Getting teeth straightened in the 21st century is a much more pleasant experience than with those dreaded 1980s braces that seemed to be forever etched on everyone’s minds, thanks to movies such as The Goonies.
These days braces in North London are far less cumbersome and far more discreet. They have been designed with the busy adult in mind and are available from clinics such as Denchic Dental Spa. Busy adults don’t have time to look like nerdy crime-solving kids on bicycles. Instead, they want to look authoritative, professional and, if possible, even stylish while they get their teeth straightened.
All of this is now possible because braces in North London no longer overwhelm the teeth.
It’s different for grown-ups
Adult teeth straightening is generally less forceful than for kids. If there are big changes that need to be made, say the jaws don’t meet together properly or are badly shaped, then these are dealt with when the bone is still malleable, before the age of 18 when bones tend to set hard.
Anyone who makes it to adulthood without having braces in North London generally has mild to moderate alignment issues to deal with, and these require far less force. This means braces can be lighter and less obtrusive.
There are several kinds of braces to choose from:
Fixed braces
These are modern takes on the traditional bracket and wire braces. There are devices made with clear ceramic brackets and tooth-coloured wires that blend in with the teeth and take only a few months to straighten the front teeth only. There are also braces that are fixed to the tongue side of the teeth and are completely hidden from view.
Clear aligners
More like a mouth guard in looks, clear aligners are made from very thin see-through plastic and go on over the teeth, coming off for eating and cleaning. Progress is made by going through a series of aligners, each with slightly different pressure bumps inside that press the teeth into shifting position.
One aligner only can be used for the very front teeth. It sandwiches them between two spring-loaded bows and once the teeth are straightened, doubles up as a retainer.
