It is Never Too Late to Straighten Your Teeth

Orthodontic treatment can work wonders at improving bite issues and cosmetic teeth misalignment. Traditional metal braces and modern clear braces are both available to help with such dental issues. If you're trying to decide between the two and aesthetics isn't a major factor, it can seem difficult to know which method to choose.

Here are two important considerations when deciding between clear and metal braces. Note that cost is also a frequent issue, especially since clear braces aren't always covered by insurance, but regional dental specials and payment plans can make this a non-factor:

Oral Health Dedication

Do you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes using a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste? Are you dedicated to flossing every day and keep every dental cleaning appointment? Or are you a bit more relaxed when it comes to your oral healthcare routine?

General oral healthcare routine might not seem important when considering braces. But clear braces in particular require you to be an active participant in your treatment program. Clear braces are removable for eating and teeth brushing but it's important that you put the braces back in and wear the trays for the recommended length of time.

Both metal and clear braces require frequent visits to the orthodontist office. But metal braces might involve fewer trips with proper oral healthcare than clear braces require. That's because new trays have to be created periodically to advance your progress. And if you fail to wear a new tray enough, that progress can be halted.

Provider Experience

Pick any reputable orthodontist in your area and you should have a pleasant treatment with metal braces and a satisfying final result. That's because every orthodontist has received the most training at doing metal braces, which are style the most common type applied.

Clear braces are newer than metal braces and do require in-depth training to know how to make the treatment program potentially as successful as metal braces. So it's important to seek out a dentist who specializes in clear braces and has a solid reputation in that treatment area.

Further complicating the matter, you want to make sure your clear braces provider is also competent at metal braces and ancillary devices used to help better guide teeth. That's because one form of treatment – such as clear or metal braces – isn't always enough to get your desired result. So you need an orthodontist who is a jack-of-all-trades.