Ceramic Clear Braces are translucent (as opposed to traditional metal brackets). This gives you a more inconspicuous, yet aesthetically pleasing appearance, as the color can be matched to your natural teeth.
The technical advantages to ceramic braces and metal braces are similar. clear braces or ceramic braces are usually preferred by young adults since they provide a more natural tooth color that isn’t so noticeable.
However, it should be noted that ceramic is not transparent, and the archwire connecting the ceramic brackets together will maintain the silver, metallic color. Since ceramic is abrasive to tooth enamel, if you have a deep bite, you might not be able to use clear braces technology on your lower teeth.
Who Can Wear Ceramic Braces
Ceramic braces are usually chosen by those people, who feel embarrassed to wear metal options for their visibility. Orthodontists often recommend clear braces for adults, since they are much more sensitive to how they look with braces, especially if their work involves much face-to-face communication with other people. However, some teenagers and young adults may choose ceramics, too, though wearing metal orthodontic appliances is quite common among youngsters. But when a young person has any hang-ups about his or her appearance, ceramic braces offer a good way out.
With this, any person choosing clear braces needs to understand that this orthodontic appliance is not absolutely transparent. The texture of braces is clear enough to blend in with your tooth enamel in such a way that they are almost invisible. However, the archway is still made of metal and thus can be seen on your teeth, though frosted archways (featuring white coating) is really less apparent. Besides, some ceramic braces are not transparent at all – they are matte and white colored to match the color of teeth. Usually, there is a possibility to color-coordinate the shade of the braces with that of your tooth enamel in order to make the orthodontic appliance less noticeable. But with clear ceramic braces there is no need to labor achieving complete matching up in the shades.
Nonetheless, if you want to obtain the fastest results in your teeth alignment, ceramic braces are not the best choice for you, since usually they assume a longer period of wearing. Also, if you are a coffee or tea addict, over time you can face a problem of changes in color, which negates their main advantage – invisibility.
How Do Clear Aligners Work
Many patients ask their dentists “How do clear braces work?”, assuming that their working principle is somehow different from that of traditional metal orthodontic appliances. In fact, this is the wrong assumption, since both types of braces work similar.
The main principle of their action is creating a permanent pressure on teeth in order to change their position. While many people mistakenly believe that teeth are immovably fixed in their alveolar sockets, actually every alveolar process has a margin of movement, which is used by orthodontists. Both during dental eruption and under the physical impact of braces, an alveolar socket expands slightly and the tooth has the possibility to change its position under the pressure. From its loose side, the connective tissue quickly stretches and new bone cells are created to fill the free space. Due to this, your teeth can be moved and the bite and other defects can be corrected. This kind of physiological processes are observed throughout the life, and therefore, orthodontic problems can be cured at any age.
Clear dental braces are mounted with a special adhesive to tooth enamel, so that they can hold firmly. Each element is glued to the center of a tooth and a particular element is designed for each type of teeth – there are specific elements for incisors, molars, etc. This is based on the fact that the elements feature certain slope angles to provide the correct movement of the tooth.
However, the main work is performed not by braces, but by archways. They are designed to link all the braces together and to create the pressure that moves the teeth until they take up the position planned by your dentist.
Caring for Tooth and Brackets
To avoid damages and color changes, you need to know how to care for clear braces. If you want them to stay almost invisible on your teeth for a long time, you should avoid foods and drinks that can make the ceramics look darker or color it. In particular, you should avoid eating berries and drinking juice, wine, coffee and tea or at least reduce their consumption and, obviously, clean your mouth cavity and orthodontic appliance immediately after consumption. Also, you should avoid sticky foods like prunes, chewing gum, toffee and so on, since they are difficult to clean off the enamel. Hard foods are also undesirable, as they can damage the surface of your ceramic braces.
As for how to clean clear braces, it is recommended to use dental floss after each meal and to rinse your oral cavity with an antibacterial solution. Besides, you need to clean your teeth and braces with special brushes for an improved effect and surface protection. Using irrigators is also beneficial.
Before and After
When looking at clear braces before and after photos, you can see amazing results – straightened smiles, even teeth, corrected bites. This proves that ceramic braces are in no way less effective than traditional metal options. Whether you have crowded or gap teeth, overbite or underbite, clear braces can help you improve your smile and your life. After all, irregular bite is not only an aesthetic issue affecting your appearance, but also a serious dental problem affecting your health and the way you feel. Abnormal occlusion leads to an uneven load on your dental arcade, which can result in early loss of teeth and gingival involvement. In addition, difficulty in mastication and swallowing along with breathing trouble create dysfunctions in other systems of the human body, promoting the development of various diseases.
However, clear ceramic braces are effective in preventing these problems, while by viewing photos showing real people wearing clear braces, you can find confirmation that they are actually barely noticeable and have highly aesthetic look. Also, you can find out how other people feel before, during and after their treatment with the braces, which can help you make the right decision.
Pros and Cons
Though working similar to usual metal brackets, clear ceramic braces have their own advantages and downsides due to the material and design.
Pros
- aesthetic look thanks to the high invisibility;
- low degree of discomfort in the mouth cavity, since the oral mucosa is less irritated during wearing, as well as articulation is affected to a lesser degree;
- no metallic off-flavor and hypersensitivity reaction to the ceramics;
- lower price compared to transparent sapphire braces.
Cons
- prolonged duration of the treatment resulted from more significant rubbing between the large arch and brackets slots;
- lower resistance to mechanical damage;
- a tendency towards coloration;
- higher price when compared to metal and plastic braces.
As you can see, clear ceramic braces pros and cons are quite balanced, so many people believe they provide the best value for money ratio.
How Much Do Clear Braces Cost
When patients ask “How much do clear braces cost?”, a dentist cannot give an exact and comprehensive answer for several reasons:
- Cost of clear braces depends on the brand, since different brands use different compositions and designs, which influence the price, aesthetic, durability and other aspects.
- Clear ceramic braces cost also varies greatly depending on the dental problem they are aimed to solve. One-arch installation costs less than braces for both arches, while minor alignment is less pricy than cases when complex work is required.
However, generally clear braces cost more than traditional metal brackets and most of plastic aligners. Nevertheless, they are still less costly compared to average lingual and sapphire braces. When searching for the best price, you should keep in mind that in ads the minimum cost is often specified, which may include the installation, but doesn’t cover further visits to your orthodontist for checkups and adjustments.
Where to Get Consultation about Ceramic Braces
In our clinic you can find the best affordable ceramic braces for adults in Los Angeles, as well as for children and teenagers who are concerned about how they look when wearing braces. Here you will get a free initial consultation from the experienced dentist Dr. Nikaeen, serving patients from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and other neighborhoods. Through discussing your dental problems and personal preferences with the qualified orthodontist you will be able to choose the best option from ceramic braces based on your budget and other needs.
Straighten Your Smile with Clear Braces
To learn more about ceramic braces, call (310) 444-1113 or email to schedule a consultation for braces in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica.
