If you have procrastinated getting corrective treatment because you are embarrassed to wear braces, or because you fear the pain that some people experience when their braces are adjusted, you do not have to put off helping yourself any longer.  Cosmetic braces offer people just like you the opportunity to straighten their teeth discretely and painlessly.

These new orthodontic tools are made from either clear or toot-colored materials.  They are almost impossible for other people to detect, even at close range.  Some cosmetic braces use clear brackets and tooth-colored wires.  Others are made more like retainers out of clear, soft, medical-grade plastic that is so soft you can barely feel it when you wear it.

There are extreme cases of tooth maladjustment, however, that still require traditional banded braces.  We want to make this clear in our discussion today.  By no means have metal braces completely fallen by the wayside or become in any way obsolete.  They have simply moved instead into a more specialized arena of corrective treatment.

In the meantime, minor to moderate cases of crowded teeth and misaligned teeth can be treated just as effectively with cosmetic dental braces.  The time factor involved in treatment is shorter than traditional treatment, and the cost is certainly less, depending on which option your dentist recommends.

If you suffer from crowded teeth or teeth that simply look just a bit crooked when you smile, you may qualify for our newest, short-term orthodontic treatment, Six Month Smiles.  These cosmetic braces are so named because they take only six months to correct basic alignment problems.  They are very comfortable, and visits to our office are short.  Each set of Six Month Smiles comes with a Patient Tray Kit made just for you that allows us to quickly and comfortably adjust the brackets without causing you pain or taking up half your work day.  The brackets are clear and the wires match your teeth, so you can smile confidently while wearing them. 

These are the most affordable cosmetic braces we sell, so if all you need is minor correction with a short-term solution, this is the most practical route to follow.

If you need more extensive, long-term dental work, and provided you do not have a severe case that requires a traditional orthodontic specialist, you may benefit more from Invisalign aligners.  These are custom braces that are shaped like mouthpieces.  They do not use wires or brackets.  However, beneath the deceptively simple design of these cosmetic braces lies a world of sophisticated corrective technology.

These aligners are actually made from 3D models that are based on impressions taken of your teeth.  Computer animation is used to map out what teeth need to be realigned and when.  An aligner is then made for each step in the corrective process.  Generally, the average treatment uses 9-15 aligners.  The duration of treatment is almost as long in some cases as the standard 2-years for metal braces, but there are some very clear advantages that Invisalign aligners offer over metal braces. 

Perhaps the greatest advantage is they are removable, so you can take them out when you eat and brush your teeth.  They are also painless because they are made from rounded molds of soft, high-grade plastic that will not rub or irritate your gums.  Because they are completely transparent, they also remain hidden from public view.  .   They are also completely transparent, so you do not have to worry about people seeing them.  Best of all, they are painless to wear, because Invisalign aligners are made from a soft, medical grade-plastic that will never hurt or irritate your gums. 

The cost of Invisalign aligners is considerably more than Six Month Smiles, but certainly worth it if you need long term treatment without pain, and the cosmetic benefits of braces no one will see.

Cosmetic Dentistry is a specialized field that requires extensive knowledge and experience to be done correctly. The Medical Center Dental Group in Houston, Texas brings all of that and more to the direct benefit of each and every patient we treat. Although we are located in the world famous Houston Medical Center at Scurlock Towers, we routinely see dental patients who travel from Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Beaumont Midland and Houston, Texas to see Dr. Dale Brant, Dr. Charles Campbell or Dr. Elizabeth OSullivan-Winslow for their cosmetic denistry services. 

For any other questions related to cosmetic dentistry, you can Contact Us at 713.795.5905, visit our Dental Blog or Ask the Dentist