Why wear braces at night?

If your teeth are misaligned and you need orthodontic treatment as an adult, wearing braces can be disabling because they are unsightly.

Before reading on, learn more about the invisible orthodontics developed by Dr Smile

Why have orthodontics?

Orthodontics is used to correct the alignment of teeth that may be misaligned and/or have grown crooked. It also corrects the spaces between teeth that may be either too far apart or too close together and end up overlapping.

If you were not treated by an orthodontist as a child, it is still time to correct these defects. Indeed, they can be unsightly, but they can also affect your occlusion, which can lead to chewing and swallowing problems, and sometimes even speech problems.

You may also have had an accident that caused your teeth to shift and orthodontics will help you get your best smile back, even with overnight treatment.

Dental braces

Wearing traditional braces solves the problem, but you'll be wearing a steely smile for a year or two, which often leads to complexes, as well as embarrassment, depending on your occupation. You can also use ceramic rings, but they are more expensive and are far from discreet.

Braces can be worn on the inside of the teeth, this is called a lingual appliance. It is invisible, but the disadvantage is that not all jaws are suitable for this device and it costs two to four times more than braces.

Invisible orthodontics

You can use an invisible aligner that comes in the form of a removable transparent tray. It forces the teeth into a better position, but it is much less effective than braces, so it must be worn all the time. You should only remove it to eat and to brush your teeth.

Restraint devices

Removable braces are normally used at the end of fixed orthodontic treatment to stabilize the teeth in their ideal position.

It can however be used as an orthodontic treatment if your problem is not too pronounced. If, for example, your incisors are a little too far forward – perhaps you sucked your thumb as a child – it doesn't take much effort to correct the alignment and a retainer may be all you need.

The splint and palatal retainer can be worn only at night, but you can also wear them during the day when you are at home to make them more durable and shorten the treatment time.

The retention gutter

The retainer is a clear silicone appliance that has been made from a mold of your teeth. It therefore perfectly fits the shape of your jaws.

It can be put on and taken off with one gesture, which makes it very practical.

To relieve bruxism

You can start with a retainer to relieve bruxism, that famous grinding of the teeth that takes place at night.

We recommend this product:

The palatal retention appliance

The palatal retainer consists of metal wires that are attached to a plastic false palate that is often pink, but can be found in other colors. It is also custom made from a mold of your jaw.

It is as easy to put on and take off as the gutter. If you wear it during the day, you must remove it when you eat to avoid discomfort.

The palatal appliance is very effective, but can have two unpleasant side effects. On the one hand, if you wear it during the day, it can make you lisp. On the other hand, it can change your sensitivity. Indeed, the plastic part which rests on the palate protects it from the contact and the friction of your tongue.

When you remove it, your palate is more sensitive and your tongue, like food, causes a tickling sensation. One or the other of these effects can be felt more or less depending on your personal sensitivity.

What are the rules to follow for a successful treatment

If you decide to wear your device only at night, you halve its action time. Moreover, what was done during the night will not be stabilized and will partially return during the day. It should also be taken into account that braces are inherently less effective than braces or lingual appliances, which have a much greater pulling power. All this means that your treatment will last longer.

The wear time for braces at night is usually a minimum of one year and can last up to two to three years. You should visit your orthodontist every three months to check that the correction is progressing and to adjust the appliance if necessary.

You must clean your mouthpiece or palatal appliance thoroughly when you remove it, as well as when you put it back in.

Once you have completed treatment, you will need to continue with follow-up visits to make sure your teeth are stabilized.

The other night devices

There are two other appliances that are worn only at night, but they are reserved for specific problems that do not involve teeth that need to be put back in the right position.

The orthodontic helmet

The orthodontic helmet is used to treat the positioning of the jaws, not the teeth. It is only used at night, because its size is impressive.

This type of appliance is only used for prognathic or retrognathic problems, which means that the two jaws are not facing each other.

The occlusal plate

The bite plate is reserved for people who suffer from bruxism, i.e. grinding their teeth. This behavior is unbearable for the spouse and causes side effects on the teeth which wear out and crack, as well as muscular problems due to too much recurrent tension.

The occlusal plate is a rigid splint. Custom-made, it prevents teeth from wearing out and prevents teeth grinding.

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