The Best Way to Straighten Teeth – Methods and Approaches

The best way to straighten teeth is different for each patient, for each jaw and for each set of teeth. For some patients, the best method is removable braces that they wear only at night, for others, the most efficient method is to wear permanent braces for at least a couple of months or to combine the usage of the dental appliance with surgery and there are teeth that can be aligned without braces. Here are a few of the most common techniques used today to align teeth.

Alignment with the Help of Braces

Modern braces come in several types:

  • Traditional braces are the cheapest and they are made from visible wires that are fitted to the front of the teeth and are adjusted regularly to move the teeth in the desired direction;
  • Tooth-colored braces work the same way as traditional appliances, but they use tooth-colored components to make them less visible;
  • Braces that are fitted on the back of the teeth are invisible, but they are more difficult to clean, they might cause speaking difficulties and they are not suitable for all patients;

clear braces orthodontics

  • Clear braces – the most modern dental alignment solution uses a set braces that are tailored to the patient’s teeth and jaw with the help of 3D scanning. The method uses advanced computer technology to design the phases of the realignment process and to create braces for each phase.

Developing Good Habits and Kicking Bad Habits

Teeth don’t get misaligned overnight – they move very slowly and any misalignment becomes visible as the result of a long process. Any kind of impact, even the mildest pressure influences the position of the teeth, so here are a few habits and conditions that are really bad for teeth:

  • Sleeping on your stomach – the position places weight on the face and puts pressure on the teeth, moving them inwards, so it is a good idea to try sleeping on your back or on your side;
  • Leaning your face on your hand – we all do it sometimes, but if it is your favorite position while listening to someone, you might get crooked teeth on one side of your face;
  • Thumb sucking – you might think that thumb sucking is a behavior that is common only among children, but there are many adults who still do it, what’s more, thumb sucking has the same pushing effects on teeth as chewing on pens, on drinking straws or blowing chewing gum bubbles;
  • Missing teeth – children’s jaws are more flexible that the jaws of adults, therefore their bones can adjust more easily when a baby tooth falls out and leaves behind a gap for a while. In the case of adults, when a tooth is extracted or lost for some other reason, the other teeth start moving slowly to fill the gap and they are very difficult to push back, so correcting the gaps with bridges, implants or partial dentures as soon as possible is very important.

These are the most common dental realignment practices, but it will be your dentist who will tell you what the best way to straighten teeth is in your case, so if you are looking for a personalized realignment solution, turn to a Centennial dentist expert as soon as you can.