Ask any orthodontist and they will tell you that the optimal time to straighten teeth is when the jaws are still growing or once all the primary teeth have fallen out. This doesn't mean that adults can't straighten their teeth. They can, it's just that many adults balk at the idea of wearing braces, especially if their career is one in which they deal with people on a daily basis.

However, you can straighten your teeth without braces. In fact, there are two ways to do so.

Invisalign is Removable

If the idea of having a typical metal brace attached to your teeth for months or years does not appeal to you, Invisalign could be for you. During a course of Invisalign, of which the average case lasts about 12 months, patients wear clear, invisible and removable aligners for up to 22 hours a day.

Every 2 weeks you move onto a new aligner, with each aligner fitting like a mouth-guard over your teeth and moving your teeth in small increments of several millimeters. Obviously, the plus points of Invisalign are that you can remove them if need be and they are invisible. However, you must wear them for at least 20 hours a day, preferably 22 hours, in order for them to be effective.

The Myobrace System is the Least Invasive

If Invisalign is still too invasive for your liking then the Myobrace system may just be the orthodontic treatment for you. The Myobrace system does not require you to wear braces and so allows you to straighten your teeth without anyone else knowing and without all the eating, speaking, and cleaning issues that come with braces.

Although you are required to wear an appliance, you only need wear it 1-2 hours a day and overnight while you sleep. This means you can wear your appliance, which is similar to a mouth guard, after work in the comfort and privacy of your home. This system treats the causes of crooked teeth such as mouth breathing, tongue thrusting, incorrect tongue position, and incorrect chewing by teaching patients to breathe through their nose, among other things.

Once you learn to breathe through your nose, your overall quality of life will improve as your nose actually acts as a filter to keep harmful bacteria toxins from entering your body.

No matter what age you are, you can straighten your teeth and enjoy the benefits of having an attractive smile. If you straighten your teeth using one of these systems, in a year or two, even you might struggle to imagine how crooked your teeth once were when looking at your new smile in the mirror.