Are Aligners better than braces?
THEY ACHIEVE THE SAME RESULT IN THE END BUT THE ROUTE MIGHT BE LESS PAINFUL TO GET THERE
ii) CLEAR ALIGNERS VS BRACES
Aligners are often better excepted by adults as it is less visible and easier to manage since you can take them out for short periods of time, like going out for a function while braces are fixed to your teeth for the full duration of treatment.
In children, the removability of aligners can be a negative as the child may forget to put them back within the required time which then will set the treatment back.
The success of aligners is very much patient compliance related, while braces are controlled by the Orthodontist.
The oral hygiene maintenance of aligners is very easy, as you take them out when you brush your teeth. Because braces are fixed to your teeth and have many areas where plaque can build up, the development of tooth decay in a patient with braces is much more likely than in one using aligners.
ii) Clear aligner brands.
Many different brands exist when it comes to aligners. Reveal, Invisalign, etc. They all have the potential to do the same.
The critical factor is, who is doing the diagnosis of the problem and formulating the treatment plan.
Since there are a number of software programs out there that claim to produce the treatment plan based on their algorithms, many dental laboratories have ventured into this field. They are skilled dental technicians but not Clinicians and therefore I am of the opinion that I would rather have my patients’ treatment plans formulated by a panel of qualified specialists than a dental technician who has been trained to use a program, but has no clinical experience and no professional training in a university. For this reason, I mainly use Reveal clear aligners as their treatment plans are formulated by a panel of qualified and experienced Specialist Orthodontists.
Advantages of Clear Aligners: