Not everyone is fortunate to have straight white teeth and beautiful, bright smiles. For some people, crooked, misaligned, crowded, and overlapping teeth is the reality they have to contend with. Such teeth don’t look so appealing, but their aesthetic is the last thing you should be worrying about.
Crowded and misaligned teeth are challenging to clean, and you may be more susceptible to gum disease and dental cavities than people with straight teeth. It’s therefore understandable why people are turning to DIY braces to straighten their teeth for a cheaper price.
DIY braces are usually crudely assembled from items such as paper clips and rubber bands. They are then fastened to the teeth to manipulate them into their proper position. These crude braces are often used by young adults and teens looking to avoid visiting an orthodontist. However, many certified orthodontists have come out to weigh in their opinion on this trend. If you’ve been thinking about putting in DIY braces yourself, here are a few reasons why you should reconsider.
There Is No Supervision from a Trained Orthodontist
Straightening your teeth is an involving and complicated process that takes time, and that should only take place with Invisalign under a specialist’s guidance. One of the more grave drawbacks of DIY braces is that they are used without an orthodontist’s supervision. Although you may find information on the internet, it’s nothing compared to a dental professional’s expertise and knowledge.
An orthodontist has what it takes to prescribe Invisalign braces based on the severity of your problem. They also ensure that your Invisalign or braces are installed safely and correctly, protecting your teeth from further damage.
They May Bring About Bigger Problems
DIY braces are reported to work much faster than Invisalign, and although this may, at surface level, seem like a win, it really isn’t. According to an orthodontist in San Mateo, these braces may cause damage to your gums and teeth because of how fast they move your teeth. Such issues may ultimately force you to visit a specialist- in extreme cases, you might have to undergo corrective dental surgery.
This rapid and unexpected shift in your teeth’ alignment may affect your bite, the positioning of your teeth, and other essential elements of your oral anatomy. New challenges such as muscle spams, problematic jaws, and shooting pains may start creeping up on you altogether. Such braces tend to cause more harm than do.
They May Lead to Gum Infections
Since DIY braces are typically put together from non-medical-grade, non-sterilized supplies, these items may scrape or cut your gums, leading to open wounds. The wounds may not heal as fast as they should, especially if the makeshift braces are still in place, continually aggravating the situation.
If these wounds get infected, they can damage surrounding tissues and may even result in severe bone loss. Such dental challenges are tough to correct and may involve surgery.
What Options Do I Have?
Deciding to straighten your teeth with Invisalign is the best thing you could do to ensure your oral health is taken care of. However, if you don’t do it right, you may end up regretting it.
More than 5 million Americans, a fifth of them teens, have opted for Invisalign to straighten their teeth. Because of their smooth finish, it doesn’t cause any injuries to your gums and the insides of your cheeks, unlike DIY braces. With such an affordable option available to you, you don’t have to expose yourself to the complications to your teeth associated with DIY braces.