Straightening your teeth can be an important step in improving your appearance and boosting your confidence at any age. Still, few adults are interested in wearing permanent braces with less attractive wires and brackets. Clear aligners treatment provides a nearly invisible option with a wide range of benefits that make straightening your smile easier to fit into your lifestyle as an adult. 

What Are Clear Aligners? 

As an effective dental service, clear aligners are an aesthetic and convenient alternative to traditional metal braces. This series of clear plastic trays covers your teeth to nudge them into their desired positions gradually.  

Who Is a Good Candidate for Clear Aligners?

Most patients willing to accept the responsibility of wearing sets of aligners for the recommended number of hours each day and caring for them properly can be good candidates for this modern alternative to traditional braces. Clear aligners may not always work well for certain patients with significant tooth alignment issues or too few teeth to hold the trays in place, but most other patients can find as much success with these aligners as they can with traditional braces. 

What are the Benefits of Clear Aligners?

People who maintain good oral health and hygiene through routine dental checkups and comprehensive exams are a good choice for clear aligners. Many patients find clear aligners a highly preferable alternative to regular braces. Here are some of the most common reasons our patients choose this option!

Comfort

Many patients find clear aligners to provide a more comfortable experience than traditional braces. Although some soreness is unavoidable as your teeth are pushed from their old positions, not having wires that are prone to popping out of their positions or brackets that can get caught on the inside of your mouth can make clear aligners easier on your gums, lips, and cheeks. 

Discreet

Clear aligners are nearly invisible, which makes them an excellent option for patients that are interested in straightening their teeth without the less attractive presence of traditional metal braces. 

Customizable

Each set of clear aligners is designed to perfectly fit your teeth, which can increase their overall efficiency over what you might expect from traditional braces. 

Removable

Clear aligners can be removed when eating, playing sports, practicing a musical instrument, and brushing teeth. This higher level of flexibility makes it significantly easier to minimize disruptions to your life and adequately care for your teeth. 

Effective

Clear aligners produce comparable results to traditional braces, so choosing this option over metal braces generally will not result in a less effective treatment or a lower-quality smile. 

No Food Restrictions

Because you can remove your clear aligners while eating, you can enjoy all your favorite foods while straightening your teeth. As long as you remove your aligners before eating, sticky and crunchy foods you would not be able to eat with traditional braces will be no problem. 

Shorter Treatment Time 

Although every patient is different, you likely will not need to wear your clear aligners for as long as you would to get the same results from traditional braces. Many adults can get the smile they want in as little as 6-12 months with clear aligners, while the same person might need to wear regular braces for as long as 2-3 years. 

Cost-Effective

Clear aligners can often be a more cost-effective alternative to metal braces, especially for adults needing minor adjustments. 

Improved Self-Confidence

The most obvious advantage of clear aligners is leading to a great smile once you have finished treatment. This can significantly boost self-esteem and improve overall dental health, and create a healthy bite as well. Clear aligner therapy can simplify this process by providing a more aesthetic alternative to conventional metal braces, making it much easier to like how you look.

Choose Trail West Family Dentistry for Quality Clear Aligners

At Trail West Family Dentistry, we want our patients to have straight teeth through our effective treatment options. Our dental treatments, like clear aligners, allow for a proper position toward a straight smile. We want our patients to understand good oral hygiene, and that begins with exploring the clear aligner treatment options we offer. Contact us today in the Greenville, SC, area if you are looking for a convenient and personalized approach to straightening your teeth. We can give you a beautiful smile!