A radiant and bright smile is often the first thing most people notice when they meet you, and the color and alignment of your teeth play a vital role in defining this charm. Unfortunately, not every person is fortunate enough to have well-aligned teeth. Some individuals have dental imperfections that significantly affect their teeth alignment.

While many consider teeth misalignment a cosmetic issue, this problem could also affect your overall dental hygiene and ability to chew and speak. Fortunately, the great news is that your dentist can recommend several teeth-straightening remedies to improve your dental appearance.

If you have misaligned teeth, consult a dentist as soon as possible because these issues can worsen with time and compromise your dental health.

Common Teeth Misalignment Issues and Benefits of Straightening Them

Before discussing various teeth treatment options, you would want to know common teeth misalignment issues many people experience and the benefits of seeking orthodontic dental services to fix them. Listed below are common teeth misalignment problems you ought to know:

  • Crossbite
  • Overbite
  • Underbite
  • Open bite
  • Diastema
  • Midline misalignment
  • Crowding
  • Gaps

If you have any of the above teeth misalignment issues, you could benefit from the services of an orthodontist. Below are some of the advantages of having your teeth straightened:

  • It improves your food chewing ability
  • It helps improve your bite and dental health, especially if you have an overbite and crowded teeth
  • It improves your facial appearance
  • Lessens the chances of chipped or cracked teeth
  • It helps improve your speech and speaking ability
  • It allows you to brush and floss your teeth effectively for better oral and dental health

It is worth noting that leaving misaligned teeth untreated could cause more severe oral and dental health problems, which could be costly to treat. Hence, seeking the services of a dentist as soon as you detect your teeth are misaligned is crucial for early treatment.

In addition to being cost-friendly, early intervention and treatment by a skilled dentist increase the chances of achieving a straighter smile within the shortest time possible.

Teeth Alignment Options You Ought to Know

To have your misaligned or otherwise imperfect teeth straightened, consult an orthodontist to evaluate your unique case for appropriate treatment options. After evaluating your dental issue using specialized equipment, the orthodontist could recommend any of the following treatment options:

Metal Braces

Also known as traditional braces, metal braces are one of the most common and preferred ways to straighten your teeth, regardless of whether you are an adult or a teenager. Aside from being pocket-friendly, this teeth-straightening option is also highly effective.

When installing metal braces on your teeth, your dentist will link stainless steel brackets to each and then attach them using a metallic wire. The metal wire your dentist will attach to the brackets to connect your teeth, and the brackets are modifiable as your teeth shift into proper alignment. The orthodontist could recommend metal or traditional braces because they offer various benefits, such as:

  1. They are Durable

One of the key advantages of metal braces is that they are strong and long-lasting. Once metal braces are installed on your teeth, they will stay in place during the entire orthodontic treatment period without requiring replacement. However, if they become loose or the wire used is poking your gums, you should consult with a dentist for adjustment or replacement.

  1. They are Effective

Metal braces will effectively fix several orthodontic problems affecting the straightness of your teeth, including crowded teeth, bite issues, and jaw misalignment issues. With the help of these braces, your misaligned teeth will eventually move into the proper position on your jaw. They could also help align your jaws to ensure your lower and upper jaws align whenever you take a bite.

  1. They are Affordable

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, metal or traditional braces are an affordable teeth alignment option in contrast to other teeth straightening options. When you pay the first installation and consultation fee during your first appointment, your orthodontist will only charge you an affordable fee whenever you schedule an appointment to adjust the braces.

  1. They Are Ideal for All

Any person can benefit from metal or traditional braces, regardless of his/her age. Whether you are an adult or a teenager, metal braces could work in your favor to straighten your teeth for an improved smile and dental health.

While metal braces have several advantages, as mentioned above, they also have their drawbacks that you ought to know, such as:

  1. You Cannot Wear Them Discreetly

When you opt for metal braces, finishing your treatment discreetly could be challenging since they are conspicuous.

  1. They Could Affect Your Dental Health

After installing dental braces, you experience challenges flossing and brushing your teeth effectively, increasing your chances of developing gum disease and cavities. Also, food particles could stick in between the braces and your teeth, creating an excellent environment for cavity-causing bacteria to thrive.

  1. They Need Extra Care and Maintenance

You must care for your braces and ensure they are well-fitted on your teeth to enjoy excellent results long after the orthodontic treatment period. Failing to schedule an appointment with your orthodontist for adjustments once they become loose will affect their effectiveness.

  1. You Could Experience Irritation and Soreness

While it does not occur to everyone, traditional braces could irritate your gums and make them sore, especially in the few days after installation. If this issue persists, you should consult with your orthodontist as soon as possible.

Clear Braces

Clear braces are another popular teeth-straightening option for many adults and older teenagers who want to achieve a straighter smile using a discreet treatment. Instead of wires and metal brackets, the dentist will use ceramic braces, which apply enough force on your teeth to shift them into proper alignment on your jawbone.

Since the brackets the orthodontist will use during this orthodontic treatment have a similar color to your natural teeth or are clear, you could complete this treatment without people noticing them. However, to keep them less noticeable, you should maintain proper oral and dental hygiene by brushing your teeth regularly to avoid stains, which could discolor them.

Fortunately, the results you will achieve at the end of this treatment are almost similar to what you would expect after you complete your treatment using metal or traditional braces. The orthodontist could recommend clear braces if you have a moderate teeth alignment issue and want your treatment to be less visible.

It is also worth noting that when you opt for clear braces, you must keep them on your teeth for about 22 hours daily to achieve the desired results. That is why they are more recommendable to adults and older teens who can maintain the required discipline during the orthodontic treatment.

Clear Aligners

Also commonly known as Invisalign, clear aligners utilize a series of custom-made clear aligners that are virtually invisible once you wear them. Unlike metal braces, clear aligners are less visible, and you can remove them whenever you want to brush your teeth or eat. However, like clear braces, you should keep them on your teeth for about 22 hours daily to achieve the desired smile appearance.

Failure to wear them for some days could allow your teeth to shift back to the misaligned state. Clear aligners are an ideal orthodontic treatment option for a moderate tooth misalignment issue. However, if you choose this treatment option, you should be ready to schedule appointments with your orthodontist after two (2) weeks for new trays.

As you keep replacing these aligners, each aligner helps shift your teeth closer to the ideal position in the mouth. To properly care for your aligners, rinse and wash them with warm saline water daily to keep bacteria at bay. Also, soaking your clear aligners in a denture cleaner weekly can help sanitize them.

To avoid losing them, you should avoid wrapping them in tissue paper or other wrappings whenever you remove them to brush your teeth or eat. If you believe that clear aligners would help you, you should make an appointment with an orthodontist.

During your initial appointment, the dentist will take an impression using digital scans or an impression tray filled with silicone to help him/her create your custom clear aligners or Invisalign. Once your final custom clear aligners are ready, you will schedule another appointment with your dentist for installation and advice on properly caring for them.

Lingual Braces

Another reliable orthodontic alternative to the conspicuous metal braces is the lingual braces. Since the orthodontist will install these braces at the back of your teeth, people cannot notice you are undergoing an orthodontic treatment. Once your dentist installs your lingual braces, they gradually shift your misaligned teeth to the ideal position in your mouth, like other orthodontic treatments.

As long as you follow the recommended treatment plan and your orthodontist's instructions, you will achieve the desired smile alignment at the end of the treatment. Since every patient's teeth have distinctive contours, the orthodontist will custom-make lingual braces to ensure they fit your teeth flawlessly for a comfortable treatment and the best results.

While lingual braces are discreet, they could feel uncomfortable because the dentist will fix them at the rear part of your teeth, making them sit closer to your tongue than other orthodontic treatment options. However, they will not feel uncomfortable once you become used to them, which could take days or weeks.

Generally, lingual braces have not gained as much popularity as clear aligners and metal braces. However, your orthodontist will discuss them with you to help you decide your ideal orthodontic treatment option.

Space Maintainers

If your dentist or orthodontist finds that the cause of your orthodontic problem is early loss of your tooth, he/she could recommend installing space maintainers. When you lose any of your teeth prematurely and take an extended period to have it replaced, the surrounding adjacent teeth could move to occupy that space, causing teeth crowding and other misalignment issues.

To prevent these issues, your orthodontist could recommend a space maintainer to help preserve the gap left after losing a tooth by preventing the adjacent teeth from shifting into this gap. The number of space maintainers you will need will depend on the number of teeth you have lost.

Which Orthodontic Treatment is Ideal for Me?

The first step to determining which orthodontic treatment is ideal for you is scheduling an appointment with a reputable orthodontist. When determining the perfect treatment for you, the orthodontist will thoroughly examine your dental health using his/her eyes and digital techniques, like CT scans and X-rays, for a more precise diagnosis.

These digital scans are necessary to help show the position and alignment of your jaws. Nonetheless, your orthodontist should also consider the following factors when determining the ideal treatment for your unique orthodontic problem:

  1. The Type of Your Orthodontic Problem and Its Severity

If you have a severe malocclusion issue, your dentist will likely recommend metal braces. Unlike Invisalign, which is ideal for Class I and Class II malocclusions, metal braces can correct all levels of malocclusion.

  1. Your Budget

If you are looking for a pocket-friendly orthodontic treatment for your misaligned teeth, your dentist will recommend metal braces. Generally, the ceramic braces will cost you more than metal braces because of the material used to make them.

  1. Your Aesthetic Preference

If you do not like how conspicuous metal braces are, your dentist could recommend less visible alternatives like clear aligners.

Find a Reputable Orthodontist Near Me

If you are considering straightening your teeth, now is the best time because, as previously mentioned, these issues worsen with time, necessitating costly treatment options. Additionally, it will take longer to align severely misaligned teeth.

Our dentist at Valencia Advanced Dentistry at Copperhill Smiles understands your worries if you have misaligned teeth. In addition to affecting your smile aesthetics and confidence, improperly aligned teeth could negatively impact your dental and oral hygiene, but this issue is reversible using orthodontic treatments.

We invite you to call our credible orthodontist at 661-775-7717 to schedule your first obligation-free consultation with us, wherever you are in Santa Clarita.