Current Treatment Protocol And Aesthetic Options

Does Everyone Need To Get Extractions As A Part Of The Treatment?

No. Not everyone needs to get extraction done, however some people will need to get one or more teeth removed to facilitate successful treatment. The primary reason why this is done is to gain space to allow the teeth to move into the desired positions. Current treatment protocols dictate that treatment should be attempted without removing teeth wherever possible, however it is not always possible. Some situations where extractions are done more often than not are in cases of severe crowding, extremely large teeth or the presence of small jaws.

Braces Are Too Jarring — Are There Options Which Are More Aesthetic?

Conventional metal braces are immediately apparent to everyone around you. This is not much of a problem as young adult when a lot of other people the same age are also wearing these braces, however if you have decided to get orthodontic treatment done a little later in life or are in a public or just want a more aesthetic option facing job then this can be a deal breaker.  

Luckily, there are a lot of options available. There is the option of getting ceramic braces, which are similar to the color of the teeth. These are still visible however they are much less apparent than their metal counterparts. The metal wire itself that goes around the teeth is also available in ceramic. These ceramic braces function in absolutely the same manner as regular metallic braces although some practitioners have found them to break a little more frequently.

The most aesthetic option, however, is the "invisible aligners" that have become extremely popular over the last few years. These aligners do not require any braces or wires and are completely transparent. They are basically a set of prefabricated mouth guards designed with the help of computer simulation that predicts the movement of the teeth. Their results have been found to be quite satisfactory in uncomplicated cases although some complicated cases will require the use of bonded braces for the final tooth movement.

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Can The Teeth Return To Their Original Position After The Braces Have Been Removed?

Once the active phase of treatment has been complete, the patients are required to use retainers for a period of time. This is to help stabilize the dentition and prevent the teeth from moving back into undesirable positions. Your doctor may also decide to use permanent retainers for the front couple of teeth to prevent any spaces from opening up. With most people, there will be a slight amount of movement that takes place after the braces have been removed however it is often imperceptible to the untrained eye.