alternative for braces
Going for surgery is a good alternative to straightening your teeth permanently. An oral surgeon will perform this procedure to change the alignment of your teeth.
A dentist may also recommend Orthognathic surgery 6if you find that improper positioning of the teeth and jaw creates major difficulties maintaining your daily life. This surgery will move the position of your jaw, and the recovery will take around two to three weeks. The swelling may persist for a long time. And these types of oral surgeries7 are a bit costly.
Proofreaded by:
Dr. Foram Bhuta
Dentist (B.D.S)
- Al-Johany, Sulieman S., et al. “Evaluation of different esthetic smile criteria.” International Journal of Prosthodontics 24.1 (2011). ↩︎
- Kramer, Axel, and Christian Splieth. “Health promotion through structured oral hygiene and good tooth alignment.” GMS hygiene and infection control 17 (2022). ↩︎
- Baccetti, Tiziano, et al. “Treatment timing for rapid maxillary expansion.” The Angle Orthodontist 71.5 (2001): 343-350. ↩︎
- Ifwandi, Ifwandi. “Dental Bridge Procedure to Straighten Loose Teeth, A Review.” Journal of Syiah Kuala Dentistry Society 8.1 (2023): 76-83. ↩︎
- McKinney, James C. The diagnosis and correction of vocal faults: A manual for teachers of singing and for choir directors. Waveland Press, 2005. ↩︎
- Proffit, W. R., T. A. Turvey, and C. Phillips. “Orthognathic surgery: a hierarchy of stability.” The International journal of adult orthodontics and orthognathic surgery 11.3 (1996): 191-204. ↩︎
- Fragiskos, Fragiskos D. Oral surgery. Springer Science & Business Media, 2007. ↩︎
Last Updated on by ayeshayusuf
Authors
This article is a goldmine of information for anyone considering teeth straightening without the traditional braces route. Kudos to the author for breaking down a complex topic into an accessible and informative piece.