By Featured Writer Dr. Maxwell
If you had braces before but your smile isn’t as straight as it used to be, you might be a particularly good candidate for clear aligners. When teeth become crooked again after braces, Orthodontists call this “relapse. “Relapse usually happens because a retainer is lost or not used. Many people find out the hard way that if left out too long the retainer no longer fits, or it is too uncomfortable to use again. Of course, teeth then continue to drift further and further away from being straight.
Many patients have told me that they were embarrassed or felt guilty after they or their family had spent so much money and time straightening their teeth. The logical assumption is to think that re-straightening, or “retreatment”, would be as difficult and expensive as it was the first time. The good news is that is usually not the case.
There are several reasons why retreatment is easier and less expensive than the initial braces. First, the advances in dental technology in recent years have exploded. New methods and materials that save time and money are being developed every day. Clear aligners aren’t that new but since there are more choices than there used to be, competition also helps make the treatment more affordable.
One reason why retreatment works particularly well is behind why teeth become crooked again. Without faithful wearing of retainers, teeth move because the muscles in the mouth push them together and forward. It’s often said that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body. Whether that is true or not, it certainly moves teeth around. In fact, it does not require strong forces to move teeth. Accurately placed, consistent, and directed mild forces are very effective in moving teeth.
Whether straightening or un-straightening teeth, they move largely by tipping. The tips of the roots stay in place unless very controlled forces are applied. Fortunately, the lips and tongue muscles do not apply such controlled forces. The teeth are typically tipped and pushed together. This is fortunate because un-tipping such teeth do not require heavy metallic hardware. This is one reason why re-straightening smiles are less time-consuming, costly, and uncomfortable than it was the first time around.
If you are one of the many people who have had braces before and would like to have a better smile again, I hope that you will give Strayt a try. I think that you will be very happy with the results!
Whether straightening or un-straightening teeth, they move largely by tipping. The tips of the roots stay in place unless very controlled forces are applied. Fortunately, the lips and tongue muscles do not apply such controlled forces. The teeth are typically tipped and pushed together. This is fortunate because un-tipping such teeth do not require heavy metallic hardware. This is one reason why re-straightening smiles are less time-consuming, costly, and uncomfortable than it was the first time around.
If you are one of the many people who have had braces before and would like to have a better smile again, I hope that you will give Strayt a try. I think that you will be very happy with the results!
