You may have noticed a sustained increase in the number of adults getting their teeth straightened in Banbury. Maybe you haven’t, but at Amsel & Wilkins, we certainly have.

There are a few reasons why you might have noticed the steady increase in adults wearing braces. Firstly, you are probably not obsessed with teeth, so you don’t go about your daily business clocking what everyone is hiding behind their lips, like we do.

Secondly, these days, unless someone has got some serious issues with the way their teeth bite together, the chances are they will be wearing a much more discreet kind of braces than the traditional heavy duty metal braces, affectionately known as train track braces.

Thirdly, if just the teeth are being moved, it’s possible to get straighter teeth in 6 months in Banbury, or maybe even less, depending on what the issues are.

Bracket and wire

There are 3 ways to get your teeth straightened. The fixed bracket and wire braces of old are still available, but, if they are only straightening teeth, they can use much gentler forces to do the job. This means they can get away with using smaller brackets, which are sometimes made of clear ceramic, depending on the brand, and the wires can be tooth-coloured. All this adds up to braces that no longer dominate the teeth.

One brand uses this system, but fixes the brackets to the inside of the teeth, next to the tongue. These are called lingual braces and they are invisible. They can also cope with more complex issues than some other discreet systems.

Invisible aligners

These aren’t even braces, but 3D printed mouth guard style aligners. Instead of having wires to tighten, the patient uses a series of aligners, each of which uses the pressure created from not quite fitting properly to nudge the teeth along. A push rather than a pull. The aligners are almost invisible over the teeth, but can be removed, which makes eating, drinking and tooth brushing as easy as ever.

Front teeth aligners

These uses spring-loaded aligner bows that reposition the front teeth only. This removable appliance also doubles as a retainer and treatment can take as little as 6 weeks.