A study confirms what we all instinctively knew. People with straight teeth are seen as more successful, smarter and more attractive.

If you are wishing for a Hollywood smile, read on. We’ll cover 4 things you need to know about Invisalign vs braces.

Then you’ll be able to make the right decision for you.

1. Brushing Your Teeth with Braces or Invisalign

One of the main difference between Invisalign and braces is how you will brush your teeth.

Braces

When you have permanent braces, you will need to use special threaders to floss the teeth with braces. Cleaning around the brackets will require a special tiny toothbrush.

You will also need to be mindful of how easily food can get stuck in the brackets. People who have braces learn to bring a travel toothbrush and floss pick with them wherever they go.

Having braces means that you need to brush your teeth right after you eat. Even at school, work or out with friends or family.

Invisalign

Having Invisalign alignment treatment, on the other hand, is removable. So when it’s time to eat, you just pop off the clear aligners.

When it’s time to brush and floss, you will also remove your aligner. Brushing and flossing remain the same as always.

Oral hygiene is important, no matter what. But when you have permanent braces it becomes even more vital.

Oral Hygiene

Bad oral hygiene with braces can cause many problems such as bad breath, tartar buildup, gingivitis, and demineralization.

Demineralization happens with food stays on your teeth after eating. When that food joins with bacteria in your mouth, it creates acid.

This acid eats the calcium and phosphate on your teeth and leaves white scars on your teeth. When your braces eventually come off, you could be left with white square scars in the shape of the brackets.

It’s important to note that it’s not the braces that cause staining. Not taking good care of your oral hygiene while wearing braces is what leads to demineralization.

So, if you can commit to impeccable oral hygiene, traditional braces may be a good option for you. If not, consider Invisalign.

2. Invisalign vs Braces – Comfort and Convenience

When you are considering braces, you need to be aware of what you can expect in terms of comfort and convenience.

Invisalign vs braces both come with their set of adjustments. Let’s look at what you can expect from both.

Braces

It’s no secret that braces take some getting used to. And there can be some pain while your mouth learns how to eat, drink and talk with foreign objects taking up residence.

When you first get braces, the insides of your cheeks can get red and sore from the metal in your mouth. Your orthodontist will provide wax that you can use to smooth out the pokey spots. Eventually, your cheeks will get used to the braces and they won’t be sore.

We already talked about oral hygiene. And braces also come with a set of dietary restrictions.

You won’t be able to bite into an apple or corn on the cob. You’ll have to cut apples into small slices. And slice the kernels off the cob before you eat them.

You have to avoid items that could get damaged by braces or get stuck underneath them.

For example, you likely will have to avoid chewing gum, popcorn, hard candies, nuts and sticky, chewy foods like caramel.

Also, each time you go to your orthodontist for an adjustment, you can expect to be sore for a couple of days. Eating anything hard or crunchy could be painful these days. You may need to take painkillers.

Invisalign

With Invisalign, there are no dietary restrictions. That’s because you remove them when it’s time to eat and drink.

You continue to brush and floss as you always did. But you do need to brush before you put your aligners back on.

If you eat often during the day, you may be brushing many more times than you did in the past. Ideally, you will remove the aligners when you drink anything other than water.

Otherwise, the adhesive on the aligner could get stained from coffee and other dark drinks as well as cigarettes.

With Invisalign, you will get a new set of aligners every two weeks. The first couple of days of wearing a new set can cause pain. Yet, Invisalign versus braces is less painful overall.

3. Braces vs Invisalign – Aesthetics

An important difference between Invisalign and braces is how they look. Traditional braces have come a long way from the large, metal brackets of the 80s.

Nowadays, the brackets are smaller. And you can get clear brackets instead of metal ones. These clear braces aren’t as noticeable as the metal variety.

They are still obvious when up close. But from a distance, they aren’t as distinctive.

Invisalign braces are removable. So you can take them before school picture day or a date. However, they are meant to be worn for 20-22 hours a day.

4. Technical Differences Between Braces and Invisalign

Traditional braces are suited to correct many types of orthodontic issues. They work for rotated and vertically misaligned teeth as well as over and underbites.

With braces, you’ll need to make regular visits to the orthodontist for an alignment. Sometimes weekly.

Braces also have a lengthy process to put them on and take them off. It can take over an hour for both visits.

There’s no one timeframe for how long you will wear braces. It depends on the state of your teeth. You can expect to wear them for a year up to over three years.

Invisalign braces only work for horizontally misaligned teeth. If you have teeth that are different heights, severely rotated or overcrowded, Invisalign might not be an option for you.

With Invisalign, you only need sporadic visits to the orthodontist. Every six weeks is common.

Typically, people wear Invisalign for 18 months before having a perfect smile. However, because Invisalign braces are removable, it can be tempting to remove them for long periods of time.

Yet, the downside is that you slow down the process. And prolong how long you need to wear braces.

Bottom Line

There are many factors to consider before deciding between Invisalign vs braces.

We hope this article has given you some in-depth details to help you consider what would work best for you and your lifestyle.

Of course, you should consult with your Graber and Gyllenhaal orthodontist to help you.

Next, learn how to make the most of your orthodontist treatment.