While there are a variety of adult orthodontic treatments available, two of the lesser known are Invisalign Manchester and lingual braces. Manchester patients are turning to discreet orthodontic treatments as a way of maintaining their smile and when it comes to discretion, Invisalign braces Manchester and lingual braces are leading the way. But just how invisible are they? Let’s take a closer look…
Lingual braces
Lingual braces in Manchester are completely different from any other type of fixed brace system in that they attach onto the inside of the teeth rather than the outside. In other words when someone’s looking at a person wearing lingual braces, they would never know that they’re wearing them.
They work on exactly the same principle as traditional orthodontic treatments in that they use continual gentle force to push and/or pull the teeth back into position. This is done using the same kind of bracket and wire system that conventional braces do, except this time, brackets aren’t attached to the front of the teeth.
Like Invisalign braces in Manchester, treatments are long term, taking anywhere between 18 and 36 months to complete. They can be used to correct a whole host of dental problems including crooked or overcrowded teeth, gapped teeth, and mild to moderate over/under bite. Also like Invisalign, Manchester patients will have to pay more for the treatment because they’re custom made. However unlike Invisalign, technical training and expertise are needed to fit them.
The downside to wearing lingual braces is that they take a little longer to get used to. Because the system feels strange on the tongue at first, full pronunciation or words may prove difficult. However this is usually rectified after a few days when the patient gets used to wearing them.
Invisalign
As with lingual braces, Manchester patients can be assured of complete discretion with Invisalign treatment. However unlike the former, there are many differences. Firstly the Invisalign system is a removable ‘aligner style’ brace designed specifically to be removed when eating, drinking, and cleaning the teeth. This is to aid oral hygiene as food particles can become lodged in between the brackets and wires of conventional braces. Instead of being secured onto the teeth, Invisalign Manchester braces fit over the teeth utilising a lightweight, clear plastic gum-shield.
The other main difference between these and Lingual braces is how they work…
While lingual braces rely on a bracket and wire system to move teeth back into position, with Invisalign, teeth are forced into a certain position using a series of (in some cases as many as 48) aligners. These are placed over the teeth in sequential order at 2-3 week periods until the last one moves the teeth into the final position. Before a patient is given their aligners, a series of computer diagrams are drawn up plotting the gradual movement of the teeth. At any one time the dentist (and the patient) can see exactly the stage they should be at in order to create that great looking smile.
So what about the downsides?
The only real downside, is that because Invisalign Braces Manchester are designed to be removable, the patient has complete control over when they wear them. The issue is that they need to be worn for 22 hours a day to achieve best results, so the wearer needs to be sufficiently self-disciplined enough to do that.
As you can see, if you’re after discreet adult orthodontic treatment there are systems available. If you’d like to find out more about lingual braces Manchester, or Invisalign Manchester, then book yourself a consultation with Shi Karim and the team at Church Road Dental to discuss your options. Call today on 0161 660 1218 and take the first steps towards restoring your great looking smile.
