Braces Or Veneers – Which One is Best?

In this post, we’ll take you through the big question – Braces or Veneers?  Which one is best?  Straightening your teeth with orthodontics is the primary goal of braces, whereas changing their shape, size and shade with veneers serves a similar purpose. To completely change a person’s smile, you might have to combine both treatments.

What are Braces?

Dental braces are orthodontist appliances that help to correct misalignments of the teeth, bite abnormalities, and various other dental issues. Treatment time varies by individual requirements but on average patients will spend 1 to 3 years in braces while wearing them for regular visits with their dentist.

Dental braces are designed to be both comfortable and stylish. The most traditional type of brace includes brackets that are attached at the front teeth, stainless steel bands that attach to these brackets with cement, archwires for guiding tooth movement, and small elastic rubber bands which attach between the two sets of brackets on either side.

They have a broad range of shapes and styles including clear aligners or expandable metal frames as well as many different colors so wearers can personalize their look in any way they choose.

Advantages

Orthodontic treatment with braces is a non-invasive way to straighten your smile. Additionally, you can correct alignment issues that affect the entire body and not just teeth – such as inflammation of jaw joints or neck pain because of misalignment. Left untreated, malocclusions (misalignments) may cause many problems including:

• Tension headaches
• Inflammation in the jaw joint (TMJ)
• Earaches
• Neck Pain
• Receding gums
• Loose teeth
• Tooth loss

Disadvantages

Many people think the biggest drawback of braces is how long they take, as well as what you have to do afterwards. After your treatment time in braces ends, you will need a retainer for years more to keep teeth from moving back into their original positions and creating an even worse problem than before.

What are Veneers?

Dental veneers are thin, custom-made shells of tooth-like material designed to cover the front surface of your teeth to improve their appearance. Porcelain Veneers resist stains and mimic the light reflecting properties that natural teeth have by mimicking them with a hard white coating that is bonded onto dentin. They’re routinely used for fixing various dental problems like discolored or chipped/broken ones due to reasons such as root canal treatment, excessive fluoride use etcetera or teeth that are discolored. This could be from a variety of reasons such as:

• The result of root canal treatment
• Medications
• Excessive fluoride use
• Filled cavities that have changed the appearance and color of the tooth
• Teeth that are worn down, chipped, or broken
• Teeth that are irregularly shaped or have gaps between them

Advantages

Dental veneers are the perfect solution to many dental problems. They can be fitted within just a few visits with your dentist, and they will do wonders for not only how straight or crooked your teeth may look but also their shape and color.

Your smile could have that healthy glow you’ve always wanted without having to worry about them changing over time because of porcelain material. Dental veneers are natural-looking as well making this procedure more appealing than ever before.

Disadvantages

Dental veneers are a common technique to improve the appearance of teeth. The procedure is irreversible, as it can remove some tooth enamel and coatings for your new dental veneer to fit correctly. If you have crowded teeth with little space between them, then this process may be more difficult because thicker pieces will need to be used on each tooth that needs reshaping.

To determine whether dental braces or porcelain veneers are most appropriate, you and your cosmetic dentist will have to weigh the pros and cons of each option, as well as the factor in the health of your teeth and your cosmetic requirements.

Can You Just Get Veneers Instead of Braces?

Porcelain veneers are one of the best ways to straighten teeth without braces because they provide multiple cosmetic benefits, and they’re durable. They can be placed in a single treatment session with no anesthesia needed or follow-ups required afterward.

Instead of veneers though, some people choose dental bonding which is less expensive than porcelain veneers but still provides similar advantages that last six years or more.

Is it Better to Get Veneers or Braces?

Veneers are a good alternative to braces for people who want the look of straight teeth without having to go through such an intense process. Invisalign is also less noticeable and can be used in cases where there’s moderate-to-severe misalignment or structural problems with your teeth. Although it has been shown that not all patients have better results from this treatment than they would get if they went with traditional orthodontics.

What is Cheaper Braces or Veneers?

Braces are a great option for correcting crooked teeth and making them straighter. The downside of braces is that they take up more time than veneers, which can be fixed in as little as six months with the use of Invisalign.

This also makes braces cheaper because you have to pay fewer visits to the dentist’s office per month compared to wearing traditional metal or ceramic brackets on your teeth every day after school.

Conclusion

Dr. Gluck and the professionals at Gluck Orthodontics will be the ones to help with the orthodontic process so that it goes smoothly and conveniently for you. Click on the button below to get started.

Porcelain Veneers vs Braces – Which One is Best?

joelgluck

Dr. Joel Gluck has practiced orthodontics since 1983 when he opened his own office in Nashville. He earned his undergraduate degree at Washington University in St. Louis, and his dental degree at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Gluck then completed an orthodontic specialty residency at the University of Michigan, one of the top five orthodontic training residencies in the country. He also wrote an original thesis and received a Master of Science degree.