Misaligned and crooked teeth look unsightly and can make cleaning your teeth a cumbersome task. Teeth that cannot be cleaned adequately may eventually contract a periodontal disease which in turn causes bone and gum damage and tooth loss.

One way to properly align teeth is to wear braces. While conventional braces tend to be uncomfortable and less than attractive, they can also be painful to wear. Adults in particular are embarrassed to wear them, which is why clear braces have become an attractive alternative. We’ve put together five reasons why more and more people are opting for clear braces in Melbourne over metal alternatives.

  1. Clear Braces Are More Attractive

Metal braces are simply unattractive and leave the mouth looking like it is filled with chunks of awkward and unsightly metal. They are certainly noticeable, particularly on an adult, and can get food caught in them without you even being aware of it. Clear braces are hardly noticeable and can even look as though a person isn’t wearing braces, making them far more attractive than their metal counterparts.

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  1. Clear Braces Are More Comfortable

Once a dentist attaches metal braces to a patient’s teeth, the braces have to stay where they are until the patient has them professionally removed, whereas clear braces are removable. If the wearer of the braces wishes to remove them for any reason, he or she can do so for brief periods of time.

  1. Clear Braces Are Safer

Old-fashioned metal braces contain protruding bits of metal and are known to scratch and puncture the insides of a wearer’s gums and mouth. Clear braces are comfortable and smooth and don’t have any sharp edges or protruding bits. Metal braces can cause tooth decay and demineralization as they use lots of force to straighten the wearer’s teeth. Clear options aim to reduce the damage traditional braces can cause, such as cavities and gum disease.

  1. Duration of Treatment

Wearers of metal braces can expect treatment to last for as long as five years, whereas clear braces can be worn for just a year and a half to straighten teeth.

  1. There Are No Surprises

Patients who consider clear braces often undergo fully computerised treatment planning, which means they will know what they can expect and how long they will have to wear braces before they even have them fitted. Conventional metal braces can be a case of trial and error as they cannot give a clear idea of what the outcome will be.

Overall, clear braces offer distinct advantages over unsightly, sore metal braces. While clear alternatives may cost a little more the result is well worth it, along with the comfort they offer over metal braces and the fact that they pose fewer risks to gums and teeth, and provide beautiful, confident smiles much more quickly. Anyone who would like to investigate the possibility of wearing clear braces should book an appointment with his or her dentist to find out if he or she is a candidate.