Ceramic Braces

All You Need to Know About Ceramic Braces

A great smile can be one of your most powerful assets. It’s one of the first things other people notice about your face, and a bright, beautiful smile can even make you look more attractive. According to research, there’s a basic biological reason for this. In humans, teeth are considered a type of “ornament display.” In other animals, ornament displays can include brilliant plumage or enormous antlers, but humans have smiles. Our teeth and even our gums can give others a lot of information about who we are. At the most primitive level, an attractive smile is one that is evenly spaced, bright and clean with a few millimetres gum display. In reality, it’s not necessary to be quite so picky. What makes an attractive smile is one you’re willing to share.

A genuinely dazzling smile doesn’t have to be Hollywood perfect. It just has to be real. At Oasis Orthodontics, we consider many things when designing your new smile.

That’s one of the reasons so many adults visit us to learn about their orthodontic treatment options. If you’re not happy with your smile, you might be a candidate for braces, and you don’t have to settle for metal braces, either.
With so much information out there, at Oasis Orthodontics we want to minimise the clutter and give you all the information you need in one easy to read place.

What are Ceramic Braces?

These braces differ from normal metal braces due to their brackets being made of ceramic or porcelain. These brackets can be clear or else coloured to be the same colour as your teeth. By being a closer colour to your teeth than normal braces, this drastically improves their cosmetic appearance.

While the brackets are made of ceramic, the wire that runs across the teeth is still made of metal.

Can Adults get Orthodontic Treatment?

There are no age limits to getting a dream smile. The number of adults seeking treatment is increasing, and a lot of them simply want a better smile. If you’ve spent years hiding your smile or just not smiling at all, it might be time to consider adult orthodontic treatment. You deserve a smile that makes you feel great about yourself.

Braces can be used on anyone as long as their teeth and gums are healthy.

What’s the Difference between Ceramic Braces and Clear Aligners?

These are two very different systems. Clear aligners have been on the market for about 20 years, and they have been used to correct many smiles around the globe. They’re especially popular with image-conscious older teens and adults who value their privacy and prefer to avoid advertising their orthodontic treatment to the world. However, clear aligner therapy is most appropriate for minor orthodontic cases and isn’t appropriate for all orthodontic cases.

Ceramic braces work just like conventional braces. They can provide the same complex tooth movements, correct jaw malocclusions and address major bite abnormalities just like metal braces. They’re nearly invisible, and some can even use ceramic wires, which makes them even less noticeable against your teeth.

Up close look at how ceramic braces are fitted.

Are Ceramic Braces Hard to Maintain?

Any time you undergo orthodontic treatment, you will need to take a few extra precautions with dental hygiene. That’s because your teeth and gums can be a little more vulnerable to bacteria, and the brackets and wires can give plaque more hiding spots. You’ll need to brush carefully around the brackets and wires to remove the buildup and use a floss threader or interdental cleaner to clean between your teeth. Ceramic braces won’t stain, but elastic bands that secure the wires to the braces could stain. That can affect the way your braces look, so you might need to skip certain foods and drinks, such as tea, wine, coffee, curries and tomato sauces.

Are There Any Other Foods I’ll Need to Avoid?

When you first start wearing your braces, you might notice that your mouth feels a little tender. This is completely normal. You’ll likely want to stick with soft foods, such as yoghurt, pasta, soft cooked chicken, seafood, steamed vegetables, bananas and similar soft foods.

Once you’ve adapted, which shouldn’t take long, you’ll want to eat a diet low in sugar. Although you can eat most of the same foods you had before braces, you’ll need to avoid or limit some foods because they can damage your braces, including:

• Excessively chewy foods, such as biltong
• Sticky foods, such as caramels and chewing gum
• Hard foods, such as nuts and hard lollies
• Crunchy foods, such as whole apples or carrots and chips

Ceramic braces can get you smiling again

Are the Costs the Same?

There is no single cost for metal braces, clear aligners or ceramic braces. Your costs can vary based on things such as treatment times, additional treatment needs and the complexity of your case. Ceramic braces do cost a bit more than metal braces due to the cost of the materials involved, but the costs are not necessarily significant. In many cases, a standard course of treatment can be as little as $75 a week, and that cost can be reduced further depending on your private health insurance cover. While private insurance cover will not pay for the entire cost of braces, it might pay for some of the cost, and we do offer payment plans as well.

Ceramic Braces vs Metal Braces

As with all orthodontic treatment, ceramic braces have their pros and cons. While some of these will be specific to each patient, below are some of the main ones to contemplate when considering ceramic braces.

Pros of Ceramic Braces:

• Ceramic brackets are designed to blend in well with the teeth. There are two basic shades, one translucent and one slightly darker to match tooth colour
• Unless abused, ceramic braces are strong and don’t usually chip or break

Cons of Ceramic Braces:

• The brackets can tend to be a bit larger than your normal metal brackets. However, as the colouring matches your teeth this may not be a big issue
• Orthodontic treatment with ceramic braces can be a little bit slower compared with metal braces

I’m Interested in Ceramic Braces. What’s my Next Step?

At Oasis Orthodontics, you don’t need a referral to see us. We welcome new patients and are happy to perform a pre-assessment. If you’re a candidate for treatment, we’ll continue with our recommendations, treatment plan, prognosis and get you started on the smile of your dreams. Call us today to learn more or schedule your consultation with Dr. Hopkins!