How Does Invisalign Compare With Traditional Braces? Our Toluca Lake Dentists Explain

Written by Dr. McKay on Mar 22, 2016

Improving the appearance and the structure of your smile is possible with effective, modern dental treatments. It is the job of our Toluca Lake dentists to help our patients find the perfect treatments for them. With that in mind, today we are going to be discussing the similarities and differences of traditional braces and Invisalign treatment.

We hope that after reading this short article, you’ll have a better idea of which treatment might suit your needs.

So, the reason we are comparing and contrasting these two treatments is because they are used to achieve the same kinds of results. With Invisalign and with traditional brackets you can:

· straighten crooked teeth

· close gaps between teeth

· improve overbites, underbites, and crossbites

· make the smile wider

Although these treatments do similar things, the use very different materials to get the job done. Traditional braces use metal brackets and wires to move teeth into better positions. Invisalign treatment, on the other hand, uses clear plastic aligners to shift teeth.

The day to day experience of undergoing these treatments is also quite different. Metal braces are not removable from the patient’s teeth, so once our dentist attaches the brackets and wires, you will have them on your smile 24/7. Invisalign aligners are removable, so you’ll take them out multiple times a day to eat and clean your teeth. As you’d imagine, it is more difficult to clean your smile when you have braces rather than Invisalign aligners. Metal brackets and wires can also be irritating to some patients’ oral tissues.

Our Toluca Lake cosmetic dentists are happy to provide you with additional information about all of your cosmetic treatments, including orthodontic options. Please feel free to call our dental team when you are ready to get started—you can also submit a question for our friendly team through our website.