Metal Mouth Message Board

Which option would be the safest with regards to dental health (cavities/ gingivitis) through ortho treatment.

I dont necessarily mind the cosmetic appearance of braces. on one hand I can brush and clean my teeth really well with invisalign aligners morning and night time, however, on the flip side, when at work I wont be able to clean my teeth as thoroughly after coffee, lunch or snacks. potentially leading to food trapped between retainer and teeth.

With braces, dental hygiene (brushing and flossing) is harder, but atleast there is constant saliva keeping the teeth moist and washing away the teeth even if I dont clean it properly at work.

I have all ready had a bunch of cavities due to poor rental hygiene routine in my late teens and early twenties. Now in my 30s I take impeccable care of my teeth but, I do not want further cavities, or root canals.

Traditional braces.

I've had both Invisalign and braces done.
Although you are able to brush and floss with more ease with Invisalign, the inconvenience of removing them, brushing teeth and aligners, and putting them back in for every meal made hygiene much more difficult. They also get smelly.

Braces can cause frustration, particularly with flossing. However they are not as difficult to clean as you might expect and are extremely efficient at straightening teeth - 1 week in braces did more for me than 3 months of Invisalign.

Awesome that made my choice easy.

I had traditional braces for a week last year, and i got them removed was about to get invisalign, but stuff happened and it got delayed and was thinking about giving the traditional braces another try.

The one thing I could not stand with the traditional braces was this booster/ turbos they placed on my molars. Which caused my teeth not to close all the way. It took the enjoyment out of eating ANY food. Does everyone have to get the "turbos"?

I have invisalign at on the top and traditional on the bottom. I have the bite turbos you mentioned. Oh my GOD. At first? it was absolutely miserable. I couldn't eat a thing. It was so so so hard to eat food with them but over time you honestly forget they are there. I've had them on since last august and I don't even notice them anymore.

I have had my traditional braces for about 3 months now. My biggest worry/problem was flossing, it was SO annoying. 3 months later and I've gotten the hang of it. You get used to it so it becomes easier. Also, I drink a lot of water between meals and after meals. Hope this helps.

I've had both braces and Invisalign, I had the invisalign first then braces. my teeth were perfect with invisalign, braces ruined my enamel I just went in for a minor correction because it was cheaper. (I didn't have a retainer so my teeth moved 4 years later)

Traditional braces are easier by far.

The answer is going to be very much dependent on each individual.

Some people aren't going to get into the routine of taking their aligners off and putting them back in. Some aren't going to take good care of their teeth with braces on and end up with gum disease or scars on them.

At the end of the day, this should be a candid discussion between yourself and your orthodontist to determine which is the best for your situation based upon the initial position of the teeth, and your individual preferences.