Teeth straightening has become increasingly popular amongst adults as a way to improve the appearance of your smile and improve the long term health of your teeth and gums by enabling the biting pressure to be spread across all teeth.

There are two main types of appliance used to straighten teeth:
A removable appliance – this is where you will be able to take the appliance out to eat and brush your teeth. This is used with the Invisalign and Inman Aligner process

A fixed appliance – this is where brackets are attached directly to the teeth and a wire used to join the brackets together. This wire creates the tension necessary to move the teeth. This is used with the 6 Month Smile System.

The type of appliance required will depend on the nature and severity of the problem and the speed at which you are looking for results.

Dental Braces can be worn at any age to improve the appearance of your smile
Provided your teeth and gums are healthy you could benefit from orthodontic treatment. Dental braces can help to improve the appearance of your smile and your overall dental health Teeth straightening can improve your bite and enable you to more easily maintain a good oral hygiene routine, reducing the risk of decay and gum disease.

Improve your bite and your smile
Braces not only make teeth straight, they can also help to:

• improve how your teeth meet when you chew
• Reduce jaw pain or discomfort
• Improve crowding or fill gaps caused by missing teeth
• Improve the health of your gums
• Make it easier to speak clearly

The most important consideration prior to any teeth straightening procedure is your bite. This is the way that your top and bottom teeth meet when you open and close your mouth. The importance of function cannot be underestimated and must be taken into consideration alongside ensuring that your smile looks great.

Different teeth straightening methods are suitable for different people there is no one size fits all system

Dependent on the reasons for undergoing teeth straightening treatment will depend on the system that is right for you. If you have your heart set on a certain teeth straightening system, your dentist will be able to explain whether or not you would be suitable. It is ok to ask why the treatment will not work, it is better for you to fully understand the dentist’s approach before your treatment begins.

Here at The Essex Smile Centre we are able to offer three different teeth straightening treatments to help ensure that we are able to treat whatever problems are patients present with:

Invisalign
Rather than traditional braces, Invisalign are made of clear resin meaning that they should be practically invisible when they are in place. They are easily removable and as such do not interfere as much with daily life, such as eating, drinking or oral hygiene routines as other more traditional orthodontic appliances.

Invisalign treats a range of straightening issues, including overcrowded teeth, widely spaced teeth, cross bites, deep bites and under bites. Whatever the issue, the result is a new, more even smile that you will want everyone to see.

When you begin your Invisalign treatment, you will wear each set of custom-made aligners in two-week increments. As you progress through the series of aligners, your teeth will begin moving, little by little, gradually moving towards the projected final position.

Six month smiles
Six Month Smiles is a modern twist on tried-and-true orthodontics. Six Month Smiles has taken the best aspects of braces and modified the treatment and the materials to give adults a teeth straightening solution to best fit with your lifestyle.

The average treatment times is only six months which ensures that you start to see results fast. Six Month Smiles Lucid-Lok™ clear brackets and tooth-coloured wires are barely visible and the low forces and short overall treatment times increase comfort, safety, and hygiene

While this system is more ‘visible’ than the other clear aligner systems that we provide (i.e. Invisalign), Six Month Smiles treatment can do a lot more in terms of tooth movement and achieve excellent results in a much shorter treatment time.

Inman Aligner
The Inman Aligner is the perfect solution for crowding or protrusion of the front teeth. It is efficient, safe and great value. Most cases can be completed in 6-18 weeks and because you only need to wear the aligner for 16-20 hours a day you can take the aligner out to fit with your lifestyle.

The Inman Aligner has Nickel Titanium coil springs that power two aligner bows that gently oppose each other, guiding the teeth into their new position. These gentle forces are active over a very large range of movement, which is why the Inan Aligner works so quickly.

The team at The Essex Smile Centre are waiting to help you straighten your teeth and improve your bite. Do not hesitate to call the surgery on 01268 742 333 to book your initial consultation today.