If your teeth are out of alignment due to overcrowding or under or overbite issues, it’s best to have braces installed to correct the problem. If they are not addressed, these issues could lead to significant complications later in life.

You might be tempted to forgo having braces because of the awkward appearance of the traditional wires and brackets. If you feel this way, you might be interested in a less-noticeable alternative: ceramic braces.

This style of braces is very similar to traditional braces, except all of the hardware has been glazed with a thin layer of a ceramic material that is shaded to match your natural tooth enamel. The color is so similar that the casual observer might struggle to even notice you have braces on your teeth.

Even though ceramic braces are not vulnerable to the bacteria in your mouth, they will still need daily brushing and cleaning. If any part of your braces comes loose, bends or breaks, or if you develop cavities, it may increase the amount of time you may need to wear the braces.

If you’re having issues cleaning in and around your braces, you might want to try using interdental brushes. At the same time, a floss threader loaded with waxed dental floss can also be very helpful for inserting the strand of floss around wires and other hardware.

It’s also important to remember that things like chewing gum and eating sticky foods can easily bend wires and damage hardware. The same is true of eating hard foods and hard candy or chewing on things like pens, pencils and ice.

You might also want to cut back on consuming dark foods and beverages. Your natural tooth enamel will stain faster and deeper than the ceramic material coating the braces. If your teeth become stained, they might not perfectly match the shade of the ceramic glaze. If you do want to enjoy dark beverages, you might want to dry drinking these beverages through a straw or brushing your teeth shortly after consuming them.

If you have alignment, overcrowding or other orthodontic issues in Scottsdale, Arizona, please call your dentist, Dr. Michael Bowen, at 480-948-4200 to explore your braces options. At Great Big Smiles Orthodontics, in addition to ceramic braces, we have three convenient locations offering a variety of alignment treatments for our patients seeking a straighter smile!