If you want braces as an adult, then you may be concerned about the way that metal varieties feel, fit, and look. If you are not sold on the idea of having the traditional braces cemented to your teeth, then you do have several different options. Clear aligner braces are the most popular option for adults. However, the clear aligners are rarely used alone, especially if your teeth are extremely crowded or misaligned. If this is the case, then keep reading to learn about a few additional or complimentary types of treatment choices your orthodontist may make to better shift your teeth.

Tooth Shaping

Sometimes the teeth will simply not sit next to one another comfortably due to the general lack of space in your mouth. However, the teeth may not be crowded enough that dental extraction is required. If this is the case, then your dental professional may decide to gently grind a bit of the enamel from the sides of the teeth. This way, a very small amount of space can be added next to each tooth across the upper and lower jaw. 

The grinding technique is called interproximal reduction. Typically, a plan for the grinding or sanding is created by the same computer system that comes up with your Invisalign straightening plan. This way your orthodontist will know exactly how much sanding is required to make sure the teeth fit well next to one another. Once this is determined, a diamond encrusted grinding pad is used to shape the teeth. 

Since sanding will occur across several or all of the teeth, you will not notice any changes in the shape or appearance of the teeth. 

Dental Bonding Protrustions

You may understand that metal braces can be fitted with a variety of hardware. Springs, lingual wires, hooks, and rubber bands are just a few of the things that you may see when traditional braces are secured to the teeth. Unfortunately, the same sort of hardware is not appropriate for use with aligners. However, as with their metal counterparts, clear braces do need some assistance every now and again when it comes to moving difficult teeth. 

To help with tooth movements, your dentist can use small, round protrusions or attachments that grip onto the plastic aligners. This gripping helps to keep the aligners strongly placed over the teeth so the teeth are forced to move. 

The round protrusions are small elevated bumps made from dental bonding material. The bonding is tooth colored, so it is invisible to the naked eye. The protrusions or attachments also are placed only on a few teeth. For example, they are added to the eye teeth to move them into place. 

For more information about treatment options to get straighter teeth, contact dental clinics like Fayetteville Family Dentistry.