Are you Considering Braces? Read our Handy Guide on Teeth Straightening

So, you’ve made the decision, you want straighter teeth; there’s a host of options on the market but which one would be best suited to you? The team at our dentist in Leeds has helped hundreds of people get a new, straighter smile that they can be proud of. Here’s our handy guide to some of the best teeth straightening options around.

Invisalign ®

Also known as the ‘invisible brace’, Invisalign has hit the news for all the right reasons. It has been used by millions of people worldwide and is extremely popular with teenagers and adults who want a discreet and comfortable way to straighten their teeth.

Dr Ferakh Hamid, the lead dentist at Aesthetique Dental Care, has a wealth of experience in Invisalign and is a Platinum Invisalign Provider. He has advanced training in digital dentistry and uses the iTero Invisalign scanner for his patients. This means your teeth can be digitally scanned for the Invisalign braces and eradicates the need for uncomfortable moulds.

The clever technology enables an immediately digitised simulation of your Invisalign treatment. It can show you exactly how your teeth can be straightened. You can see those results before your treatment even begins!

The Treatment Journey

Before treatment begins, we will check your teeth and gums to make sure they are healthy, and they can be straightened without any issues. You will have a digital scan and receive a detailed Clincheck treatment plan. Your aligners will be designed to fit you perfectly and to gradually align your teeth. Simply collect your aligners every fortnight and change them until your full treatment is completed.

Benefits of Invisalign

• Made from clear, medical-grade plastic, the aligners are virtually invisible.
• They are comfortable and fit snugly over your teeth allowing you to talk as normal.
• The aligners are easy to remove, which means you can eat and drink all the foods you like.
• Made from durable plastic which is resistant to staining and odour.
• Uses cutting-edge technology Itero, which means you can see final treatment results before it begins.
• Move your teeth effectively but comfortably.
• Can treat a wide range of tooth imperfections.
• Carry on with life as normal with no need to explain your tooth straightening if you don’t want to.
• Offers truly targeted results, which helps to reduce treatment time.

Six Month Smiles ®

Six Month Smiles is a tooth-straightening system hailed from the US. It offers patients a discreet, efficient, and cost-effective option to straighten teeth. The clever system focuses on just those teeth on show when you smile.

Unlike other ‘invisible braces’ the Six Month Smiles braces can be seen; however, they use white coloured braces and clear brackets and wires, which means they are discreet.

The Treatment Journey

The treatment starts with an initial assessment with us to check whether your teeth are healthy and can be moved safely. This includes X-rays, scans, and impressions being taken. The results will be sent to the lab where your custom-made braces and brackets will be produced.

Your dentist will fit the braces using an adhesive bond on your teeth. You will then need to visit us regularly for short appointments to adjust the braces slightly and to monitor the teeth straightening process.

Benefits of Six Month Smiles

• A quick and efficient system focusing on only those teeth that show when you smile.
• The braces are bespoke and made to measure for each patient.
• The custom-made braces give highly predictable and effective results.
• The braces are discreet and aesthetically pleasing.
• The system can be used on the top and bottom teeth and is suitable for a variety of dental issues.

Inman Aligner™

Inman Aligner corrects misaligned teeth and adult relapse. It uses only a single clear wire, and it is removable, which means you can go brace-free for any important occasion. It utilises a lingual coil spring and puts pressure at the back of the teeth and the bar that is placed across the front of the teeth. The force of these opposite components squeezes the teeth together and pushes and pulls them gently into the correct position.

The Treatment Journey

Your dentist will check your teeth initially to check they are healthy. You will then be asked to come in for a fitting. This comprises of two half an hour appointments and is followed by 15 minute monthly check-ups.

The treatment works on the front and bottom teeth, not the whole teeth arch, and can take as little as 8-16 weeks to work.

Benefits of Inman Aligner

• It can correct moderate crowding and rotation of the teeth.
• It is comfortable as the spring is made of nickel-titanium instead of stainless steel.
• It has a fast turnaround – with results seen quickly.
• Achieves great results with just one appliance without the need to change it.
• Short fitting period and just monthly check-ups.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces use the same technique as traditional braces. They produce predictable and highly effective teeth straightening results. The difference between lingual braces and traditional braces is that lingual ones are placed on the backs of the teeth. This means they are barely visible when you smile.

The Treatment Journey

We will take an impression of your teeth and this will be used to customise your braces. The brackets are made to fit specifically to each patient’s mouth. In addition, the wires connecting each bracket will also be tailored to the individual.

Getting the perfect fit is essential when fitting lingual braces because the brackets and wires are tricky to place. They are fitted to the backs of the teeth, which is quite a hard-to-reach area. To make sure they are fitted properly, we will cement all the brackets at the same time using a customised tray to hold them in place.

Benefits of Lingual Braces

• Lingual braces are very discreet when correcting teeth.
• They can be used for complex misalignments, including rotations, closing gaps, and evening out the height of teeth.
• If you get any discolouration or white spots resulting from wearing braces, these won’t be seen as they are on the inside of the teeth.
• They are customised for each patient, which can make them more comfortable to wear than traditional braces.

If you are considering braces and want to get a straighter smile, our team are happy to advise you on the best dental treatment option for you. Call us on 0113 245 8066. Let us give you something to smile about!

From the team at Aesthetique Dental Care