Straighten out that smile with braces in St John’s Wood

When someone brings up the subject of braces a lot of older patients are not overly keen on the idea, because of the unfortunate social stigma attached to wearing them. But there are actually a number of benefits to wearing a brace as an adult,  we can use them to help straighten out any crooked teeth you may have to improve your smile, but also to improve dental hygiene. Straight teeth make it easier to keep teeth clean and also help to minimise many problems associated with misalignment.

If this procedure has piqued your curiosity, then here is a little extra information on how we use braces in St John’s Wood to help you get that straight looking smile.

What are they?

For some an appointment for braces in St John’s Wood might mean being fitted with the stereotypical bracket and wire setup, but depending on your case, we may also offer an almost invisible alternative.

Known as clear braces, they can be fixed or removable depending on the degree of rectification required. The fixed type of clear braces can have clear or tooth-coloured brackets and wires. However the most popular types of clear braces are see-through plastic aligners that are custom moulded to fit only your mouth and over time help straighten out any troublesome crooked teeth. What makes this particular piece of corrective device different is that it can be removed at any time.

How they can straighten out your smile

The practice of using braces to correct crooked teeth is fairly common and simple. The idea is that the brace will exert a small, gentle and direct amount of pressure on specific areas of your mouth over an extended period of treatment time, with the goal of slowly realigning them to a straighter position.

Generally it can take several months for the desired results to start appearing, although the length of time can depend on the specific patient situation and age, as those that are younger tend to have a shorter turnaround for this procedure. But your dentist will usually discuss this with you and provide an estimate for your particular case.  

What does the fitting involve?

The fitting of the brace is fairly straightforward and depending on the type of appliance being used it can take a matter of minutes. The bracket and wire setup of clear brace is normally attached with a special dental adhesive through a simple procedure. This brace, also known as a ceramic brace, is also very unobtrusive whilst giving your dentist greater control over movement of teeth. The removable see-through types of braces involve a short non-invasive scanning session to get the measurements for your aligner as accurate as possible. At Aura Dental our team will fit you with a brace that has been created with a high level of detail and accuracy to provide a comfortable and efficiently fitted aligner.

Is it painful?

A pretty common question that crops up when treatments are being discussed is whether it’s going to be painful at all.

The process of fitting a brace isn’t overly invasive or particularly uncomfortable, although you may start to experience some mild aches in your teeth after wearing them for a few days. This is because your teeth are being forcibly moved, so naturally your body isn’t too happy about that. To counter this just use painkillers if things start to get a little too much.

Hopefully this has helped to clear up a few things about our braces and how we can use them to make your smile a little straighter. For further information about this treatment or to schedule your own appointment, just contact the practice and have a chat with our team.