Just wanted to let you know that Invisalign/traditional fixed braces, they are all similar in the way that the teeth will respond to the force applied on the teeth. The teeth will move according to where the force in applied, and for how long. Fixed braces are "easier" because they are glued on to your teeth 24/7 and the wires will gently guide the crooked teeth. Invisalign (or other clear removable aligner systems) are "easier" because they are NOT glued on to your teeth 24/7 so they are easier to live more normal life style, e.g. eat normal foods, no emergencies... However, since they are not on your teeth 24/7, if your compliance isn't stellar, ie. not wearing your aligners for minimum 22 hours per day, then you will not achieve a satisfactory result... the teeth simply won't move if you only wear the aligners for a few hours during the day. Your choice of orthodontics should be dependent on your level of motivation, oral hygiene and again, did I mention, your level of MOTIVATION to do orthodontics? Fixed or removable orthodontics, they are both similar in what they achieve. Fixed = visible, but you typically live with brackets and wires and they do their job in straightening your teeth. Removable = may be invisible, typically have less discomfort and emergencies, but it's still tooth movement, and COMPLIANCE of MINIMAL WEAR OF 22 HOURS PER DAY must be kept, otherwise, you might as well give it to your pet.6 Months Smile shouldn't even be considered as a "type" of treatment for you. It's a fixed braces placed on by a General Dentist with no specialist orthodontic training over a few weekend courses at a hotel. They only claim to straighten your front teeth without considering its impact on the rest of your occlusion. Often times, I see patients transferred way past their "promised" 6 months. Not good. Speed of orthodontic movement. No single type of orthodontic movement can guarantee you quicker finish. It's all marketing. I would check your orthodontist's qualifications, board certification status, years of experience, whether they are experienced in orthodontics first before jumping into asking for quicker finish. Generally, more experienced and "good" orthodontists will set up your biomechanics of tooth movement to be more efficient and most simple treatments can finish under 18 months or so (for extraction cases, expect longer time frame, 20 to 24 months). The more complex cases can take longer but there are other tools to help move the teeth... eg. Propel (bone Micro-Osteo Perforation, MOP) is a product that helps the orthodontist place a few "acupuncture" holes on the gums surrounding the tooth that needs to be moved faster, can assist in quicker cellular turnaround and biologically help move those "difficult" tooth. Acceledent (bone and teeth masseuse) vibrates at a certain frequency and claim to induce cellular changes. These are what I call "aids" to help surrounding bone biology to change to help existing mechanics to allow quicker tooth movement. Obviously, the orthodontists may offer it with extra charge if the patient was willing to pay. How much quicker? The manufacturers claim it can reduce up to a 1/3 of the time. How valuable is that? Only you would know!Again, congratulations on your decision to improve your smile! It always starts with a small smile, but by the time you're done, you will beam from your molar to molar! Best of luck!
Sorry, your photos were hard to see. Everyone can get braces. Everyone is a candidate for clear removable aligners such as Invisalign. The question is if you are the ideal candidate for such treatment so that your treatment will be a success? The best for you is to visit your local orthodontist and talk to him/her.Good luck!
Hi, it's very common to see midline not being co-incicdent... meaning they are not perfectly lined up. Our teeth, just like the rest of our limbs, are not all perfectly symmetrical and similar in size or shape. There will be slight difference between the tooth ratio between left to right and top to bottom teeth. Having considered the difference, usually IPR (you've correctly memorized the term! congrats!) which stands for Inter Proximal Reduction, is enough to correct the midline. However, in your photos, you may have maxillary protrusion and to avoid over protruding your incisors, your orthodontist may have to recommend tooth extraction(s) to improve your facial profile. It's difficult to assess further without accurate photos of your teeth as well as your facial profile.As my title suggests, I encourage you to keep asking questions at every appointment and engage your orthodontist to show interest and your concerns. He/she will be very pleased that you are interested and giving feedback.Good luck!
Both methods of orthodontic tooth movement will work. Invisalign treatment would be easier for you if you prefer not to have any appliances bonded to the facial surface of your teeth. With Invisalign you would need to be motivated to wear the aligner trays 22 hours/day for the trays to successfully work. Suresmile is a CAD/CAM system to help the orthodontist "plan out" the tooth movement (just like in Invisalign). So both are high-tech and you should ask your orthodontist lots of questions about those 2 different types of treatment options!
Crowded teeth is one of the main reasons why people seek orthodontic care ("braces"). Invisalign is also a great alternative to traditional braces, however, with certain types of orthodontic treatment, the results may not be most ideal. I would highly recommend you to seek out your neighborhood orthodontist and visit in person to seek a consultation. Extraction of teeth (getting teeth pulled) is a very common procedure that sometimes we recommend to patient for "crowded teeth" problem. Not to worry, the space created by extraction will be closed by the end of the treatment! Best of luck!
