From crowded teeth — called malocclusion — to crooked teeth and more, braces have been the traditional method for straightening your teeth or fixing bite problems. While effective, metal braces do have some downsides.
Braces can be expensive — they can cost from $3,000 to $6,000 for adult treatments — and typically aren’t covered by insurance. You also need to carefully maintain them to avoid damage and wear them for long periods of time, such as one to three years. Additionally, they can make you feel self-conscious because they look obvious and may affect your speech, especially if you use a palatal expander to assist with fixing a crossbite or wear rubber bands, which are a common feature with braces.
If you want some alternatives to traditional braces, this post introduces you to seven other options that you can use to straighten your teeth and get your smile and confidence back!
Table of Contents
- How to Straighten Teeth Without Traditional Braces (Quick Reference)
- Non-Invasive Ways to Get Straight Teeth
- Cosmetic Dental Options to Conceal Crooked Teeth
- Other Orthodontic Options to Straighten Teeth
- Can You Straighten Teeth Naturally?
- What’s the Cheapest Way to Straighten Teeth?
- Get Straight Teeth at Home with Shiny Smile Veneers
How to Straighten Teeth Without Traditional Braces (Quick Reference)
Straightening your teeth without braces comes in three different kinds of options: non-invasive removable appliances, cosmetic treatments, and orthodontic choices. If you’re looking for solutions for bad teeth, the following sections help you understand which option works best for your particular issue. You might need to correct your dental problem, or you may have the option to simply cover it up.
Non-Invasive Ways to Get Straight Teeth
These options don’t require any type of surgery, although you may need to speak to your orthodontist or dentist to get them. While easily removed, these options can give you straighter teeth and help with oral hygiene without requiring you to get braces.
1. Retainers
Retainers can be both removable or permanent, depending on your situation. These small devices, shaped like a metal mouthguard, hold your teeth in position and can correct them over time. You typically receive a retainer after having had braces, but you can also use them on their own.
You might use a removable retainer to fix minor teeth crookedness, misalignment, or overbites if your situation is mild, while a fixed retainer is usually used as an alternative to braces. You usually wear retainers only at night for a few years, although the frequency of your wearing them may increase depending on your situation.
If used to correct a minor issue, retainers cost between $500 to $1,000 and could be covered by your insurance.
2. Clear Aligners (Such as Invisalign)
Clear aligners are plastic, teeth straightening trays that fit over your teeth. Clear aligners work in a series: You wear one set for a week, then switch them out for a tighter-fitting set the next. Slowly, your teeth will be aligned in the position you want. Common brands you’ve probably heard of include Invisalign and alternatives like ClearCorrect and SureSmile.
Clear aligners are good to correct mild issues but usually won’t work for more severe situations. You’ll need to wear them for about 20 hours a day, which means night and day, but treatment often takes less than a year.
Invisalign costs between $3,000 to $5,000 in the US, but the total cost depends on your specific situation. You could also get your insurance policy to cover it if they cover other types of treatments like braces.
3. Snap-On Veneers
Snap-on veneers are the perfect way to conceal crooked teeth and other mild issues, including ones that braces and aligners can’t fix, such as gaps due to missing teeth. They’re an arch of straight teeth that clip over your actual teeth. This option can give you your confident smile back in a matter of minutes!
You can order a set of dental veneers yourself using an impression kit at home, eliminating the need to see a dentist or orthodontist. With proper care, snap-on veneers can last between 1 to 5 years, making them a great investment.
Shiny Smile veneers cost $570 for a full set and $370 for a single arch. They are also available in installment plans. Because it is a strictly cosmetic option, you may not get your insurance to cover the cost, but snap-on veneers are by far the most affordable option to get the appearance of instantly straight teeth.
Cosmetic Dental Options to Conceal Crooked Teeth
Here are some cosmetic dentistry options you can look at to help fix your teeth and give you your smile back.
4. Traditional Veneers
Unlike snap-on veneers, traditional veneers are shells that are bonded onto the front of your teeth. They can be used to cover up cracks, chips, and permanent discoloration, but they can also cover up crookedness and gaps. Traditional veneers are an irreversible process, as you will need some of your natural teeth enamel removed to successfully attach them.
You can’t undo the process, but the veneers themselves aren’t permanent. Porcelain veneers will last up to ten years, while composite veneers last up to five years or longer.
Porcelain veneers can cost between $925 to $2,500 per tooth, and composite veneers can cost between $250 to $1500 per tooth.
5. Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are artificial teeth that can fit over one tooth. This process is also irreversible, since a lot of enamel may need to be removed to fit the crown. Dental crowns can be made from metal, porcelain, ceramic, and resin.
Dental crowns are helpful if only one tooth is crooked and you don’t need braces. Lasting between 5 to 15 years, dental crowns can be a great investment for your smile!
Dental crowns can be expensive and cost about $800 to $1,500 each. Your insurance might cover them but only if they’re deemed a medically necessary dental or orthodontic treatment by your dentist or orthodontist.
6. Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is the process where a tooth-colored resin is applied to your teeth and hardened with a light to conceal it within the rest of your teeth. You will usually only use dental bonding if you have a minor cosmetic issue, like a gap or slightly crooked teeth.
If your issues are minor and you only have a few crooked teeth, dental bonding could be a fast and affordable way to fix your teeth, compared to braces. The treatment time usually takes about 30 to 60 minutes per tooth, and dental bonding can last for three to ten years.
Dental bonding usually costs about $100 to $400 a tooth and can be fully or partially covered by your insurance.
Other Orthodontic Options to Straighten Teeth
You have one more option to help you straighten your teeth, especially if you have more severe orthodontic issues.
7. Lingual Braces
Lingual braces are just like traditional braces, but the wires are fitted onto the back side of your teeth (on the lingual side, thus the name), and so won’t be noticeable to others. These braces can be a great way to straighten your teeth if you need braces, but want to avoid traditional braces because of how they look.
Lingual braces can cost between $5,000 and $7,000 but may cost up to $13,000. Like traditional braces, you usually won’t be able to have your insurance cover lingual braces, unless you have a special orthodontic plan.
Can You Straighten Teeth Naturally?
There are plenty of get-straight-quick ideas on the internet that boast of natural or DIY ways to straighten your teeth on your own. A good rule of thumb is to never try to straighten your teeth yourself and instead talk to a dentist or orthodontist and come up with a treatment plan.
If you don’t want braces, you can find orthodontic options to fix your teeth or cosmetic options that conceal the issues.
What’s the Cheapest Way to Straighten Teeth?
The cheapest way to straighten your teeth depends on the severity of your issue, and what you have to do to fix it. It’s best to consult with your dentist to get advice about your specific situation.
The most affordable way to fix minor issues is a retainer, which costs between $500 to $1,000 and may be covered by your insurance. If you don’t have insurance but want to fix your teeth immediately, snap-on veneers such as those by Shiny Smiles are the cheapest option and cost $370 for a single arch and $570 for a full set (top and bottom). Payment plans can help you afford the entire cost by allowing you to pay small amounts over time.
Get Straight Teeth at Home with Shiny Smile Veneers
Shiny Smile Veneers are an affordable way to straighten teeth without having to go to an orthodontist and wear braces for an extended time. Simply order the impression kit online and ship it to your house. Once you get it, you can make impressions of your teeth and send them back to Shiny Smile Veneers. A few weeks later, you’ll receive your personalized set of veneers and get your confident smile back!
With straightened teeth, you’ll no longer feel embarrassed about showing your beautiful smile. Shiny Smile Veneers give you a quick and easy way to fix your smile and gain back your confidence.