Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Straighten Teeth the Easy Way - The Inman Aligner

Front teeth tend to move over time leading to a less than perfect smile. Some people even find that after years of orthodontic treatment as a child the teeth are on the move again or are still in the wrong position. Most think that extensive work needs to be undertaken to get their teeth straightened and get back that great smile.

Initially, if you wanted to have your front teeth straightened, conventional orthodontic treatment (wearing metal braces and more latterly clear braces) was the conventional choice. The problem with this treatment is that it is expensive, sometimes requiring the extraction of teeth and worst of all, it takes between one and two years. Very few adults want to wear an appliance in their mouth for this long. This leads to the use of porcelain veneers and the meteoric rise of cosmetic dentistry. Teeth could be "straightened" and their shape and colour improved by grinding them down. A porcelain veneer is then bonded to them to achieve the final result. This treatment is much shorter, taking about a month from begin to finish and it produces great results but is more expensive than orthodontics. The major drawback to veneers is that the teeth require grinding down; the greater the degree of crookedness, the more the teeth have to be prepared. Even though the end result could look great, as a dentist, it is very difficult to drill into fit teeth just to get them to look straight. Teeth that are very crooked may even need root canal therapy (when the living tissue in the centre of the tooth is removed) which has its own drawbacks (root treated teeth are more brittle and more prone to infections). The veneers themselves'll not last forever and probably need replacing after ten years. It may be a lot sooner, especially if they fracture or keep de-bonding from the tooth (coming off).


The Inman Aligner, however, modifies everything. It is a relatively new, simple and reasonably quick way of straightening teeth for adults. Teeth can be straightened in as little as 6 weeks (16 weeks for complex cases) with no drilling and at about one-third of the cost of porcelain veneers or orthodontic treatment. It has now become the treatment of choice for crooked front teeth. It is a removable appliance that utilizes many springs that puts pressure on the teeth that need repositioning. These components work together to "squeeze" teeth together by pushing and pulling them into alignment. Anyone who is considering veneers to straighten teeth should ensure that they have looked at the Inman Aligner before they have their teeth prepared. The Inman Aligner is not suitable for all situations and orthodontic work or porcelain veneers may be the better option but it is always advisable to check out the more conservative approach, and it will save you money!.


Once the Inman Aligner has improved the position of the teeth, tooth whitening and composite bonding can be carried out to improve the colour and correct any imperfections. Both these treatments, like the Inman Aligner, are non-invasive and require no drilling. The end result looks great and more importantly, the teeth remain healthy and are still your own!


For more information about the Inman Aligner, visit the Bank House Dental Centre at www.bankhousedentistry.co.uk