| Brace comparison |
Metal fixed braces |
Clear fixed braces |
Invisible braces (Invisalign) |
| Appearance |
Visible |
Discreet |
Barely visible |
| Effectiveness |
Very effective at solving most orthodontic problems |
Very effective at solving most orthodontic problems |
More suitable for mild orthodontic problems |
| Diet |
Very hard or sticky foods should be avoided. |
Very hard or sticky foods should be avoided. You should rinse your mouth after consuming heavily pigmented food and drink as they can stain the elastics. |
Diet is unaffected as aligners can be taken out for eating. |
| Tooth brushing |
Extra time and care needs to be taken when cleaning teeth, which should include using special brushes. |
Extra time and care needs to be taken when cleaning teeth, which should include using special brushes. |
Teeth can be brushed and flossed as normal because aligners can be taken out. |
| Comfort |
The metal brackets and wires can rub on the inside of the mouth and may cause ulcers in the first few weeks of wear. |
Ceramic brackets are smoother than metal ones and less likely to cause irritation to the inside of the mouth. |
Smooth plastic aligners do not rub or scratch the inside of the mouth. |
| Speech |
These braces have very little impact on your speech. However, you may notice a difference in the first couple of days while you are getting used to wearing them. |
These braces have very little impact on your speech. However, you may notice a difference in the first couple of days while you are getting used to wearing them. |
These have minimal effect on speech as they are designed to fit snugly over the teeth. |
