Yes! The ceramic braces available today are fantastic. There is no discoloration of the braces and the transparent nature of the appliance allows your natural tooth shade to show through. Tin grin and metal mouth are out! Although normally an issue for adult patients, the enhanced esthetics of the ceramic braces can be enjoyed by children as well.

Yes, you do, to some extent. At first your teeth will hurt and you won't be able to bite into hard foods, big sandwiches, or anything too chewy or crunchy. It is best to stick to soft foods until your teeth begin to feel better -- usually in a few weeks. Read Soft Food Suggestions to help you cope.

The aligners used in Invisalign clear braces must be worn all day and night except when eating, brushing, and flossing in order to be effective. Each Invisalign clear braces aligner is worn for about two weeks before it is switched with the next aligner in the series.

Invisalign consists of removable clear trays. Clear braces are clear cemented plastic or porcelain brackets on your teeth. The only visible part is the wire or any metal placed on the back teeth. For more information visit www.invisalign.com.

Clear braces are similar to traditional metal braces in that they use a thin metal wire as a track on which the brackets move, as the teeth shift into their proper alignment. However, the brackets in clear braces are made from pure monocrystalline sapphire and are almost invisible. For a completely clear, virtually invisible way to straighten teeth, Dr. MacAlpine offers his teenage and adult orthodontics patients in Asheville the revolutionary Invisalign® system.

That depends a lot on you and how bad your bite is to begin with. Complex/severe bad bites take longer. The national average is 27 months. The better you are following your orthodontist's instructions and taking care of your braces, the sooner your teeth will improve. Remember that no one else can wear your braces for you!

It's probably best not to use a whitening toothpaste until after your braces come off. If you use a whitening toothpaste on a daily basis, the teeth underneath the brackets may not be as white as the rest of your teeth when your braces come off!

Clear braces are of the highest quality porcelain material and do not discolor with eating or drinking. The braces are just as effective as metal braces, but they are more difficult to detect. The clear braces are more fragile than the metal braces and may not be recommended for younger children, or patients with certain types of malocclusions.

The clear braces themselves don't stain, but the clear alastic ties sometimes stain with the use of nicotine and coffee products. These alastic ties are changed at every visit.

The clear braces Dr. Berry use are of the highest quality porcelain material. They are just as effective as metal braces, but less visible. The clear braces are more fragile than the metal ones, but not so fragile that they break easily. There is an additional charge for porcelain braces and occasionally treatment with them does take longer.

Braces (also called orthodontic appliances) can be as inconspicuous—or as noticeable—as you like. Brackets—the part of the braces that attach to each tooth—are smaller and can sometimes be attached to the back of the tooth, making the brackets less noticeable. Brackets may be made of metal, ceramic, plastic or a combination of these materials. Some brackets are clear or tooth-colored.

Most likely, yes. This is the way we hold the teeth in their new positions. Retainer wear starts at 24 hours per day and is reduced over a period of time.

If you have dual redundancy with diverse paths then you are much less likely to get caught with your pants down.

Sure! The colors you may have seen are actually a small rubber ring that goes around the brace to hold the wire to the bracket. These rings are a necessary component of the brace system. They are changed at each visit and therefore new colors can be chosen each time! Match the holiday, your favorite sports team or just make a fashion statement!

It is truly never too late. If you've still got teeth, we can straighten them! Certainly there are age-related changes that affect the way treatment proceeds. Restorative needs, periodontal concerns and others necessitate a full diagnosis and discussion of your needs. Don't wait! Enjoy the benefits of a healthy, pleasing smile for the rest of your life!

Your dentist will know what appliance is best for your particular problem, but the patient often has a choice. Braces generally come in three varieties: The most popular type are brackets, metal or plastic, that are bonded to teeth and are far less noticeable. The "lingual" types of braces are brackets that attach to the back of teeth, hidden from view. Bands are the traditional types that cover most of your teeth with metal bands that wrap around the teeth.