It’s not a secret that a great smile changes how people perceive you. Surely you’ve met someone who looks average. But when he or she smiles, it’s as if the room is a little brighter. Contrary to popular belief, not all people with beautiful smiles have straight teeth. Take a look at Cristin Milioti, for instance, who has less than perfect teeth but is still gorgeous.

If you still want to have your teeth straightened, however, it’s up to you. The procedures involved vary depending on the current state of your teeth. Teeth straightening often involve getting braces, which you have to wear for a long time. Once you’re done with the braces, you’ll wear dental retainers. Simply put, you’ll be wearing wires on your mouth for a while.

Due to the discomfort brought about by braces, many people are looking for alternatives to getting their teeth straightened without them. So is it possible without braces? The short answer is a resounding “NO.” However, you may get away with it depending on how much adjustment your teeth needs.

For instance, if your teeth isn’t straight in a sense that some of them are too long while others are too short, then you can undergo a teeth-contouring treatment. This procedure involves chipping away at longer teeth to maintain a shapelier smile. For shorter teeth, you have two options. Either have them reshaped so they have proper angles that add more to your smile than before or you go with porcelain veneers to lengthen them and giving your teeth some uniformity.

If you need just simple and minor corrections, then you may not need a brace at all. Perhaps it can be fixed with spring retainers. Retainers are removable, but are not as effective as braces. Still, it may get the job done if all you need is a smaller adjustment to have your teeth aligned.

Finally, if you want your teeth straightened without braces and retainers just won’t cut it, then your only other option would be the invisible braces. These function similar to and are as effective as metal braces. The difference is that nobody notices that you are wearing them. Think full dentures that operate like braces. One drawback of this is that it is not uncomfortable, although you may get used to the discomfort quickly. Another disadvantage is that it may cost a little more. However, the fact that it is removable offsets almost any disadvantage.

Courtesy of ezinearticles.com by Isabella D Johnson