One of the major drawbacks with wearing braces is the visual impact it can have on the teeth and the smile. The metal wires and brackets are quite unattractive despite their functional ability to produce great looking teeth. Wearing these ugly braces, especially in the difficult and image conscious teenage years can be very difficult and lead to a loss of self-esteem and in some cases even bullying. But there is now solution to this dilemma that straightens teeth without a significant aesthetic loss to the teeth.

Invisalign braces are clear plastic braces that are almost impossible to see when in the mouth. Made from plastic about one millimetre thick, they contain no wires or any other metal parts. They are specially designed for the individual’s teeth and capable of producing results in three quarters of the time of traditional fixed metal braces.

The system works by replacing the retainer every two to three weeks with a new one designed with slight adjustments. This gradually moves the teeth into the desired position through the course of the treatment. About twenty-five retainers are needed on average to achieve the best results.

The other major advantage of Invisalign braces is that they are completely removable. This means they can be taken out for teeth cleaning and for sports and other social activities. As long as they are worn for roughly twenty hours each day they will still produce the desired effect. The cleaning aspect of Invisalign is particularly important as conventional braces often leave marks when removed because the brackets have covered certain areas when the rest of the tooth has been exposed. With Invisalign you can clean all parts of the teeth right the way through treatment. Ask a London dentist for more information.

Cleaning your teeth is hard enough at the best of times, but when you`re wearing a brace it can be really awkward says a Central London dentist. The most important thing with braces is flossing; this will remove more food debris and therefore bacterium, than any other method of cleaning your teeth. You should also buy yourself a specially designed tooth cum brace brush known as a Proxabrush; ask your dentist about these particular brushes or at a major chemist shop. With flossing, if you choose non-waxed, thin thread floss then you will be able to get around the frames on the teeth. You will also find that using the thin floss you will be able to thread it through the wires and get into places that are hard even for the Proxabrush. Always give your mouth a good rinse out, using a good mouth wash, floss first then brush. Usually you will see your dentist every 6 months, but with braces you will need to halve that to 3 monthly appointments as they will need to remove the tartar build up more frequently. Braces needn`t always be a burden, it just needs a bit more better planning when it comes to the cleaning regime. Bacterium and acid builds up in the mouth and will cause you extra problems with braces, at night the saliva gland stops working, so throughout the day and night keep some water handy to swig, and swish around your mouth. There are now braces that do all the usual things a brace does, but they are removable when you need to clean your teeth or eat, they are called Inman Aligners and Invisalign Braces and are used mainly with adults, but the old style braces are still out there; and it just needs a little careful planning and common sense when keeping them clean and sterile.

Even if you`ve never had one, you will have seen someone with a brace on their teeth. Usually that happens when we are still at school, but some of us didn`t get them and as adults we still have crooked or misaligned teeth, a London dentist has advised. The conventional brace is fixed, most prominently, to the teeth and are on show for the entire world to see. The Invisalign Brace is so called because it is an invisible brace that aligns the teeth, it is also a revolution in braces, so to speak, as it is also removable by the client whenever they require to `lose it` for a while. This doesn’t detract from the treatment; that can take from 3-8 months to complete. The brace is a whole new science in itself, using not just a computer program to work out the pressure points, but also causing the blood flow to be altered in the gums; this allows new bone tissue to grow behind the tooth as it moves. The computer will produce a whole program for the dentist and the client to follow the progress; this is in the form of a 3D film that shows the treatment and the end result. The treatment starts with digital photos and a mould of the teeth, which is all scanned into the program to produce the results. The orthodontist will then make all the braces in advance, these are replaced and fitted every two weeks, and the progress is then tracked using the 3D film to make sure each brace has done its job, and moved the misaligned teeth into their retrospective positions. Being made of a clear plastic and having all the gubbings on the inside of the brace, it is easy to wear for the client, and they can take the brace out for eating and cleaning the teeth in the normal way.

Inman Aligners are a revolutionary step forward in braces, they are the latest method used by adults to straighten their teeth and they work very well says a City of London dentist. They have the advantage of being able to be taken out by the client when they are eating or cleaning their teeth. For the busy executive they are extremely handy, they can be slipped out for business meetings, lunches and dinners and then slipped back in when it is over. The removal won`t deter from the process. The braces are all made in advance as a series of braces. This is all done using the latest technology to produce calculations for the pressure points of the brace. The calculations are worked out via a computer program that gets information from scanned in photos, and a mould of the teeth. The program produces a 3D film that helps the dentist and the patient see the results, even before the treatment has started. The braces are changed every 2 weeks and they have all the pressure points built in, the only drawback is that the gubbings are situated on the inside of the teeth, so they are no good at straightening the back teeth, only the front ones. The treatment takes around 3 to 8 months to straighten teeth, and this involves nature as well. The brace is designed so that it interferes with the blood flow in the gums, this allows the blood platelets to deposit new bone growth behind the tooth that is being moved. This will prevent the tooth dropping back into its old position. All in all the Inman Aligner has been a God Send to many patients who have misaligned teeth, and will continue to do so for many decades yet.

For people of a certain generation, the idea of braces conjure up a certain image. Ugly, uncomfortable metal ‘train-track’ braces full of wires and metal brackets. Thankfully, and fortunately, for today’s younger generation, braces have developed since then and there is now a wide variety of different kinds of braces on the market to suit each individual’s need.

Orthodontic straightening is now faster, more comfortable and more effective. Treatment can now be achieved in just a quarter of the time it used to take with some traditional braces, and the amount of discomfort has been greatly reduced. One brace that has taken traditional orthodontic methods and improved them is the Six Month Smile brace. With average treatment time being only six months and a lot less force required to manipulate teeth into position, Six Month braces are proving to be very popular with younger patients. They are even manufactured using clear plastic brackets and tooth coloured wires for maximum discretion.

Although they do come a long way behind Invisalign braces in terms of discretion. Invisalign braces are made from one millimetre thick clear plastic and are virtually invisible when in the mouth. Treatment times are slightly longer but many patients feel this is a worthwhile sacrifice to have braces that do not spoil their appearance.

Other braces available from London dentists include the Inman aligner and Damon braces, each having their own distinct area of advantage. Some braces are more suitable for some teeth than others but your dentist will be able to assess your suitability during an initial consultation. Whichever brace is most suitable for your teeth, you can look forward to a more comfortable treatment with less disruption to your life than would have been possible twenty years ago and you will also have a beautiful straight smile to show off at the end.

Over the years, the stigma attached to braces has gradually been worn away. There are a number of reasons why this has happened. Firstly, a general change in prevailing attitude has meant it is now more important than ever to have straight teeth. Secondly, improvements in technology have meant that braces are more affordable to all patients and are no longer prohibitively expensive. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the technological improvements have meant that braces are no longer the large unsightly metal brackets of the past. All sorts of new developments have seen the introduction of more comfortable and less visually intrusive braces.

The first significant change was the introduction of effective invisible, or clear plastic braces. In 1999 Align technologies introduced their Invisalign range which for the first time made invisible braces an effective alternative. Initially expensive, the cost of Invisalign treatment has come down in the last few years and is now an option available for all.

Although the most discreet, the Invisalign system is quite a lengthy one. Other braces on the market now offer incredibly rapid straightening. Both the Six-Month Smile and Inman braces offer visible straightening results in less than six-months, an astonishing reduction in treatment time of 75 per cent on more conventional braces. More suitable for smaller overcrowding issues, threes braces are perfect for more mature patients wanting to put the finishing touches to a beautiful smile.

Even the old metal brace has had an overhaul. Damon braces are similar in style to the old train-track braces but utilise clear plastic and ceramic brackets to offer a more discreet treatment. Also, by using their revolutionary sliding mechanism there is no need for painful regular tightening.

Whatever your straightening needs, there is a brace that is best suited for your teeth. Whether it be a complete straightening procedure or just moving that last tooth into position, a City of London dentist will be able to advise you on the most suitable brace for you.

For patients who require braces, it can be a long and uncomfortable experience, not to mention the unseemly appearance of metal braces in the mouth. For patients requiring only minor adjustments it can be too big a sacrifice to wear metal braces just to achieve a minor improvement, especially for adults, given the stigma attached to braces. More recently we have seen the advent of clear plastic retainers, which while very discreet take a very long time to be effective. Again, to achieve a minor improvement this was often too much to ask for many patients.

There is, however, an alternative to metal braces and plastic retainers. The Inman aligner is as effective as old-fashioned metal braces with the added bonus of being very discreet. For most people it is almost impossible to notice an Inman aligner unless up very close.

The aligner works by using a coiled spring, on the tongue side, which pushes the side teeth out and simultaneously pushing the front teeth in to the extra, vacated space. When the teeth are given this extra room, they naturally tend to straighten.

Although not completely invisible, the Inman aligner achieves such stunning results in such a short period of time that most patients are willing to overlook this small disadvantage. In most cases, treatments show results between six and sixteen weeks, which when compared to the 18 month treatments for plastic retainers, is simply astonishing.

Like all orthodontic appliances, the Inman aligner may cause some discomfort when initially applied, but this will soon disappear when the teeth become accustomed to the force. This usually happens within a week of the first use. Other than this the process is completely painless.

The Inman aligner is perfect for patients with small overcrowding or spacing issues. It can really add that extra something to a smile that otherwise might be missing. It is not really suitable for major straightening issues, which may require more substantial corrective treatment. Consult your City of London dentist about the Inman aligner and you could achieve that perfect smile you’ve never quite had before.

For those of us not blessed with naturally straight teeth, to achieve that winning smile that everyone strives for, it is necessary to undergo some kind of orthodontic straightening procedure. In most cases this will involve having a brace fitted. This is often a large sacrifice to make; having a mouth full of uncomfortable and unseemly wires for months is a large price to pay for straight teeth. Braces are often fitted to patients in their teenage years, which is an emotionally difficult time to stand out from the crowd. For older patients, the idea of wearing a brace has a certain stigma attached that they are often unwilling to confront.

There is now an alternative. Clear or invisible braces from Invisalign, introduced in 1999 by Align Technologies, can help to straighten teeth without the need for obtrusive metal braces. Invisalign is a series of clear plastic retainers that are specially designed for the patient’s teeth, worn for two or three weeks at a time before being changed, that make small adjustments in the teeth structure. It usually takes twenty or so sets of retainers to achieve the desired affect, only marginally longer than conventional metal braces and with minimum visual difference to real teeth. In fact, Invisalign braces are so discreet it is almost impossible to notice them unless up very close to the wearer.

Made form one millimeter thick plastic, the retainers also have the added advantage of being completely removable. This means that meal times are less fuss, and no foods are off limits unlike with metal braces.

Invisable braces have existed before, but with the aid of computer aided design and manufacture, Invisalign braces can be produced to stunning levels of accuracy. The use of 3D projections can accurately predict the expected outcome of the system and can adapt to any changes if necessary. Central London dentists offer Invisalign as an alternative to normal metal braces, so you may be able to straighten your teeth without having to sacrifice your smile.

For patients who have always dreamed of straight teeth put couldn’t face the prospect of having to wear ugly and uncomfortable braces or retainers for as long as three years, there is finally another option. Patients will now be able to achieve the perfect smile they have always wanted in as little as six months, with the aptly named Six-Month Smile treatment.

Six-month Smile can be used to treat orthodontic concerns such as overcrowding, spacing and problems arising with bite. It is able to achieve incredible results in such a short time because, unlike more conventional braces, the treatment focuses on only correcting the position of teeth that show when you smile. Using specially designed nickel titanium wires, the teeth are repositioned so that those at the front are able to move into more natural looking positions. Because of this more focused approach, treatment time can be reduced by as much as 75 per cent compared to regular braces.

Other advantages that the Six-Month system has over regular metal braces are that the wires are small and tooth-coloured meaning that they are far more discreet than metal ‘train-track’ braces. The levels of discomfort felt by the patient are also reduced when compared to conventional metal braces, and even Invisalign clear braces.

It must be said, that although Six-Month braces are discreet, they cannot compete in this department with the virtually invisible Invisalign braces. However, treatment will be significantly shorter and the accompanying cost is greatly reduced. Two more reasons why more and more patients are opting for Six-Month Smiles.

Six-Month Smile braces, like all orthodontic treatments, may involve a small a mount of discomfort but this will be a great deal smaller than with other straightening systems. Once fitted, the patient will require ten to fifteen minute appointments every four weeks to adjust the wires.

A London dentist will be able to provide you with further information about the advantages of Six-Month Smile braces. If they are suitable for you, you could have the beautiful straight smile you’ve always wanted, in under six-months.

Everyone dreams of having straight teeth. For some people this happens naturally, for others smiled upon less favourably by Mother Nature, it requires a bit of artificial assistance. When most children start to enter their teenage years it is fairly evident to the dentist if their teeth are developing crooked and will require straightening. It is beneficial to act as soon as possible, as the older the patient gets, the more difficult it becomes to manipulate the teeth into the desired position.

The only real option to artificially develop straight teeth is to use orthodontic straightening devices, more commonly known as braces. That is where the lack of choice ends however, as in the last fifteen years the variety of braces available to patients has exploded. Gone are the days when the only option was unseemly and uncomfortable ‘train-tracks’ that were the cause of so much playground baiting and bullying. Today’s braces offer ultra-fast and incredibly discreet treatment that yield just as pleasing results.

You may opt to have the Invisalign treatment which involves having a serious of invisible retainers fitted over the course of the treatment, each one making a small adjustment to the teeth. These retainers are all but invisible unless standing extremely close to the patient. Other modern alternatives include the Six-Month Smile treatment, which by focusing on only the visible teeth can achieve incredible results in just six-months. Equally as fast is the Inman aligner, a removable brace that uses coiled springs to create room in the tooth line.

Even the more traditional metal braces have come a long way in terms of aesthetic appearance and comfort, and they have the added bonus of being the most sturdy and thorough of the choices. Whatever the nature of your teeth, there is a brace that can work for you, whether it is a complete realignment or just that minor adjustment that’s always bothered you. A City of London dentist can offer you the most up-to-date advice on which braces would best suit you. Don’t be frightened by your preconceptions of braces. They really have changed and can help you achieve the smile you always wanted.