How many ways are there, how much do they cost, and how long do they take to work? i already know about ‘normal’ metal braces, they cost about $5000, and take who knows how long.
What other methods are there to straighten your teeth? is there outpatient surgery? what about plastic braces you wear at night and change every 2 weeks?
A company named Invisalign came out with clear plastic braces that you wear all day, but they only work in certain circumstances. Anything other than braces will probably not be able to make major changes in teeth alignment. If something better existed, there would be no reason for people to wear metal braces (those things suck!).
I forgot to add there’s also porcelain veneers which give the appearance of straighter teeth. According to that page, it takes only two office visits but lasts only a limited number of years.
I think I had Invisaligns before they were Invisaligns. I had regular metal braces before, but when my wisdom teeth began to emerge they pushed my lower left incisor out of alignment. So I went to my mom’s orthodontist, and she fitted me with a plastic retainer similar to Invisalign. A mold was taken of my teeth, and on the resulting retainer, a dot of extra plastic was placed on the location of the crooked tooth. When worn, the dot would push the wayward tooth into its proper position.
I wore that first set for a few weeks, and then went back and got another that was even more fitted. I went through about four sets all told; the last one was to secure the re-set toothline. It took about three months in all for my teeth to be straight for good.
I don’t know how much this all cost, because the orthodontist gave us a discount, what with my mom being a current patient.
The benefits to this system is that it’s removable, invisible, and lies smoother beneath your gums. The downside is that it’s removable and you have to discipline yourself to wear it. Can’t say it hurts any more or less than regular metal braces.