Oman wellness: Smile with confidence

When it comes to dental braces the irony is that crooked teeth and other dental issues can cause confidence levels to plummet. But as soon as we put on braces to fix the problem, the braces themselves can also cause a drop in confidence and make people afraid to smile.

Did you know a disturbing 77 per cent of children in American schools admitted to being bullied in one form or another? There can be many reasons why your child could fall victim to a bully’s cruel words, however a study published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics claimed having unattractive dental and/or facial features could be a big precursor. The most commonly targeted facial feature being the teeth.

Dental abnormalities may or may not affect your child’s physical health, but they sometimes could have a profoundly negative psychological impact, and impair their ability to develop healthy self-esteem and communications skills that can affect the quality and course of their life.

If you are considering straightening teeth for your child then braces or Invisalign both are equally good options to go ahead with. However, Invisalign Teen works wonderfully for those who are bit more conscious of their appearance. Ultimately, you want to choose the treatment that will do the job, even if it’s slightly more expensive. In the long run, you don’t want to have to fix your teeth again.

Here is how Invisalign Teen works. They are virtually an invisible way to straighten your teen’s teeth without the restrictions that come with metal braces. Rather than wires and brackets, Invisalign uses a series of clear, removable aligners that have been custom-made for your teen’s teeth. Teenagers simply wear them over their teeth and changes them out for a new set of aligners every two weeks. Little by little, teeth gradually shift into place, achieving that confident smile.

If you’ve had braces yourself in your childhood, then you would understand the issues associated with metal wires and brackets. With Invisalign, the aligners are removable, so your teenager can play their choice of sports without the worry of being hit in the mouth by a ball. With traditional braces, there is a long list of foods that shouldn’t be eaten, from popcorn to apples and raw carrots. Invisalign comes with restrictions, the removable aligners need to be removed while eating to avoid stains.

However, Invisalign might not work with patients who need to rotate canines or premolars or in cases where it needed to move teeth vertically. Discipline plays a key role on the treatment outcome as it is required to be worn for at least 22 hours daily. I understand that a lot of my young patients would like to straighten their teeth using Invisalign Teen but that might not help their situation.
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Dr Siju George is Specialist Orthodontist at Wassan Specialty Dental Centre