So… you’re a teenager: your parents are harping on at you about getting your teeth straight. You’ll be thankful in the future, they tell you. You won’t have to worry about smiling any more. They give you a choice of three main teeth-straightening procedures. Those are:

Invisalign

Fancy getting your teeth straight without having to worry about brackets and wires in your mouth? Well, you’re in luck. There’s an option just for you: Invisalign. As the name suggests, Invisalign is an (nearly) invisible treatment that accomplishes the alignment of a person’s teeth. Invisalign treatment consists of sets of custom-fitting plastic transparent aligner trays unique to each person’s mouth. 3-D technology (otherwise known as computerised technography) has created the opportunity to map a patient’s teeth out using a virtual computerized model, thus ensuring that the trays are as precise and effective as possible. Align Technology, the company that created Invisalign, was established in 1997, and the product became widely available in 2000. With nearly two decades of providing treatment to tens of thousands of patients, using prescriptions generated by a treating dentist, Invisalign provides a product through which your dentist can re-align your teeth and restore proper function while creating the esthetic profile you are looking for. It can frequently take anywhere between half a year and one and a half years, of course depending on the extent to which your teeth need to be re-aligned. Invisalign treatment will demand some diligence, as they are most effective when worn throughout the day, except when you eat or drink. You can drink water while wearing the trays, but it is best to remove the trays before eating or drinking anything other than water, as there is the chance for decay to start if the teeth are left exposed to food or sugary drinks for an extended period of time without being cleaned. There may be some points in time where the trays are a little trickier to get used to, especially at first (when the trays are likeliest to hurt most and feel most uncomfortable), however, with a little patience, you’ll get used to them after a while. Just remember to take them off before having soft drinks (this might be a bit of a hassle) and make sure to brush after meals.

Traditional Braces

If the amount of alignment that your teeth need in order to re-establish proper function and a more classic profile is significant, then traditional bracket-and-wire braces will likely be the most appropriate method of treatment. Metal brackets are cemented to the front of your teeth and linked to each other by arch wires that are held in place either by small rubber bands placed on each bracket, or through locking mechanisms that are built into the brackets themselves. Braces are normally when the degree of treatment is more complex—i.e. for teeth needing greater amounts of movement and rotation—and the duration of treatment is frequently longer than many Invisalign cases, which is most often attributable to the complexity of the case. Though they can be uncomfortable to begin with, your mouth will eventually adapt and in the long run you’ll be thankful that you completed the treatment.

Lingual Braces

If you’re self-conscious and have concerns with the presence of brackets and wires in your smile, then lingual braces may be another option. Lingual braces are like traditional braces, but with the brackets and wires being placed on the inside surfaces of your teeth. This means that they’re not as visible when you speak and smile. If the degree of treatment needed is fairly complex, but you feel you would become self-conscious with easily visible brackets and wires on your teeth, then lingual braces are a feasible alternative. As the design of a case using lingual braces is more comkplex and technique-sensitive, orthodontic treatment with lingual braces is likely to present more of a cost premium than would traditional braces.

Deciding which option is best for you is a little more complicated than picking a flavour of ice cream or toppings on a pizza, but nonetheless, it is always good to have alternatives. Speak to your dentist, as your dentist will be best able to determine which treatment will be right for you.