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Show Your Teeth Some Respect

Think about how many times per day you rely on your teeth. You use them to chew breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. You press your tongue against them to make certain sounds when you speak. There's really no doubt about it — your teeth are important, and they deserve your respect. You can pay them that respect by visiting your dentist for regular cleaning and checkup appointments. You should also call at the first sign of dental pain, tooth discoloration, or other oral health changes. Read more about dentists and dentistry here on this blog, where we dive deep into related topics.

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Show Your Teeth Some Respect

Are Invisible Braces Painful?

by April Myers

When you think about getting braces, perhaps just the idea of your teeth being pushed around makes you nervous about pain. Invisible braces are an option for you, and may even benefit your concerns about discomfort. Here's what you should know about them.

Gradual Process

All braces gradually adjust your teeth. There's never an adjustment where your teeth are suddenly jerked into a new position and you're left reeling in pain. That's simply not how braces work.

Invisible braces take this process a step further. With traditional braces, you'd go to the orthodontist's office maybe once every other month to have your braces tightened. However, these tightening appointments mean that your teeth need to be set up so that they continue to move in their new direction until the next appointment with the orthodontist. By comparison, invisible braces more smoothly transition from one position to the next. This is because you're given a series of invisible braces when you start. When your teeth have fully shifted into one position, you put on the next pair and your teeth will gradually start to move into that position. People usually change their braces every few weeks or after a month, so it won't be as an extreme an adjustment as if you had standard, traditional braces.

Go at Your Own Pace

One of the nice things about invisible braces is that you can go at your own pace. There's no denying that there is some discomfort that comes with braces when you first have them adjusted or when you switch to a new pair. However, it usually never rises to the level of pain. If it's too much for you, though, with invisible braces you have the option of taking a break. Simply take off the current pair and let your teeth rest, or switch back to your last pair for a day. While this can slow down your treatment a bit, it means that you can go at your own pace and never have to force yourself to be uncomfortable.

Traditional braces are typically much more uncomfortable for people who wear them, not only because of the adjustment period but because they have a tendency to rub and chafe the inside of the mouth. Invisible braces don't do this because they're made out of smooth plastic, not sharp metal. If the fear of pain has been the only reason you haven't gotten braces yet, then consider getting invisible braces so you don't have to worry about it.

For more information about invisible braces, contact a local dentist.

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