Starting orthodontic treatment can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you feel like you’re coming in blind. That’s why having excellent providers is so important, like our Ventura County Orthodontics team. Today we’ll dive into this important first question: What factors should I consider in choosing the right orthodontic treatment?
The Big Three
In our office, we offer three primary options for orthodontic treatment, all of which have their own features. Let’s break it down for you:
1. Traditional Metal Braces
- Description: Modern day braces consist of stainless-steel metal brackets affixed to the teeth and connected together by a wire. Dr. Lee, Dr. Mullen, or Dr. Hodges will periodically adjust your appliance to move teeth into place.
- Best For: This method is ideal for a wide range of dental problems, including complex bite issues, severe misalignments, and crowding. They can handle most things we throw at them!
- Pros: Extremely effective and time tested, especially for difficult cases.
- Cons: Some patients don’t like how they look, and they can cause some discomfort or irritation from their various components.
2. Clear Braces
- Description: Structurally, they’re almost identical to traditional metal braces, but the brackets are made of tooth-colored ceramic material, which makes them less noticeable than metal brackets.
- Best For: Patients like ceramic braces since they can have the strength of traditional braces with a more discreet appearance.
- Pros: More natural-appearing than metal braces; effective for treating most moderate orthodontic issues.
- Cons: These tend to be more expensive than metal braces, and ceramic brackets can stain if not cared for correctly.
3. Clear Aligners
- Description: These are custom-made, clear, removable trays that work by gradually shifting teeth into place. You’ll switch out your aligners every 1-2 weeks while your teeth move.
- Best For: Clear aligners are suitable for mild to moderate alignment issues, such as crowding, spacing, and minor bite problems.
- Pros: The biggest advantage of clear aligners is that they appear practically invisible. They’re also removable for eating and cleaning, and generally considered more comfortable than braces.
- Cons: However, they aren’t suitable for severe orthodontic issues. They also require a lot of compliance from patients to wear them for 20-22 hours a day.
Other Considerations
Now that you know the differences between these types of treatment, you might be wondering what other variables impact your choice.
- Severity of Your Dental Issue: First and foremost, our team will consider the complexity of your case, whether it’s crowding, spacing, bite issues, or misalignment. This is a key factor in choosing an ideal path. For example, a patient might prefer clear aligners, only to discover traditional braces are the most effective course of treatment.
- Age: Our younger patients, particularly children and teens, may benefit more from traditional braces for functionality and compliance reasons. Adults often enjoy the aesthetic benefits of clear aligners in professional settings.
- Lifestyle Considerations: Since clear aligners are removable, it can make it much easier to manage activities like eating, drinking, and brushing your teeth. But if you would prefer less maintenance or are concerned about losing aligner trays, traditional braces could be a better fit.
- Cost: Treatment costs can vary quite a bit between options. For example, clear aligners might be more expensive than traditional braces. That being said, our team accepts insurance and works closely with all of our patients to ensure they have a comprehensive payment plan. You can read more about our various bespoke payment options on this page.
- Duration of Treatment: Be sure to consider the fact that some treatments may take longer than others to achieve your desired results. This varies a lot from patient to patient. Aligners can take about the same time as braces, but in more complex cases, traditional braces might provide faster results.
- Oral Hygiene: Braces require careful cleaning around brackets and wires to avoid plaque and bacteria buildup, while clear aligners provide easier access to your teeth. So if oral hygiene is a recurrent concern, aligners may be a better option.
- Maintenance: Braces require regular adjustments by our team, while aligners need to be switched out periodically and may end up requiring fewer in-office visits at Ventura County Orthodontics. Either way, no orthodontic treatment is hands-off.
Choosing Wisely
As you can see, we take a lot into consideration before starting orthodontic treatment! At Ventura County Orthodontics, we promise to evaluate every question and concern you have when choosing a course of treatment. This customization is a huge part of what we do and what makes our office so special. Come see us in Oxnard, Santa Paula, Moorpark, and Newbury Park.