What are the Pros and Cons of Clear Aligners?

Clear aligners have emerged as the go-to solution for almost all your teeth alignment problems. Their biggest strength lies in the ease of use and convenience that they provide. While metal braces have existed for decades, there was always a persisting issue of poor aesthetics and longer treatment periods. Aligners have erased all these issues with a single stroke and have provided much-needed confidence to people all over the world looking to get a dream smile.

What are clear aligners?

Clear aligners are plastic trays made as per your teeth and mouth shape aimed at pushing your teeth in the desired direction to provide them with the perfect shape. Clear aligners are fast becoming hot favorites for those looking to treat issues like dental crowding, overbite, underbite, diastema, and other similar issues. These devices sit perfectly on your teeth and provide the desired solution quickly and efficiently. 

For any of your teeth alignment needs, you can visit your orthodontist and get a better understanding of your teeth condition and get the prescribed aligners in a matter of a couple of days. These aligners are customized as per your requirements and provide a much more effective solution for all your dental alignment needs. 

Out of several invisible aligners present in the market, Flash aligners are fast emerging as the most preferred treatment mode for people all over India. One of the biggest drawing factors of these aligners is that you will be provided with a complete intra-oral scan along with post-treatment simulation on your visit to a Flash-certified orthodontist.

Let’s now look at some pros and cons of clear aligners.

Pros of clear aligners

• Easy to use – Using clear aligners requires no special process. It’s as simple as putting on a cap on your head. This is no exaggeration and they are that easy to use. You can just pop out the aligners from the kit and put them onto your teeth and the treatment begins. 
• Pain-Free – Clear aligners sit firmly yet comfortably on your teeth and work towards pushing them together. While you may experience slight niggle in the initial days but once your teeth are accustomed to the aligners, it will be a smooth sail. 
• Quick results – Traditional braces take anywhere between 12 to 18 months to work effectively and put your teeth straight. Aligners on the other hand start showing results in just under 6 months.
• No dietary restrictions-  One of the biggest advantages of wearing clear aligners for teeth is that you don’t have to worry about maintaining a specific diet. You can easily take out aligners while consuming food and put them back once you are done eating. 
• Customized solution – There is no one size fits all solution for any treatment and clear aligners follow this concept effectively. Each patient has customized aligners designed to fit their teeth and work towards treatment.

Cons of clear aligners

• Need to be worn for 22 hours- It is medically prescribed to wear aligners for not less than 22 hours for effective results. Patients need to practice certain disciplines and stick to a schedule to get treated better. This may not be possible for all and it has been observed that patients often forget to put the aligners back on after taking them out during a meal.
• Not suitable for severely crooked teeth –Certain cases are beyond aligners’ expertise. Severely crooked teeth and alignment issues arising out of jaw structure need surgical intervention or other modes and aligners are not as effective here.
  
• Costlier solution – There is no doubt that aligners have proven great efficacy at treating all kinds of alignment issues. However, one of their biggest con is their pricing. Patients must be ready to shell out more than what they would have paid for braces or veneers.