Very few people are born with perfectly straight teeth, but with an increasing emphasis on having a perfect smile more are choosing to have cosmetic dentistry to improve on nature. So what are your choices for teeth straightening, and which method is best? This is a very difficult question to answer as it does depend on whether or not your teeth are quite crooked, or if only one or two are out of line.

Dental Braces

The best way to get a perfectly straight set of teeth is to have dental braces fitted, and traditional fixed braces still tend to deliver the optimal results as they can precisely move each tooth into its new position.

Modern orthodontics use the very latest technology, including ceramic or clear brackets combined with thin wires that are self-litigating and which often don’t require any elastics. Some of these wires may even be tooth colored so are virtually invisible. In spite of this many people still have an aversion towards wearing fixed braces, even though treatment is faster than ever before. In this case there is always the option of wearing clear plastic aligners that can be removed, and which provide predictable results.

Dental Veneers and Crowns

There is also another option which is to have your teeth veneered or crowned.

This is a quicker solution than wearing braces for months on end, but it might not be best for your teeth. It is a good choice for correcting one or two teeth that are rotated, or which might be a funny shape, or for perfecting a smile after wearing one of the affordable braces systems that concentrate on providing cosmetic results for front teeth.

It might not be so great if your teeth would really benefit from orthodontics, for example if they do not bite together correctly or if they are incorrectly spaced or significantly overcrowded. Crowning or veneering these teeth could mean removing a significant amount of healthy tooth structure, and these teeth will always need to be veneered or crowned. In comparison good conservative dentistry could through wearing an orthodontic brace might take a little longer, but will mean you end up with a healthier and more natural smile.

Our cosmetic dentist and orthodontist will be able to advise you on the best choice of treatment, using the very latest advanced dentistry techniques. Our policy is to always try to preserve your natural teeth so they are able to last as long as possible through using conservative dentistry treatments whenever we can.