Dental braces have been used for many years to correct a huge array of problems which people have had with the shape and the form of their teeth. Whilst this was once the only way of curing dental issues such as these, there are now many more products on the market which can do the same job. Despite this dental braces are still used heavily and I myself have recently spent a year with some braces in. My local Cheadle dentist gave me other options such as Invisalign but after weighing up the pros and cons I decided that braces would be the best idea for me. If you are considering braces, here are the pros and cons that you should be considering.

Pros

Let’s start off with the benefits which dental braces can give you, the pros of this treatment are as follows.

• Range of Issues – Dental braces can be used to fix crowded teeth, crooked teeth, poorly aligned bites and even individual teeth which have grown in a different way to the rest of your teeth. Braces can be used for a wide range fo treatments and this is why they are often favored by dentists.
•  Flexible – Braces can be tweaked and changed by your dentist at regular intervals during the treatment. For example as your teeth slowly move in their form and shape, they may need to be altered to ensure that they are still providing the pressure that is required for your teeth to successfully change form.
• Low Cost –  When comparing with other methods of treatment, dental braces are a very low cost solution. Not only is the material which is used in braces very cheap, they are also very easy and cheap for the dentist to place, and you will only need a handful of appointments with your dentist.

Cons

There are plusses and negatives to everything, and here are the cons to consider when using braces.

• Appearance – Not everyone likes the appearance that braces give them and especially amongst adult patients, they do not like the idea of having visible metal brackets and wires on top of their teeth. Although this is a short term downside which has long term benefits, it is still something that many people don’t like.
• Duration – In many cases braces are required for much longer periods of time than when compared to something like Invisalign, something which not everyone enjoys about the process. Of course for those who don’t like the appearance, the fact that they will be worn for a long period of time also puts people off.
• Cutting – Occasionally the metal wire can cause some discomfort and dentists will often give wax to the patient, so that they can cover the sharp end to prevent this from happening. The wax is effective but it can be a pain for those wearing braces.

The pros do outweigh the cons when it comes to braces but of course it depends on your particular set of circumstances as to whether this is the best option for you.