Invisalign Versus Metal Dental Braces at Our Houston Cosmetic Dentist

“Is Invisalign better than metal braces? Are metal braces more effective? What’s the difference between the two?” 

We get asked this a lot by many of our Houston adult and pediatric patients. Although both straighten your teeth, the way in which they do so are slightly different from each other. Here is how Invisalign Clear Aligners and metal braces compare. 

Invisalign Clear Aligners for Our Kids Dentist Patients and Our Adult Cosmetic Dentist Patients

Invisalign Clear Aligners are very similar to clear plastic retainers. When you undergo this type of braces treatment, we start off by examining your bite and getting impressions of your teeth. With this information, we develop a thorough treatment plan and send the impressions to our lab. The lab will make different aligner trays that are customized for the different phases of your treatment plan.

Metal Braces for Houston Pediatric Dental Patients and Cosmetic Dental Patients

Metal dental braces, on the other hand, metal braces are completely made of metal, as their name implies. They are made up of metal brackets that are placed on each individual tooth and then held in place by a metal archwire, which is meant to gently move your teeth in the right direction in order to make them straight. In order to continue doing this throughout your treatment, our braces dentists will tighten your wire as needed.

The Pros and Cons of Invisalign and Metal Dental Braces

Invisalign Clear Aligners

When it comes to Invisalign, treatment is very subtle. This is perfect for teenagers who are a little self-conscious and for adults who don’t want to draw attention to their braces. Invisalign is to be removed at mealtimes and, if you wear it diligently for 22-24 hours a day, you can afford to skip it on a special occasion, such as prom or a wedding.

As for cons, clear aligners may not be ideal if you are forgetful or worry you may not wear it enough. Additionally, Invisalign works very slowly if your teeth need more alignment, so you may be better off wearing metal braces.

Metal Dental Braces

Metal braces are very versatile. They can be worn for almost all malocclusions, minor and severe, and they will correct the issues in a shorter amount of time. They are bulkier than Invisalign, but the good news is that these days, metal braces are lighter in weight and more comfortable than before, which makes them less of a hassle to wear.

Think You Might Need Dental Braces? Visit Our Houston Cosmetic Dentist For an Evaluation

If you think that it may be time for you or your teen to get braces, then please book an appointment with us so we can begin the process with an evaluation. This will help us determine what might work best for you.