Braces vs Aligners – Which Will Suit You Better?       

Braces made of metal or porcelain and are attached to your teeth. Metal wires and rubber bands are then used to provide a force to help the teeth move into into the correct position.

    Advantages:

Applicable to all cases: Whereas aligners can treat most cases, braces can be used treat all cases. That means braces are always an option.

Variety of braces: Braces can be various types of metal braces, with or without colours. There are also porcelain braces which are much more discreet than regular metal braces.

Compliance: Because the braces are fixed to your teeth, you cannot forget to wear them, or lose them. This can be useful for some patients if they are not internally motivated to comply with wearing aligners adequately

     Disadvantages:

Hygiene: It is much more challenging to clean your teeth with braces rather than aligners. If cleaning is not done adequately, real damage can occur to the teeth.

Diet: With braces attached to your teeth, your diet will need to be modified. Hard foods (or night time grinding) can cause breakages which can slow or stop your treatment progress. Also, as you are more prone to decay with braces on

Comfort: Generally speaking, braces are more likely to cause discomfort as they can rub on the cheeks and lips. 

Appearance: Braces (even the porcelain ones) are more noticeable than aligners. This is important for some patients depending on their occupation, hobbies and personality.

Appointments: The appointments needed for braces tend to be longer and more involved, with active adjustments needed to be carried out in the chair. There may be a need for more frequent visits as well.

Aligners are made of plastic and are custom made to fit your teeth. Each aligner moves the teeth step by step towards the final position. Small bumps of composite resin (tooth coloured filling material) are attached to various teeth to help the aligner grip the tooth so it can be moved correctly.

 Advantages:

     Appearance: Aligners are less noticeable than braces as they are clear and custom                       made to fit your teeth.

Diet: You will still be able to eat the foods you like. Some foods are difficult or uncomfortable to eat with braces and can cause breakages which can delay treatment and require extra visits to have repairs carried out.

Hygiene: As your aligners are removable, you can brush and floss as per normal. .

Appointments: As the tooth movement is pre-planned by your Orthodontist, the actual visits to the practice are usually much simpler and, in some cases, can be fewer overall. 

Comfort: Generally speaking, aligners are more comfortable than braces. Although the teeth can still be somewhat tender as they begin to move, the lips and cheeks tend to be less irritated .

     Disadvantages:

Compliance: Aligners need to be worn 22 hours a day to be effective. This means they are only removed for eating and cleaning. Compliance equals results!

Effectiveness: Aligners can treat most cases, but not all. In complex situations, your orthodontist may recommend braces rather than aligners

Cost: In some cases, the cost of aligners can be more than braces. However, in many cases they are similar or the same.