Braces are often used to correct a bite. Designs are used for adults and children. But there is an alternative to braces, since not everyone wants to wear a complex orthodontic product for a long time. The types of popular designs are described in the article.
What are braces for?
These are orthodontic fixed braces that align teeth and form a beautiful bite. Designs are used even in advanced cases. For the result of such correction, the product must be correctly installed, taking into account the features of the jaw. They are worn for at least 1 year, but sometimes the period is 2-3 years.
As materials for the manufacture of braces are:
- medical steel;
- gold;
- plastic;
- ceramics.
Products are vestibular and lingual. The first type is attached to the frontal surface of the teeth. Lingual braces are installed on the inside of the dental apparatus.
An alternative to metal braces are fixed brackets made of sapphire. These braces have no color. The disadvantage of products is the high cost, which is many times more than conventional brackets. Lingual braces are no less effective, but they are not striking.
There are several alternatives to braces that are also effective. But the correction method should be chosen by the doctor. Before wearing any design, the patient needs to familiarize themselves with the rules of its operation, so that the correction has only a positive effect.
When can I not use braces?
To straighten teeth without using braces is not always allowed. Sometimes they are considered the only product that can help. Adults may not use this product in the following cases:
- When correction of the position of one or more teeth is needed.
- If you want to eliminate a mild form and minor pathology.
- To get a quick result, which is possible with the help of an alternative to braces.
- With a low arrangement of gums, when metal products injure them.
- With a low pain threshold.
- When a patient needs an impeccable appearance and clear diction.
In any case, consultation with an orthodontist is required. Only a specialist is able to determine the appropriate means for correcting malocclusion.
What does the wrong bite lead to?
If this anomaly is not corrected in childhood, then the pathology of tooth placement will affect the quality of life and lead to complications. Often this causes:
- improper distribution of chewing load on the teeth, because of which they are quickly erased;
- the inability to install removable or fixed prostheses, as they break due to a defect;
- rapid wear of the temporomandibular joint;
- changes in the appearance of the face, oval, symmetry;
- early wrinkles;
- tendency to the appearance of tartar.
If the malocclusion is complex, then it is more difficult to correct. This leads to big problems. Therefore, it is required to ensure that the child is examined by the orthodontist and corrects the defect. Can teeth be fixed without braces? This is possible using the following tools.
Veneers and Lumineers
How to fix crooked teeth without braces? For this, decorative plates are used, which are more used to disguise aesthetic imperfections than are considered a full-fledged treatment. But this method is reliable and fast. In just 1 procedure it will be possible to eliminate many problems of the dentition without pain and unpleasant consequences.
Thanks to a special glue, the dentist fixes ceramic plates to enamel. To install veneers, you need easy turning of the teeth, and lumineers are thinner, so they are attached directly. This method is used to hide small gaps between the teeth, hide cracks or chips of enamel, change the shade of a smile, align teeth.
Veneers or lumineers are unable to cope with serious bite problems and dental defects. And the price of this procedure will be quite high. The cost of 1 veneer starts from 10 thousand rubles, and high-quality material costs 45-50 thousand. Lumineers are even more expensive - from 60 thousand rubles per 1 piece. The fee for the doctor’s work is also increasing.
Trainers
This is a great alternative to braces for children. The therapeutic effect is based on the correction of the muscle system and stimulation of normal growth and formation of the jaw bones. Therefore, for adults, devices are ineffective.
Nevertheless, doctors believe that trainers correct minor bite defects in adults, if they do not want to do this with the help of braces. These products are created from polyurethane, they are simulators for the dental-maxillary apparatus. The advantages of the products include:
- The ability to wear a limited amount of time - at night and several hours during the day.
- Convenience and comfort in use, the absence of pain and other unpleasant sensations.
- Affordable price.
Trainers cost less compared to other systems. They cost 5-10 thousand rubles. Designate should be prescribed only by a specialist after examination of the oral cavity.
Eliners
This is a popular alternative to braces. Eliners are soft, aesthetic, comfortable. They allow you to eliminate a bite defect. They are also called mouth guards. An alternative to braces of this kind is effective for adults and children. They are invisible to others, which is another advantage. The most popular brand is Invisiline.
These products are high strength, reliable, flexible. They are made in the shape of the jaw of a person. The material is silicone or polyurethane. To achieve the desired effect, you need to order several caps for different stages of correction.
Thanks to the individual manufacture under the natural features of the teeth, a snug fit and comfortable socks are ensured. Since the material is transparent, the products are not visible. The impact from the eliners is mild, so the person does not feel any inconvenience.
Previously, products made it possible to correct non-serious pathologies of the jaw. But gradually began to produce high-quality designs that can solve the problem:
- crowding of teeth;
- the presence of gaps between the teeth;
- distal, cross and other types of bite.
For adult patients, designs are chosen only with discipline and responsibility. They can be removed only for the period of eating and hygiene. The price of this treatment is 100-150 thousand rubles, but depends on the amount of cap used during correction and the duration of their use.
Surgical intervention
Still how to fix teeth without braces? An expensive and effective method is surgery correction. This radical method is used to:
- correction of facial curvature due to severe pathology;
- eliminate the problem of a genetic species;
- correction of irregular chin shape;
- getting rid of complex cases of open bite;
- correction of facial asymmetry after injuries.
The cost of this correction method is quite high - 300-400 thousand rubles. But the effectiveness is significantly higher compared to other types of treatment.
Exercises
Alignment without braces is allowed with the help of special exercises. Their doctors prescribe using orthodontic designs. But it should be borne in mind that their use cannot be effective as an independent correction method. They are only an auxiliary way.
Composite restoration
This method provides an attractive view of the teeth without real treatment for curvature of the dentition. It provides for the application of a composite material to the tooth, which is used in filling. After application, it hardens under the influence of a lamp. With the help of modern technology, the procedure does not require much time.
The composite has a high level of strength. Composite restoration is used to eliminate tooth irregularities, shape anomalies, reduce cracks, whiten enamel. This method is not used for diseases of the oral cavity, malocclusion or the habit of biting nails. First, the state of the oral cavity is evaluated. Then grinding of enamel is performed. A composite is applied to the treated part, it hardens and polishes.
The advantages of the methods include:
- high speed - everything takes about 1 hour;
- natural look and beauty of restored teeth;
- elimination of many defects that arose from the features of the form;
- the exception of chiping of the composite, since it is reliable;
- low price.
But the service life is short - no more than 5 years. The composite is unstable to dyes. White color gradually fades. The cost of restoration is affordable - for 1 seal you will have to pay 2-7 thousand rubles.
When are braces needed?
Although systems have many advantages, in most cases it is not possible to completely eliminate malocclusion. Only a doctor is able to assess the situation and decide which is better to use.
Complex defects are corrected only by metal braces, and even ceramic structures are not able to eliminate them. But sometimes they are powerless, so surgical intervention is necessary. It is best to correct a bite in 9-15 years.
Patient correction is required for bite correction. Orthodontic treatment is usually not fast. The timing of correction is different for everyone, since it depends on the dentition and anomaly, as well as on the type of construction. If braces are selected, then the treatment is 1.5-2 years. And with the eliners, the period is 1-1.5 years. In difficult cases, more time is required.
When choosing a design for correction, the doctor takes into account the patient's preferences, lifestyle, and oral condition. Due to the variety of orthodontic products, you can correct the bite at almost any age.
Thus, these are all alternatives to braces. In any case, it is not worth appointing constructions yourself. Only a doctor is able to assess the complexity of the problem and choose the most effective correction method.