The quest for straighter teeth th is not an uncommon one and for many people, this quest can last a great deal of time. So it shouldn't be surprising that orthodontics, the practice of correcting dental misalignment, is one of the oldest areas of dentistry and one of the most popular ones occurring today. Wonderfully effective treatments have been developed, but over the last decade or so the priority of patients seems to have moved on from simply efficient treatment to convenient and unobtrusive ways of carrying out an effective orthodontics treatment schedule. 

Clear or ceramic braces Stoke-on-Trent options are structurally similar to traditional braces, but rather than having visible brackets which attach the archwire to the teeth, the brackets are clear or enamel shaded. These often require adjusting and tightening to move the teeth, but are more versatile than invisible aligners with the added discretion of being less noticeable than a regular brace. 

Lingual braces take the traditional orthodontic method and rearrange the equation by applying the brace to the interior surface of the teeth, where the archwire is facing inwards towards the tongue. When it comes to non-visible orthodontic treatment you really can't get any better! Part of the brace extends onto the front side of the teeth. They can be more uncomfortable to wear at first and it can take a while to get used to the sensation of them on the inside of the mouth when pronouncing certain phonemes. The fitting process for lingual braces also takes significantly longer, as the attachment of brackets on the inside of teeth is a far more fiddly process, often carried out over multiple sessions. 

Invisalign, sometimes referred to as an invisible or clear brace, is neither. It is a plastic form that you wear over your teeth like an extremely thin and transparent gum shield, but instead of protecting teeth and keeping them in place, it pushes and coaxes your teeth into new positions. Aligners are provided in a set with this method, with one aligner used for a few weeks before passing on to the next. This does not mean the overall treatment is any faster than when performed with traditional metal orthodontic tools, only that each aligner does not have to be as hard wearing due to the short duty cycle. 

Any treatment schedule has its pros and cons, as well as patients for whom it would be ineffective. That is why it is so important to have your treatment guided by a fully qualified, professional dental practitioner. But it is important that the driving force behind your treatment and care is you. The success of orthodontic treatment is heavily dependent on the commitment and dedication of the patient; it is not a quick procedure or one that does not require your attention. This is why it is so important that your care, while guided by a dentist, is initiated by you - and what kind of dental care you require depends on your wishes and the demands of your everyday life