Aligners and braces are two options for treating dental issues related to tooth spacing and alignment. Factors such as comfort, aesthetics, and effectiveness may affect which option is better for you.
Braces and aligners are orthodontic appliances that treat malocclusion (misalignment of your teeth). Malocclusion can be caused by factors such as tooth overcrowding, overbite, underbite, and skeletal differences in your upper and lower jaw.
Braces have been used to treat malocclusion for decades. They consist of snug-fitting metal brackets that are glued to each tooth and connected to one another by wires.
Rubber bands, or elastics, can be strategically attached to braces to apply pressure and tension that help your teeth shift where they need to go.
Braces come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the complexity of the dental issue. Some people may need components added to their braces, such as expanders, spacers, or other appliances.
Aligners are another type of orthodontic appliance to treat malocclusion. They’re made from medical-grade plastic and are custom-fit to wrap around your teeth.
Unlike braces, aligners are removable. You can take them off for short periods while you’re eating or brushing your teeth.
One major allure of aligners is that they tend to be less noticeable than metal braces. Aligners are smooth, clear, and thin, and they’re custom-made to fit your mouth. You’ll typically wear each aligner in your treatment series for at least 22 hours of the day, for 1 week at a time.
In addition to their aesthetic appeal, aligners have the following advantages:
- You can remove them for short periods while you’re eating or brushing your teeth or for short social engagements.
- They are more comfortable than braces and have less chance of causing oral irritation.
- They’re ideal if you have a co-occurring oral condition, such as gum disease, that requires your teeth to be cleaned thoroughly.
- They are a
safer, gentler option for people at high risk of cavities or enamel issues. - They may have a relatively short treatment time (around 18 months) for simple adjustments.
- They are similar in cost to braces, depending on the brand.
Disadvantages
Aligners are not appropriate for everyone or for every condition of malocclusion. Traditional braces allow for more precise control of oral adjustments and may be necessary to manage more complex malocclusion challenges.
Here are some other limitations and disadvantages of aligners:
- Their effectiveness relies significantly on whether you wear them every day.
- If you drink sugary or carbonated drinks while you have an aligner in, liquid can become trapped in the aligner and damage your teeth.
- They are not appropriate for use on teeth with short crowns, which reduce the surface area available for the aligner to grip and shift the tooth.
- They cannot move severely crowded or malaligned teeth.
Braces are good at what they do, and when you need complex or intricate adjustments, braces are the go-to choice for orthodontic precision.
While they may not be as aesthetically pleasing as aligners, braces have come a long way in appearance. You might be able to choose between multiple metals or get tooth-colored or hidden brackets.
Here are some other advantages of braces:
- You cannot lose or misplace them.
- They don’t rely on daily compliance to be effective.
- They may provide more long-term stability to adjustments and reduce the recurrence of malocclusion.
- They’re similar in cost to aligners, depending on the brand.
Disadvantages
Braces can successfully treat most orthodontic issues, but they do have some disadvantages. For example:
- They’re more noticeable than aligners.
- You can’t take them off.
- They may cause mouth irritation and discomfort.
- They require frequent brushing and flossing.
- You’ll have to avoid sugary or carbonated beverages and sticky, hard, crunchy, or chewy foods while you have braces.
- They often require a longer length of treatment (around 24 months).
The table below lists the differences between braces and aligners, highlighting some of their advantages and disadvantages.
| Braces | Aligners | |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | more noticeable | less noticeable |
| Removability | can’t be removed until treatment is over | removable at any time |
| Comfort | may cause mouth irritation | less likely to cause mouth irritation |
| Material | metal and rubber bands | medical-grade plastic |
| Hygiene | require frequent brushing and flossing during the day | can be removed for your usual oral hygiene routine |
| Compliance | not dependent on daily compliance | highly dependent on daily compliance |
| Diet restrictions | • no carbonated drinks • no sugary beverages • no hard, crunchy, chewy, or sticky foods | no carbonated or sugary beverages while aligners are in |
| Treatment duration | around 24 months | around 18 months |
| Cost | similar but can vary by brand | similar but can vary by brand |
| Best for | • complex cases of malocclusion • people for whom compliance is a concern | • less complicated malocclusion cases • people who want discreet treatment without compliance concerns |
Your orthodontist will help you choose between braces and aligners. If you’re a candidate for either option, you might want to consider questions such as these:
- Which option does my orthodontist recommend more and why?
- Will I remember to wear my aligners as often as I need to?
- Do I want to be able to remove my orthodontic device during the day if needed?
- How much do I care about the visibility of braces or an aligner?
- Am I comfortable with avoiding certain foods?
- Does my insurance cover one type of device and not the other?
Braces and aligners are orthodontic appliances used to treat conditions involving tooth misalignment. While both are effective treatment options, they have different benefits and downsides.
For example, braces offer more precise treatment of alignment issues, but they’re not as aesthetically pleasing as aligners. You can take aligners off for short periods, but if you forget to wear them as directed, they might not fix your alignment issues.
Your orthodontist can help you understand which option is better for your needs.
