I wonder how many people across the country have woken up this morning and have been talking about their new year resolutions? Plans to eat healthier, visit the gym more frequently, spend quality time with family and friends and on activities they enjoy and maybe doing something that they have been thinking about for a while.
If getting your teeth straightened is on your to-do list for 2017 then there has never been a better time. There are so many options available from the more traditional fixed braces to clear aligners such as Invisalign, clear brackets that are virtually invisible and hidden lingual braces that work from behind your teeth.
And with this choice also comes some confusion. Do you visit an orthodontist or your local dentist who offers orthodontics? Should you be tempted by promises of quick fix orthodontics that can be completed in a few months thanks to the latest brackets and wires? Do you need to visit a dental professional at all when you can order a kit over the internet, do your own impressions, send these back along with a couple of selfies and then wait to receive your aligners in the post?
I would imagine that if you are reading this post, you will be someone who understands that orthodontics can be a complex topic and that rushing headlong into the first solution offered may be less than wise. It’s true that simple alignment of the front teeth can often be accomplished in just a few months but there is so much more to orthodontics than this and it’s only when you start to do your research and take advice from those who have spent many years training and working in this field that you discover not all options are the same.
There are some excellent resources out there to help you as you search for answers, the British Orthodontic Society have produced some great information about adult orthodontics and patient choices and you can find more information about this here. Your local orthodontist will be able to advise you on what needs doing to achieve a functional and stable bite that both looks great and will enhance your overall oral health for many years to come. Prof. Kevin O’Brien writes a very interesting blog on orthodontic research and you can learn a great deal about some of the stated claims about various products and solutions versus what has been evidenced through clinical studies.
If you are thinking about getting braces in 2017 then from personal experience I would wholeheartedly recommend that you take the first steps and find out what options are available to you. So many adults are now wearing braces and with advances in technology they are comfortable, discreet and more readily accessible. Don’t put it off for another year, make this one resolution you will keep!
Happy New Year!
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