An invisible solution for a perfect smile

Dental alignment either charms or foils the smile with impairments such as spacing, crossbite, overbite and crowding to name a few. The traditional corrective therapy involves wearing metal braces, which was not only effective but also affordable. However, the painful procedure, high maintenance, duration involved and most importantly, the striking visibility, diminished the aesthetic appeal. Over the years, orthodontics has come up with innovations to address the issue like lingual braces.

Procedure

Lingual braces are invisible, as these are positioned behind the teeth. They work on the same functional mechanism of inducing continuous pressure on the teeth to gradually shift them into proper alignment. Since dental alignment differs from person to person, the lingual braces are customised depending on the orthodontic treatment. The treatment can range anywhere between three to 48 months.

Advantages

Invisibility is the main advantage. Apart from the aesthetics, the lingual braces are relatively pain-free, easy to maintain, require less frequent visits, are customised and they leave no stains on the teeth. On the flipside, they are expensive, non-removable and can result in soreness in the initial days.

(The author is co-founder of All Smiles Dental Care)