No matter how excited you are to improve your smile, you probably don’t look forward to wearing braces. But you have a choice and the type of braces you wear will influence your experience. At Dentistry With a Smile, Maria Victoria Sebastian, DDS, offers several types of braces, giving you the ability to choose the ones that are best for your orthodontic needs, personal preference, and checkbook. The best way to determine which braces are right for you is to learn how each one compares to the other. Here, she explores the similarities and differences between Fastbraces® and traditional braces.
Similarities between Fastbraces and traditional braces
Fastbraces and traditional braces share three important qualities:
1. Both use brackets and wires
Both types of braces effectively move your teeth using brackets and wires. We secure the brackets to the front of your teeth and then use the wires to provide the force that moves your teeth into their new position. But the brackets and wires used in each type are different, which accounts for the primary benefits of Fastbraces (explained in the next section).
2. They treat the same orthodontic problems
Fastbraces and traditional braces improve the health of your teeth and make you happy to smile by correcting problems such as:
- Crooked or twisted teeth
- Spaces between teeth
- Incorrect jaw alignment
- Underbite (lower teeth are too far forward compared to your upper teeth)
- Overbite (upper teeth are too far forward, sticking out over your lower teeth)
- Crossbite (one or more upper teeth don’t close over your lower teeth properly)
- Open bite (open space between your upper and lower front teeth
Braces correct these problems by physically moving the position of each tooth. As the tooth moves, the jaw bone changes to support the tooth in its new position. Any bone that’s in the way of tooth movement breaks down and is reabsorbed to create space for the new position. At the same time, new bone grows to fill in the space no longer occupied by the old tooth position.
3. They offer two material choices
You can get traditional braces and Fastbraces in two materials: ceramic and metal. Ceramic braces combined with tooth-colored wires are still visible but very subtle. They’re less likely to draw a person’s attention to your mouth compared to wire braces.
Benefits of Fastbraces
Fastbraces have two big advantages over traditional braces:
1. Fast treatment
Fastbraces may move your teeth into their new position in three months. Each person is different, and some need more extensive tooth movement than others, so Fastbraces may take a little longer. But they’re still dramatically faster than traditional braces that take at least one year and often 2-3 years. The unique triangular shape of the brackets and the way the wire fits allow Fastbraces to move your entire tooth at one time. Traditional braces first move the crown, then the root, a process that takes more time. 2. Less pain Most people make their decision based on faster treatment, but Fastbraces offer another big benefit: They cause less pain. You have less pain because you wear Fastbraces for a shorter time, but that’s not their only advantage. You also experience less pain while the braces are moving your teeth. The Fastbrace wires use less force and the triangular-shaped bracket causes less friction, a combination that means you have more comfort compared to traditional braces. There are a few other differences to consider, such as the cost of each treatment, but they depend on your individual dental needs. To learn more about your choices and which braces are best for you, call Dentistry With a Smile or book an appointment online.