7 Reasons Invisalign Is Better Than Traditional Braces

A smile is unique, like a fingerprint, and it is the first thing people see when they meet you. That subtle expression is a welcoming sign of positivity and personality that we should all be happy to show off. Unfortunately, many people are not happy with their smile. In fact, 71% of British adults say they don’t feel confident showing their teeth in photos. Here at Smile Stories, we want to change that one smile at a time. 

Smile confidence is important for everyone. When you feel confident, you feel better in yourself, and this pushes you to do more, achieve more and own who you are. If you feel like you could do with more smile confidence, you have probably heard of teeth straightening treatments like Invisalign or traditional braces. But what is the difference and which one is better for you? Let the Invisalign vs braces battle commence as we look at the top seven reasons why Invisalign is better than traditional braces.

1. Appearance

We know that you might not feel comfortable showing off your smile, and so the last thing we want is for you to become even more self-conscious, thanks to visible braces. Traditional braces are effective teeth straightening treatment, but they are also large unsightly metal structures. 

On the other hand, invisalign offers practically invisible plastic trays designed to correct your teeth over time. This means that you don’t have to worry about people remarking on your new braces, and you can still feel comfortable showing off your ever-improving smile in photos. 

2. Removable Aligners

Anyone who has ever had traditional braces will tell you how annoying it is that you can’t eat certain foods like popcorn, nuts, sweets, etc. Unfortunately, many types of food can get stuck or damage your braces. 

However, this isn’t the case with Invisalign. These plastic trays are completely removable, which means that you can still enjoy all your favourite foods before simply popping the aligner trays back in. It certainly feels like a knockout when it comes to Invisalign vs braces.

3. Easier to Maintain Oral Hygiene

As previously mentioned — one of the significant advantages of using Invisalign is that they are completely removable. This means that maintaining good oral hygiene by brushing your teeth and regularly flossing becomes a much simpler task. On the other hand, brushing and flossing become much more difficult with traditional braces, and you might require a specific dental tape or floss.

4. Less Maintenance Required

No one enjoys a trip to the dentist, but you also commit to having countless follow-up appointments once every month when you commit to braces. Unfortunately, traditional braces require a fair amount of maintenance to ensure that they are tightened and still having the desired effect on your teeth.

With Invisalign, virtually all of the work has been done before you even wear it. Your orthodontist will have already made 3D scans of your teeth and used these to produce your own set of custom aligners. Each custom made aligner is designed to be worn at a certain point throughout your treatment. This means that you usually swap one aligner for another, once every one to two weeks.

5. Comfort

In the past, getting the perfect smile was never a comfortable experience. Tightening your braces could leave you in considerable pain, and those traditional metal “train tracks” could cause painful rubbing.

On the other hand, Invisalign is a far more modern form of the most up-to-date dental technology that gives you the smile you have always wanted without huge discomfort — more “wow” than “ow”. These aligners are softer plastic, which should reduce the chances of any uncomfortable rubbing. And because they are removable, you can easily give them a clean if any food gets trapped underneath.

6. Treatment Time

Patience may be a virtue, but when you want your new dream smile, you want it now! Unfortunately, you may have had to wait up to five years to achieve your desired results with traditional braces. Thankfully this isn’t the case with Invisalign. This modern treatment can give you a perfect smile in as little as six months. Another win for Invisalign in the Invisalign vs braces battle. 

7. Effectiveness

When it comes to Invisalign vs braces, there isn’t much between them in terms of effectiveness. Both of these orthodontic treatments will leave you with improved oral health and the newfound smile confidence that you have been looking for. However, you will find that Invisalign is more effective when tackling moderate overcrowding of the front teeth.

So there you have it. We have a winner when it comes to Invisalign vs braces, and it looks like a knockout. We know that deciding to undergo cosmetic dentistry treatment like Invisalign can be scary, but with our friendly team of dental experts at Smile Stories, you can be sure that you are in the right place. Start your smile story today, and don’t let anything wipe that grin off your face.

Find out more about our Invisalign treatment at Smile Stories and book your free video consultation.

AUTHOR

Dr Gareth Edwards BDS (Hons) MFDS RCPS (Glasg) is a dentist who qualified with honours. Based in the Poole and Bournemouth area, he has a keen interest in teeth straightening and aesthetic dentistry and is a certified Invisalign provider.