How to Straighten Your Teeth without Braces? What are the Other Options?

How to Straighten Your Teeth without Braces? What are the Other Options?

All of us want a beautiful smile, but only a few are blessed with it naturally. To correct your smile, braces are not the only way to achieve it. You can straight your crooked, mal-aligned teeth at home depending on your individual oral condition. We should make it clear that you may be looking for How to Straighten Your Teeth Without Braces or without undertaking any dental treatment but without consulting with a dentist/orthodontist it may not be safe or working. You must consult an orthodontist for a right and effective treatment. Doing this at home is not for everyone, few minor adjustments and corrections can be done without any professional treatment.

First of all, we would like to share those dental problems that can be cured without braces and they are:

  • Mild Overcrowding or slightly crooked teeth
  • Underdeveloped palate or narrow upper jaw
  • Malocclusion

How to Straighten Your Teeth without Braces

 

  • Clear Aligner :

This can be a good option for you if you don’t want to wear a metallic wire over your teeth and do not want to get noticed by anyone. Aligners are clear plastic trays that are custom-made, using transparent medical grade polymer. They snugly fit over your upper and lower teeth. They are removable, nearly invisible and easy to maintain. Just find an aligner provider who can assess your case and take impressions or an intraoral scanning of your teeth. Thereafter a treatment plan will be devised for you and you can start your clear aligner treatment. If you are looking for an effective treatment without braces then you may consider Aligners. You may check if you are a candidate for aligner treatment by reading:

Other Articles — Cases Most Suitable for Clear Aligners

  • Appliances

There are many orthodontic devices that can help in teeth straightening. Basically, these devices are used to correct the jaw imperfections due to which teeth are crooked, mal-aligned. But to get the result you have to be patience as these type of devices takes time to work. Appliance like:

  • Herbst Device

Herbst appliance can straight teeth by allowing the lower jaw to get a proper position so that the upper jaw moves in the forward direction. Finally, the patient gets a perfect smile. Other types of appliances are also available, you need to be sure about the appliance whether it would be beneficial for you or not before starting the treatment.

  • Headgear

Orthodontist recommends Headgear an appliance used to straighten teeth without braces. This appliance is placed by the head, neck and chin. Headgear applies the pressure against the patient’s upper teeth and jaw, which moves both the jaw and teeth into position. It can be used in different situations in orthodontic. Patients wear the headgear for a specific number of hours daily to see improvements. The appliance takes too much time to show the effective result and they are not very discrete which are the main disadvantages of headgear appliance are.

  • Retainers

Retainers are used to correct minor adjustments of teeth made up of plastic and metal material. These are custom-made as per the needs. The pair of retainers i.e. for upper one and lower are never same. Retainers are less comfortable and easily visible. Retainers are also given when the braces and aligners treatment get complete to prevent the teeth from shifting them out of the position.

 

There are majorly three types of retainers:

  1. Hawley Retainers
  2. Essix Retainers
  3. Permanent Retainers
  • Palatal Expanders

Specially designed for children if the mouth is too small due to the teeth structure, this appliance would be helpful for your child. It is used to widen the upper and lower teeth simultaneously to fit in a better position. Palatal Expanders are made up of two parts a screw that is attached to the teeth and when the screw goes up it make the teeth widen. This wideness prevents the overcrowding and provides space to the teeth to move into their ideal position. Palatal expanders are recommended for the children and teens below 15.

Read More – What are Aligner Chewies and Outies?

  • Consult with an Orthodontist to Discuss Treatments

All the above-discussed methods and appliances are not applicable in every situation. For a better treatment option, we suggest you to consult with few orthodontists and choose the best option from them that suits your all needs. An orthodontist is a licensed and valid person who can tell you the exact treatment. How to Straighten Your Teeth without Braces To explore the treatment options, you may consult with 2-3 orthodontists and you must consider their advice.

Why Should you Remove Aligners While Eating ?

Why-Should-you-Remove-Aligners-While-Eating

If you are thinking of having the aligners treatment for straightening your teeth, you will surely get the desiring teeth correction. Aligners are an effective way to correct crowded, overbite, gaps between teeth etc., all can be resolved through aligners. One of the greatest advantages of aligners is that you can enjoy all your favorite foods and drinks. But aligners require your attention for their maintenance. You must follow all the precautions given by your dentist/orthodontist for good result. Your dentist probably told you to Remove Aligners While Eating and drinking (except water), today we will tell you in detail “Why aligners should be removed while eating and drinking?”

Why Should you Remove Aligners While Eating ?

Discolouring: Aligners are transparent, invisible in nature but if you wear them while eating food, pigments of the food will leave its colour due to which aligner will become discoloured. Liquids like tea, coffee other beverages can easily stain the easily stain the aligners. To prevent this, you must brush your teeth before putting them back in the mouth and rinse the aligner in lukewarm water or by using the provided cleaning teeth.

aligners-should-be-removed-while-eating

Cracking, Breaking of Aligners: There is no doubt aligners are durable and strong, aligners are made up of polyurethane plastic approved by the medical department. Its plastic is very thin and transparent. You should be careful when they are in your mouth- never bite strongly, chew anything, pinch them do not apply unneeded force on aligners.

Read More : Aligners Cost in India

If damaged even a little, the tray will not be as effective in aligning your teeth properly. You may get crack in them this will lead to the repurchase of the same aligner obviously you have to pay for it. If the aligners you are wearing, are near to get replaced by the new one don’t take the present aligner lightly. Just put them pack in their carry case and wear the new one.

Want to know what to do or not with aligners? Read ‘Do’s and Don’ts of Aligners

Related Article: How Does Aligner Work?

Related Article: History of Clear Aligner.

Other Reasons: Do not wear aligners when you are chewing gum, Chew gum will affect the aligners because gum may stick in aligners and create a path for bacteria and food particles to dwell in. A distorted aligner will not be able to effectively straighten your teeth. Furthermore, brush your teeth after every meal or beverage before putting in your aligners to prevent plaque and decay. If the aligners not comfortable or irritating you do not try to trim or modify the aligners. In this, you should contact your dentist and share your problem. Visit your dentist/orthodontist in such cases.

One must follow all precautions and handle the aligners properly. To know more about the aligner treatment consult with an Orthodontist.

FAQs related to why should you Remove Aligners While Eating?

Do I Need to Remove Aligners While Eating?

Food can easily get stuck in aligner and will damage them. So, it is always advised to remove your aligners while you eat or drink. It the most popular advantages of having aligners, they are removable and allows you to eat your desired meal and drink.

I Start My Day with Tea/Coffee, Do I Need to Remove Aligners?

Yes, tea and coffee and contains high colour pigment if you wear aligners when you are drinking coffee or tea, it will leave colour on aligner and aligner will become discoloured.

Can I Chew Gum While Wearing Aligners?

Chewing gum is not good for aligners as it may get stuck in the aligners. Therefore, orthodontists advise you to do so.

Can I Drink Alcohol When Wearing My Aligners?

No, Because of the high sugar content in alcohol, you want to make sure sugar is not trapped between your teeth and aligner. The same applies for any sugary beverage.