
5 common myths about straightening your teeth.
March 29, 2019
Oh, the rumor mill. Whether we’re talking about medical procedures or celebrity lifestyles, there's always someone spreading misinformation.
Let’s set the record straight.
Aligners help shift and straighten your teeth, so you have a better smile. You can do the treatments at home, with no pesky visits to the dentist. And it’s often cheaper than standard, metal, painful braces.
Simple, right? But questions persist. These are a few of the common myths we hear.
Myth: your teeth will get so loose, they’re going to fall out!
Wear your aligners, and your teeth will move. And the fact that HyperByte® makes them move faster isn’t a bad thing. It’s a tool that Orthodontists have used for years. It uses High Frequency Vibrations to help your aligners sit closer on your teeth and, as a result, move them quicker.
The tiny bonds that root your teeth to your gums will stretch, and that lets them shift position. Guess what? That process can also make your teeth feel a little wobbly.
Don’t worry. They won’t fall out of your mouth. Your teeth are connected to your skull and your jaw with bits of bone. They’re not going anywhere.
But they might feel a little loose, especially at the beginning of your treatment. It's normal.
Myth: your bite won’t change, and if it does, something went wrong.
The way your upper and lower teeth touch is your bite. Not surprisingly, that connection can change when your teeth move. That’s not only normal — it's expected.
Some of you want your bite to change. Want those top teeth to stop hanging out over the lowers? Correcting an overbite means — you guessed it — changing your bite! That’s what aligners do.
Some of you don’t want your bite to change. Here's a bit of sad news. Some teeth move quickly, and some are slowpokes. If an upper moves and a lower hangs back, a temporary weirdness in bite is the result. It will pass.
You should get used to any bite shifts. But if you ever have questions, just reach out. We’re here for you.
Myth: aligners aren’t appropriate for teenagers.
You caught us. There’s a little bit of truth to this particular myth.
We want Byte users to have all of their adult teeth before they start work with us. Why? Because younger mouths often have complex problems, including:
- Retained baby teeth.
- Emerging wisdom teeth.
- Poor hygiene, leading to cavities.
- Growth, which can change tooth position.
We want all of those issues to settle before the first Byte aligners hit your mouth. We also want you to be able and willing to keep in your aligners as instructed and get parent consent. But if you’re good in those areas, your mouth is in good health, and you want a better smile, Byte is a great option.
Myth: everyone needs a mid-course correction.
What’s a mid-course correction, you ask? It's a rarity.
If your teeth don’t move as anticipated, your aligner progression won't work. It will be time to transition to the next plate, and it won't fit quite right.
That rarely, if ever, happens.
We use your impression molds and photos to create a 3D model of your better smile. We use computers to design your aligners, and we have the progression thing down pat. You shouldn’t need to take a detour to your better smile.
That said, if anything unusual happens during straightening and you have any worries at all, please let us know. We’re here to help.
Myth: I can change just my upper (or lower) teeth with aligners.
Do you play favorites with your teeth? Most of us do. We think our upper teeth are rock stars, for example, while we want the lowers to improve.
If you prefer to leave some teeth as-is, or possibly have a permanent retainer you’d rather not remove—we can customize treatment to focus on only top or bottom. During this treatment, you’ll still receive both top and bottom aligners, but will only change out weekly aligners for the half that’s being treated. It would decrease your overall aligner cost by $200.
Just let our customer service team know you want to do this after you’ve taken your impressions and sent them back. We'll take a look at your impressions to see if this kind of treatment is the right fit for you.
Ready to get started?
Don’t let the myth-makers stand between you and a better smile.
Contact us to find out more about Byte.