The Best Teeth-Straightening Alternative to Traditional Braces

Your smile is arguably the most important aspect of how you look, and crooked teeth can certainly undermine that appearance. Being troubled with misaligned teeth is not an uncommon problem. In fact, many people are genetically predisposed to the condition, which seems more prevalent with each generation. Wired-based dental braces have been the traditional method to fix misaligned teeth, but orthodontics has evolved greatly in recent decades and now offers a number of alternatives.

Clear aligners are the most effective of those alternatives. They are more affordable than braces but also more comfortable, convenient, and discreet. The treatment involves the use of removable trays that are made from a clear medical-grade plastic that is shaped based on your unique teeth. Each tray is designed to nudge your teeth toward their optimal position, and each subsequent tray builds on the previous success. These aligners are suitable for both children and adults, but they are not appropriate for everyone, which means that you must schedule a consultation with your dentist.

How Do Clear Aligners Straighten Teeth?

Clear aligners are similar to braces in that they are designed to force teeth gradually into their proper positions. They differ, however, in that they do not require wires or brackets. Aligners are made from a high-grade plastic that is formed based on your mouth, and you do not receive a single aligner but rather a series of them. Each aligner should be worn for at least 20 hours a day and over a two-week period. After that time, the next aligner in the series is worn, and it will move your teeth a little further. How many aligners are required—and thus how long the treatment period is—varies from patient to patient, and it can take anywhere from as little as six months to as long as two years.

What Are the Advantages of Clear Aligners?

Aligners are a preferable option for people who want to straighten their teeth but do not want to deal with the inconveniences associated with metal braces. They are also an excellent option for people who want to correct their teeth but do not have alignment issues serious enough to warrant wearing braces. Some of the advantages that clear aligners have over traditional braces include that they are:

• Easier to clean and thus make maintaining teeth and gum health much simpler. To clean them, just use toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush just as you would normally use.
• Comfortable and have no wires or brackets to irritate the soft tissues in your mouth. Since they are molded to the teeth, most patients will not even notice them after the acclimation period.
• Removable, which means you can eat, drink, and brush your teeth without hassles.
• Low maintenance. Unlike braces, they do not require adjustments. You just need to visit your dentist about every six weeks for an exam and to get your next set of aligners.
• Not going to disrupt your normal life. They will not affect your speech, and you can sleep, eat, perform your daily exercise routine, and even play sports with them.
• Practically invisible! While at work or school, no one will ever notice you are wearing them.
• Effective whether you have minor alignment issues or serious overcrowding and crookedness.
• Able to prevent wear and tear from grinding your teeth.

Introducing SureSmile: A Perfect Option for Perfect Teeth

SureSmile is a clear aligner system developed by Dentsply Sirona, which is among the leading innovators of dental technologies. This system advances the approach with robotic fabrication and digital imaging. The use of sophisticated software and hardware allows for unparalleled exactness. Each aligner is manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility and in a way that ensures precise fit and correction.

How Does SureSmile Straighten Teeth?

• Step #1: Advanced Imaging—The SureSmile process begins at Scottsdale Cosmetic Dentistry Excellence. Using the Galileos cone beam system, Dr. Clark will render a three-dimensional model of your teeth. This allows him to not only see the orientation and position of your teeth but visualize how they fit together.
• Step #2: Planning Phase—The SureSmile planning software then uses that 3D model to plan your treatment. This advanced software allows Dr. Clark to model the perfect placement of your teeth and adjust the plan in order to achieve the most direct path to correction possible. Dr. Clark will also use this software during your return visits in order to evaluate your progress.
• Step #3: Robotic Precision—Shaped archwire is how your teeth will be nudged into position. Traditionally, the archwire had to be shaped by hand, which is less than precise. SureSmile, however, uses leading-edge robots that shape the archwire to perfection using a memory alloy.
• Step #4: Wearing Your Aligners—Once your aligners arrive, you will return to Dr. Clark to receive your first set and instructions for wearing them and caring for them. Each aligner in the series will be worn for about two weeks and at least 20 hours a day—although the specifics can vary from patient to patient. Each aligner you wear will move your teeth closer and closer to their optimal position.

What Are the Advantages of SureSmile?

Precision is the main advantage that SureSmile has over other aligners. The software allows Dr. Clark to predict and plan tooth movement with great accuracy. This unprecedented level of anticipation allows for a shorter treatment period—as much as 40 percent quicker in some cases. The shorter the treatment period, the sooner you will have a perfect smile and can return to your normal dental hygiene.

SureSmile is also precise in terms of the archwire, which is robotically shaped. The archwire is shaped with a degree of accuracy that is not possible with human hands. It ensures the most direct path to the optimal position for your teeth, which results in less time sitting in the dentist’s chair. The most direct path also means fewer adjustments and thus less discomfort and inconvenience for you.

The advantage SureSmile has over traditional orthodontic treatments is discreetness. Nobody will notice the treatment unless you tell them, and that means people can attend school or go to work without feeling self-conscious. SureSmile clear aligners are also a lot more comfortable than braces, and they are even more comfortable than other clear aligners because of their smooth design. They are removable, which makes eating more enjoyable and cleaning your teeth easier, and overall, that means that SureSmile will not change your lifestyle the way that other orthodontic treatments do.

Is SureSmile the Best Choice for You?

SureSmile is among the best orthodontic treatments on the market for many reasons, but whether it is ideal for you depends. The only way to answer that question is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Clark at Scottsdale Cosmetic Dentistry Excellence. He will examine your teeth, discuss your goals, explore the options available to you, and inform you of the pros and cons within your personal context. That said, SureSmile is suitable for most of Dr. Clark’s patients who have mild to moderate misalignment of their teeth.

Straighten Your Smile

A crooked smile is not something you have to live with, and straightening your smile does not have to be an ordeal—either emotionally or physically. SureSmile clear aligners is a product that Jeffrey D. Clark, DDS, believes in and recommends to many of his patients at Scottsdale Cosmetic Dentistry Excellence. If you’re interested in SureSmile or any other clear braces in Scottsdale, schedule a consultation with Dr. Clark so that he can evaluate your smile and discuss the treatment with you. Call us today at 480 585 1853 to book that appointment.