Quick Facts About Invisalign Vs. Traditional Braces

For many people, if those adult teeth end up growing in crooked, a mouthful of braces will be in your immediate future.  Anyone who has had braces in the past has likely used the traditional style of braces which are often called ‘train tracks’.  However, with time comes new technologies, and these days a new option called ‘Invisalign’ has emerged in the world of orthodontics.

Here are some quick facts about the differences between traditional braces and Invisalign.

Structure

The structure of traditional braces and Invisalign is probably the biggest difference between the two.  Both will straighten your teeth, but they don’t really resemble one another at all.  Traditional braces use the wires and brackets that are basically cemented onto each tooth.  Invisalign uses clear trays that look a lot like a sports mouthguard.

Invisalign trays can be removed, and as your teeth move, new trays are custom made.  With traditional braces, the wires are tightened each time your teeth move.

Eating Food

Anyone who has had traditional braces knows that eating can be a bit of an adventure, or a nightmare depending on how you look at it.  Food can and does get stuck in the wires and brackets, and often you’re still carrying around a good portion of what you ate long after you’re finished.  Orthodontics isn’t always neat and tidy.

With Invisalign, food won’t get stuck at all, because you can just remove the aligner after you eat, and then put it back in when you’re done.

Hygiene

When it comes to orthodontics, hygiene is crucial, and just like with eating, the Invisalign process has a bit of an advantage over the traditional way.  It’s basically impossible to floss when you have traditional wire and bracket braces, and brushing is no picnic either.  Again, with Invisalign you can just remove the tray, then brush and floss like normal.

Comfort

Both traditional braces and Invisalign will move your teeth and change your smile, but you may experience greater discomfort with the wires and brackets.  They aren’t always terribly uncomfortable, but when you have the wires tightened you may not be able to eat very much for a few days because your teeth will ache.  The wires and brackets can also rub against the inside of your mouth and cause discomfort.

In terms of orthodontics, Invisalign seems to answer many of the questions that traditional braces created.  The ‘mouthguard style’ design has eliminated a lot of the negatives and made the process of having braces a lot easier for many people.