Get Straighter Teeth in Less Time

Have you always wanted a straighter smile?  Did you not get braces because you didn't have the money or the time? Well, now you can get a break on the time aspect with an innovative technology called "speed braces."

Also referred to as "rapid orthodontics," speed braces can dramatically reduce the time needed to straighten your teeth. Conventional braces can take from 12 - 20 months of treatment. If your dentist determines you are a candidate, speed braces can do the job in just 6-9 months. 

You have many options to fix crooked teeth to get the smile you've always wanted. Studies show that this can give you more confidence and can actually improve your health. See your dentist to find out which option will work for you.

Invisalign-The Best Alternative to Braces Yet

Sometimes modern technology actually does make things better. What I've seen in the past few years is that the Invisalign system for orthodontics is a radical improvement in moving teeth. First of all, they are removable. Secondly, they are clear, not metal. Third, because they are smooth and not metal, they are not shredding your tongue and lips.

Adults who would never consider braces are using Invisalign to straighten their teeth, sometimes just a few skewed teeth who have wandered from the herd, but occasionally the full mouth. And the way Invisalign works is simple and brilliant.

First, an impression is taken of all your teeth. Then your dentist works with Invisalign advisors to design the proper movement of all your teeth, and then software plans the gradual movement of the teeth, and designs a series of retainers that are then made by the company and sent in batches to the dentist. Usually you wear a retainer for around two weeks and move on to the next one.

Very often Invisalign cases are finished in a year. This is also fairly appealing, but even if it were longer, then it wouldn't be as bad as metal braces. Not everyone is a candidate for Invisalign, though. The more extreme cases may require metal braces first, or some extractions, but they are getting better and better at the effectiveness of Invisalign all the time.

Also, it was not recommended for teenagers, because their mouths are still forming, but that has also improved. There are now many more younger people who can use Invisalign. The greatest challenge with Invisalign is that, because they are removable, people leave them out too long and slow their treatment down. Teenagers are the worst at this, as you can imagine.

Straight teeth are a good thing, not just because they look better but because, in the end, they are also healthier. Tight, crowded or crooked teeth are very often traps for food and decay, and also are at greater risk for gum disease. And it all gets worse from there.

Modern technology, it can be a beautiful thing!

Healthy Teeth Equals Quality of Life

I was just reading one of my favorite blogs, from the author Daniel Pink, who wrote "A Whole New Mind," which is a very astute book about how design is essentially taking over every element of our lives, and the people who create those designs will "rule the world". His new premise is that "frugality will be the new ostentation." In other words, spending money wisely will now be more respected than bling.

My take on this is that healthy teeth is more than just a hygiene issue, it's a quality of life issue. If the average 30-year-old is going to live well past 100, as scientists tell us, then you are going to want to be eating. In fact, it may be one of your primary pleasures when you hit your next century.

Which means smoking isn't a good idea. Along with the thousand other things that it does to shorten your life, it increases the risk of cavities in your teeth. And don't leave missing teeth missing. Get a dental implant, or your teeth will spread out and you'll keep losing them, and eventually need dentures, or a lot more implants. It's cheaper to keep 'em, as they say.

Teeth are actually a great investment. Feeling better, looking better, eating better all add to the quality of your life. And the more you take care of them now, the less you'll spend on them in the future. The new frugality, remember?

That means finding a dentist you love and going to them. If you don't love them, you won't go as often as you should. And that is a cascading problem.

And if you follow Dan Pink's advice, find a dentist will a well-designed office. I agree with that too!