So you’re ready to experience the beautiful smile you’ve always dreamed of, but you aren’t sure which treatment route is best? You’ve probably heard of both clear aligners and braces, but you may not know the specific differences between braces and aligners.

We’re here to help! Here’s everything you need to know to weigh the pros and cons of braces vs. clear aligners:

1. Convenience: Braces vs. Aligners

Braces are permanently fixed to your teeth for the duration of your treatment, but clear aligners (like ClearCorrect®) are removable. This means you can easily take them out to eat, brush, floss, and clean your clear aligners.

Braces tend to get food stuck in the brackets and wires, which requires you to play closer attention to your oral hygiene to prevent plaque buildup. With clear aligners, you just clean your teeth as you normally would before treatment!

When it comes to convenience, clear aligners are the clear winner over braces.

2. Appearance: Braces Vs. Aligners

One of the reasons why many people don’t take the step to improve their smile and enhance their quality of life is because they don’t see traditional braces as aesthetically-appealing. Maybe you’re concerned with braces affecting your confidence, or impacting your social or professional life. It’s a valid concern!

Fortunately, braces are not your only option nowadays. Clear aligners are their modern alternative. ClearCorrect clear aligners are made of high-quality, transparent plastic that makes them virtually-invisible when in place.

If appearance is your concern, clear aligners are the winner of this debate. Nobody has to know that you’re wearing clear aligners, and you can take them out temporarily for special occasions.

3. Comfort: Braces Vs. Clear Aligners

ClearCorrect clear aligners are custom-made to fit your unique smile. The curved, custom-fit edges of your clear aligners are molded to the natural contours of your gums and are designed to prevent discomfort.

Traditional braces are not custom-designed for your smile. Brackets may bother your cheeks and tongue, and can create soreness in your mouth. With braces, you run the risk of an “orthodontic emergency”, like a bracket breaking or wire popping out of place. This can require more visits to the orthodontist to fix your braces.

Clear aligners eliminate the risk of these emergencies, because they don’t use brackets, wires or rubber bands. When it comes to comfort, these special smile-transforming trays take the cake again!

4. Getting started: Braces Vs. Aligners

To get started with braces treatment, you’ll typically need to visit an orthodontist in-person for an exam, visit them again to have your braces placed, then visit them every 6 weeks to have your braces adjusted/tightened.

With ClearCorrect clear aligner treatment, you can get started from home! We offer a virtual assessment so you can use your phone to snap some pics of your smile, send them to us, and receive a personalized treatment plan within 24 hours.

Once you visit one of our highly-experienced doctors for a professional exam, you’ll get to complete virtual check-ins throughout the process for us to monitor your progress remotely, and minimize office visits for your convenience.

If you’re someone who values flexibility in your schedule and easy experiences, you’ll like how simple and streamlined the clear aligner treatment process is.

Take the first step today.

While both clear aligners and braces are effective treatments for aligning smiles, ClearCorrect clear aligners come out on top in terms of convenience, appearance and comfort.

We’re proud to provide top-quality clear aligner treatment at Secure Dental, with dentist offices in Portage, IN, Lake Station, IN, Hammond, IN, Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL, Foster Ave., Chicago, IL, Schaumburg, IL, East Peoria, IL, Moline, IL, and Davenport, IA.

Our doctors and team are dedicated to providing the best possible care in your area. We take pride in creating a family-friendly atmosphere at our offices, and going above-and-beyond to meet our patients’ needs.

Take the first step to achieve the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted! You can receive a personalized treatment plan and estimated treatment costs without leaving your home. Get started from home or on-the-go with a virtual consultation.

Top 5 Benefits of Dental Implants: A Permanent Solution for Missing Teeth

Replacing missing teeth is not just about improving your smile; it’s about transforming your health, confidence and total well-being. Getting dental implants is life-changing!

Our highly-experienced team at Secure Dental is here to help you make the best decision for your smile and quality of life. Know the top 5 benefits of dental implants so you can determine if they’re right for you.

Smiles that go beyond aesthetics

1. Dental implants are the closest alternative to natural teeth.

Why dental implants? You won’t find a tooth replacement solution that mimics natural teeth as closely as dental implants do. Dental implants are made to resemble natural teeth in appearance, functionality, security and stability.

They act as artificial tooth roots that provide a stable foundation for replacement crowns. The same way you bite, chew, smile and speak with your natural teeth, you can do the exact same with dental implants. All of your favorite foods are back on the table!

2. Dental implants are made to last the rest of your life.

Dental implants are not a temporary solution. With proper care, dental implants are able to last 30+ years! The longevity of implants not only saves you the hassle of frequent replacements but also makes them a cost-effective solution in the long run.

Known as the gold standard of tooth replacement, dental implants are integrated directly into your jaw bone, which ensures the most stable foundation possible.

3. Dental implants can restore your confidence and self-esteem.

Appearance may not be the only benefit to dental implants, but it’s certainly one of the most important benefits. If you have missing teeth, you know how this condition can impact your self-confidence, your willingness to smile, and your desire to talk to new people.

When you don’t feel great about yourself, you can miss out on a lot of life’s opportunities. Replacing missing teeth with permanent, beautifully-crafted dental implants can encourage you to smile a LOT more, encourage you to live your social life and professional life to their full potential, and help you put your best foot forward everyday. We think that’s priceless!

4. Dental implants can preserve your jaw bone and natural tooth structure.

Dental implants are designed to stimulate the jaw bone (mimicking the stimulation of a natural tooth root), which prevents bone loss and reinforces your natural facial structure. Without dental implants, missing teeth will cause resorption of the jawbone over time. Getting dental implants is the only way to prevent this type of bone loss.

Preserving the jaw bone and stimulating bone growth are essential for maintaining the structure and strength of the smile, so you can eat, talk and smile normally, but they’re also essential for optimizing facial aesthetics. Missing teeth can create a sunken facial appearance that often causes self-esteem issues.

5. Dental implants are easy to maintain!

Care and maintenance may be concerns for some people debating whether getting dental implants is worth it. Fortunately, dental implants are cared for the same way you care for your natural teeth.

Unlike dentures, dental implants cannot be removed, which means you won’t need a special cleaning routine. It’s important that you brush your teeth at least twice daily, floss your teeth at night, and attend all of your dental check-ups – just like you would with your natural smile.

Still have questions about the benefits of dental implants?

Still wondering, “should I get a dental implant?” When you schedule an appointment with Secure Dental, our highly-experienced doctors will help you decide whether dental implants are your best option. We offer free implant consultations!

Ready to experience the transformative benefits of dental implants for yourself? Schedule an appointment at one of our conveniently located dentist offices in Portage, IN, Lake Station, IN, Hammond, IN, Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL, Foster Ave., Chicago, IL, Schaumburg, IL, East Peoria, IL, Moline, IL, or Davenport, IA.

So you have a missing tooth. What now?

Is it important that you replace your missing tooth or teeth? What are your tooth replacement options? Where do you even start?

At Secure Dental, we’re eager to answer your questions and help you find the right solution that empowers you to love your smile for a lifetime. Here’s what you need to know about replacing missing teeth:

Do I really need to replace my missing tooth?

Missing teeth is actually more than a cosmetic problem! Not only can this condition take a toll on your confidence and self-esteem, but missing teeth can actually impact the structure and function of your teeth and bite.

Compromised structure
When a tooth is lost, neighboring teeth have a tendency to shift toward the gap, which can lead to misalignment and bite issues that strain the jaw joint. The void left by a missing tooth can also contribute to bone loss in the jaw, potentially compromising the facial structure and causing a prematurely aged appearance.

Because bite efficiency is impacted, this can create issues with speaking, chewing and digesting food.

Bacteria growth
The spaces left by missing teeth can unfortunately become breeding grounds for bacteria! Food and debris can get trapped in these spaces, leading to bacteria growth. Bacteria in the mouth can quickly lead to gum disease and infection, and then pass through the body, into the bloodstream, potentially leading to complications with the heart, blood and other organs.

Needless to say, yes! If you’re able to, it’s really important that you look into getting your missing teeth replaced.

Tooth replacement options

In the event that you lose a tooth or multiple teeth, the most popular tooth replacement options are dentures and dental implants:

Implant supported dentures and overdentures

There are a few different types of implant supported dentures that can replace multiple missing teeth. With removable options such as “overdentures”, which are custom dentures that can be fixed to healthy teeth or roots nearby or secured to a dental implant.

To a Fixed Full Arch or All-on-X for a more permanent replacement option for multiple missing teeth. These use a series of titanium posts to mimic a natural tooth root system in your gums, locking your custom dentures securely in place. This is great for those missing an entire row of teeth or several consecutive teeth and are looking for the most stable and long-lasting solution!

Dental implants

Dental implants are the closest alternatives to natural teeth! You can replace one tooth, multiple teeth, or all teeth with permanent dental implants. There are a number of types of dental implants available to restore unique smiles.

If you’re looking for dental implants, one of our experienced dental implant specialists will help you decide which type is best for your case.

Replacing missing teeth with sturdy dental implants allows you to chew and talk naturally again, preserves your jaw bone and tooth structure, optimizes facial aesthetics, reduces the risk of health problems, and so much more. They’re stable and secure, and prepared to last 30 years or more with proper care!

What about single tooth replacement options?

Dental implants are ideal for replacing a single tooth! With permanent dental implants, you won’t have to worry about removing and replacing your tooth to clean your smile. Your dental implant doesn’t require any special care either. Simply clean it as you would your natural tooth.

What are my front tooth replacement options?

If you’re missing a front tooth or multiple front teeth, you can replace them with a dental bridge, a partial denture or a dental implant. If possible, it’s ideal to replace front teeth with secure dental implants. This ensures that your front tooth or teeth won’t pop out of place while you’re going about your day.

How much do dental implants cost?

The cost to replace your missing teeth will depend on the type of replacement option you choose, the severity of your condition and how many teeth need to be replaced.

At Secure Dental, we’re proud to offer a number of financing options, including LendingClub, Proceed Finance, and Sunbit. We also accept a wide variety of insurance plans to help lower your costs. We’ll work out a financing plan during your free dental implant consultation!

Still have more questions about replacing missing teeth?

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions. We’re happy to discuss our teeth replacement options with you.

Find out what you can expect on your first visit. Looking for “dental implants near me” in Indiana, Illinois or Iowa? Take the first step today by scheduling your free implant consultation with us!