Are your teeth less than straight? Is their appearance affecting your smile? You might be suitable for teeth braces, and nowadays, there are several options available, and your choice is no longer limited to metal braces you might remember during childhood. Why Have Braces? In an ideal world, after you lose your milk or baby teeth, your adult teeth will come through beautifully aligned and perfectly straight. Unfortunately, the reality can be very different. Teeth can come through crooked because of problems with overcrowding, where there isn't enough room in your jaws to accommodate all your teeth comfortably. Your jaws might not be quite the right shape or size to give you a perfect bite. Childhood habits like thumb or finger sucking, tongue thrusting or mouth breathing can all affect the development of your teeth and jaws. Losing your baby teeth too soon to an accident or decay can have a similar effect. Straightening your teeth with braces will improve their alignment and correct bite problems. In addition to improving your smile, braces can also help to protect your oral health as straighter teeth are easier to keep clean, so your risk of tooth decay and gum disease can reduce. They will also wear more evenly, as your teeth will bite together properly. When to See a Dentist for Braces? If you have a child, we can closely monitor their teeth and jaws' growth and development. Sometimes it is useful for a child to see an orthodontist around age seven as they begin to get their permanent teeth. At this age, early orthodontic treatment can help correct problems caused by thumb or finger sucking or tongue thrusting and can help guide the growth of their developing teeth and jaws. It may mean your child needs less or no orthodontist treatment when they get older. Otherwise, the most common age to see people wearing braces is during their teens, but it's becoming far more common to see adults wearing them. It's never too late to have orthodontic treatment provided your teeth are generally strong and healthy. Different Types of Braces Traditional metal braces are still widely used, especially for children; they provide predictable results and are cost-effective. However, less visible braces are becoming far more popular. These include ceramic braces that have clear or tooth-coloured brackets fixed onto teeth and lingual braces that fit inside teeth and are nearly invisible. Removable braces consisting of clear plastic aligners are very popular. They can provide excellent results and are easy to use, but they need good compliance. What Is the Cost of Braces? The cost can vary considerably depending on the problems requiring correction and your treatment preference. As a rough guide, metal braces cost anywhere from $2000 upwards. Ceramic braces typically cost $5000 upwards. The cost of lingual braces tends to be higher as the brace brackets are made individually to fit inside your mouth. These can cost up to $9000. The cost of removable invisible braces like Invisalign can range from $6000 upwards, but if you only require minor corrections, treatment is shorter, and the costs may start from $4500 upwards. The best way to get a better estimate is to come and see us and discover more about all the treatment options available.