Unlike the obviously unaesthetic appearance of traditional braces, clear braces offer a much less visible orthodontic treatment. Clear braces are one of the methods used in the orthodontic treatment of patients who suffer especially from tooth alignment problems, and they emerged as an alternative to metal braces. If you would like to have dental aesthetic treatment but do not want your smile and physical appearance to be cosmetically affected during treatment, you can research clear dental aesthetic procedures and find out whether you are a suitable candidate. Today, clear braces lead the way among the most preferred and most popular orthodontic treatment methods.

What Are Clear Braces and What Do They Do?

Clear braces actually play the role of the most important key component of invisible orthodontic treatment. Clear brackets are basically used in clear brace treatment. To better understand the place of these brackets in invisible orthodontic methods, it is necessary to explain invisible orthodontics.

There are three basic methods among invisible orthodontic treatments: clear aligners, clear brackets and lingual orthodontic appliances. Lingual orthodontics uses appliances positioned on the inner side of the teeth rather than on the front. Although this method is not as widely used as traditional metal braces, it is recommended as the ideal orthodontic treatment in some specific cases. Clear aligner treatment, another invisible orthodontic treatment, consists of a series of plastic aligners. These clear aligners, also known as Invisalign or incognito, are given to the patient every two weeks and are to be used regularly. Each set of aligners is tighter than the previous one and is responsible for pushing the teeth towards the desired positions. Likewise, with clear aligners the person gains great aesthetic comfort, since these aligners are so transparent and thin that they are almost invisible to the naked eye.

Finally, another method among invisible orthodontic treatments is the clear brace method discussed here. To define it in its simplest form, clear braces are actually transparent versions of conventionally used metal braces. Thanks to this, clear braces, which are less visible, promise the patient comfortable and aesthetic use.

What Are the Types of Clear Braces?

Clear braces, which are roughly the transparent and less visible version of metal brackets, are designed and produced by orthodontic specialists who have specialised in this field and come out of clinical laboratories made to custom measurements. The bracket material used in the production of clear braces is a very important factor for the success of the treatment. When making this decision, the orthodontic specialist should identify the patient’s specific problem, find the root of the problem and ensure that a suitable type of clear brace is produced. Brackets made of hard plastic are the lowest-cost brackets, which is why they are known as the most budget-friendly type among clear brace prices. However, plastic brackets may in some cases fall short of the desired performance in terms of flexibility. Since plastic can behave more flexibly than necessary, it may fail to guide the teeth exactly to the desired position and direction. This can prevent clear brace treatment from achieving one hundred percent success.

Another material used in clear brace treatment is ceramic. Ceramic, which has made a name for itself as one of the most reliable and durable materials when it comes to orthodontic treatment, lives up to this reputation in clear brace treatments as well. Unlike plastic, ceramic brackets perform much more successfully in terms of flexibility. Clear ceramic brackets, which work firmly in pushing the teeth to the desired position, provide high success, especially when they are well made. However, it is worth noting that ceramic brackets must be bonded and fixed to the teeth very well during application. Even the slightest gap in the mouth can cause the patient serious discomfort in the long term.

Finally, another material used in clear brace treatment is sapphire. Although it does not have as wide an area of use as plastic or ceramic, sapphire is also a material used in clear braces that delivers good results. Of course, sapphire is the material with the highest cost and price among the three materials we have listed. Since it is a material that provides high efficiency in terms of both aesthetics and performance, sapphire can also be preferred in clear braces despite its high price.

Your dentist will, of course, decide which of these three materials is more suitable for you.

How Is Clear Brace Treatment Done?

Clear brace treatment is a procedure consisting of several stages. In the application of clear braces, almost exactly the same stages are followed as in the application of metal braces. The most basic difference between these two treatment methods is, of course, the material used. In metal braces, both the brackets and the wires holding the brackets are made of metal. In clear brace application, the brackets can be made of porcelain, plastic or sapphire, which provide transparency.

As we have just mentioned, clear brace treatments are applied in stages, just like metal braces. Your knowledgeable and experienced dentist first examines your mouth comprehensively, identifies the nature of the tooth alignment problems and decides on the most suitable treatment plan. After it is decided that you are a suitable candidate for clear braces, detailed measurements are taken of your mouth and teeth. The measurements taken are sent to the clinical laboratory and production of the clear braces begins. In some cases, depending on personal requests, the wires that will hold the clear brackets may also be requested in a different colour.

After production is completed and the clear braces are delivered to your orthodontic specialist, it is time for them to be placed on your teeth. Each bracket is carefully and meticulously placed on the teeth one by one and fixed. After the fixed clear braces take their final position in your mouth, your clear brace treatment is complete. As long as you follow your doctor’s instructions and take all their recommendations into account, your treatment is expected to be completed in about 6 months on average. Of course, in more complicated tooth alignment problems, this treatment period may be longer.