Are you insecure about your front teeth?
If so, you’re not alone. In fact, a recent study found that more than half of Americans are insecure about their smile. Luckily, if you have crooked front teeth, you don’t have to live with smile insecurity.
What can be done about crooked front teeth?
Keep reading to find out.
Metal Braces
Braces are perhaps the most reliable and popular method for fixing crooked teeth.
Braces are made from metal brackets and wires, and they can straighten out your teeth within a year or two. However, depending on how misaligned your teeth are, you may need to wear braces for up to three years.
While there are other options besides metal braces, these are the most affordable. Typically, you can expect to pay between $3000 and $7000 total for metal braces. And sometimes, insurance can help cover some of the costs. If you do have to pay for the entire cost of braces out of pocket, many orthodontic clinics offer financing plans.
One of the biggest things people worry about when getting metal braces is the pain factor. While it can hurt to have metal braces put on and tightened, the pain is relatively mild, and it usually goes away within a few days. As long as you stick to soft foods and keep up with your dental routine, you should be fine.
It’s also important to keep in mind that when wearing metal braces, you’ll need to avoid certain foods. These include:
- Crunchy foods such as nuts, chips, and hard candies
- Chewy foods like gummies and beef jerky
- Sticky foods like gum, licorice, toffee, and caramels
- Foods that you need to bite into, like corn on the cob and apples
It’s also important to remember that it takes a bit longer to brush and floss with braces. All that being said, metal braces are still a worthy investment and they can do wonders for your smile.
Clear Aligners
If you don’t like the idea of metal braces altering your appearance, then you may want to consider clear aligners.
Clear aligners, such as Invisalign, help fix crooked or crowded teeth in the span of 6 months to 2 years. They’re transparent aligners that make it so you can’t tell there’s anything different about your smile.
Clear aligners are to be worn around the clock, except for when you’re eating. Since clear aligners are molded to the shape of your mouth, most people forget that they’re even there. Here are some things you should keep in mind before getting Invisalign/clear aligners:
- You’ll need to wear your aligners for at least 24 hours per day
- Sometimes, additional attachments are necessary
- Stains can happen if you’re not careful, so be sure to brush after eating and drinking
- While you can leave your aligners in to drink water, be aware that extra hot beverages can warp the shape of your aligners
- You’ll need to wait until your treatment is finished if you want to whiten your teeth
Also, keep in mind that clear aligners are more expensive than metal braces.
Dental Veneers
If you have minor misalignments or small gaps between your teeth, dental veneers are a great option. Dental veneers are thin porcelain covers that are directly mounted onto the top of your teeth and shaped to instantly transform your smile.
Because veneers are made from porcelain, they’re resistant to staining. And, they can stay fastened to your teeth for a long time-sometimes for as long as 20 years. If you have major dental issues, veneers aren’t usually recommended, but for minor ones, they’re a great option.
Here are some things to keep in mind before you get dental veneers:
- Be careful about choosing the shade, as it’s possible to go too white
- You need to be careful wearing them, as they can chip and crack
- In addition to fixing misaligned teeth, veneers can also fix chips, gaps, discolored teeth, and worn down teeth
- Veneers allow you to keep your natural teeth, making them different from implants
Also, keep in mind that veneers are a cosmetic procedure, so they’re not going to be covered by insurance.
Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is another great option for fixing crooked front teeth.
With bonding, your dentist will apply a composite resin to the front surface of your affected teeth. Those who have small gaps between their teeth, light discoloration, or misshapen teeth make great candidates for dental bonding.
If you lost a tooth or your teeth are severely damaged, then you may want to opt for dental implants instead. Also, you’ll want to make sure you’re happy with the color of your teeth before you undergo dental bonding. This is because your dentist will choose a bond that’s similar to the color of your natural teeth.
So, if you’ve thought about getting professional teeth whitening done, take care of that beforehand.
This is an in-and-out procedure where you don’t even need anesthesia. As with braces, you’ll need to avoid certain foods once you have your dental bonds placed in. This includes hard candies and sticky foods like toffee.
Are You Ready to Say Goodbye to Your Crooked Front Teeth?
Now that you’ve read this guide, it’s time to say goodbye to your crooked front teeth. Thanks to one of these procedures, you’ll soon have a straight smile that you love.
Of course, to fix your crooked front teeth, you’ll need to find the right orthodontist. If you’re looking for an orthodontist in the Billings, Montana, area, contact us today.