Choose Your Orthodontist Wisely
If you happen to be a young athlete, you undoubtedly have a lot of things to think about, including your homework, your practices for your favorite sport as well as everything going on in your personal life.
How to choose your orthodontist
That being said, you should allocate some of your energy to a more subtle aspect of your well-being: your dental health.
A perfect smile with straight and white teeth is expected from a champion on the highest step of a podium! With that in mind, you may be asking yourself if you’d be better off investing in Invisalign clear aligners or in regular braces.
Indeed, both have benefits and inconveniences worth thinking about for a second but don’t you worry: Dr. Frédéric Lavoie – Orthodontist can help you sort this out.
The Benefits of Wearing Braces
Obviously, braces constitute the most traditional route you can take when it comes to orthodontic treatment.
Not only that, some orthodontic problems can only be solved by wearing braces. That being said, one other main benefit of wearing braces comes from the fact that they are fixed to your teeth.
That means they can’t be lost or move in your mouth in the fire of action like in the middle of an intense game, for example. Plus, since they don’t need to be removed to eat or each and every time you drink, they require less maintenance and thus less work from you.
However, keep in mind that you should clean your braces thoroughly after each meal, and the sooner the better.
The Cons of Wearing Braces
Braces aren’t always the perfect alternative for athletes, though.
If you choose to wear this type of dental appliance, you should know that some precautions are worth considering, especially if you’re an athlete actively involved in a full-contact sport.
Since we’re on the subject of full-contact sports, you might consider wearing an orthodontic mouthguard each and every time you’re practicing this type of activity in order to avoid damaging your braces and /or injuring your mouth.
Plus, as we’ve pointed out earlier, braces require regular maintenance that includes thorough cleaning on a regular basis.
It rapidly becomes a habit, but still, it remains a shortcoming of this type of dental appliance.
The Benefits of Wearing Invisalign Clear Aligners
Invisalign clear aligners represent a highly effective orthodontic option for athletes, and for several reasons.
First, the chances of your mouth being injured while wearing this type of clear aligners are minimal, or at least significantly smaller than if you were wearing braces.
Second — if it’s still something that worries you and you don’t want to take any chances — you can always remove your aligners before your practices and/or competitions, but you really don’t need to.
Third and lastly, Invisalign clear aligners are designed to fit tightly in your mouth, so them falling out is not something you should worry too much about.
The Cons of Wearing Invisalign Clear Aligners
Invisalign clear aligners are not a viable option for every type of orthodontic issue like we said earlier: the fact that some dental problems can only be treated by wearing braces is a shortcoming of Invisalign clear aligners.
Plus, their convenience can also be a problem: if you decide to wear your aligners on and off by removing them before rough games and practices, you increase your chances of losing them, and these are costly dental appliances, so you don’t want to misplace them.
Finally — getting back to the cost issue — getting Invisalign clear aligners is not a decision to take lightly.
For all their benefits, these dental appliances are expensive, so you do want to make sure that they’re appropriate with regard to your particular orthodontic condition and your lifestyle.
Wrap-Up
You’re having a hard time choosing between braces and Invisalign clear aligners?
Talk to your dentists like this dentist in Flint or your orthodontist, they’re the best professionals to help you get this important decision right!