Adults who wish to correct their teeth and improve their smiles have many options available to them these days, including clear braces, invisible braces and Teeth Gap Bands. The large number of options, coupled with the similarity of terms, can be confusing to some. For instance, many people mix up terms like clear braces, invisible braces and invisible bands.

Clear Braces Versus Invisible Braces

Clear braces are just what they sound like. They look like traditional metal braces, with brackets glued to the front of each tooth. These brackets are usually made of plastic or ceramic, making them less noticeable than metal braces, if not exactly "clear". The actor, Tom Cruise, famously wore these braces as an adult.

Invisible braces, or Invisalign, aren't really like braces at all. They are actually plastic aligners, or mouth guards. Wearers are given new aligners once every two weeks. Wearing the new aligner is akin to having one's braces tightened. Each new aligner creates a step toward straighter teeth and a better-looking smile. Invisible braces are usually worn from months to years.

Those who wish only to correct the gaps between their teeth are quite lucky. They are eligible for a third type of treatment, invisible bands, which correct gapped teeth. Teeth Gap Bands are extremely inexpensive and very easy to use. Wearers can either choose to wear their bands only at night, or to combine visible night bands with invisible bands to be worn during the day. These bands take just weeks to work.