Invisalign Clear Aligners

When it comes to fixing crooked teeth, the cutting-edge Invisalign solution holds multiple advantages over more conventional orthodontic treatments.

The benefits of Invisalign go farther than giving you the smile you’ve always wanted. The American Dental Association (ADA) stresses the importance of correcting misaligned teeth to safeguard overall dental health, and Invisalign alignment trays have significant advantages in reducing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

Invisalign also avoids the problem of the unsightly wires and brackets of regular braces. The aligners are made from inconspicuous medical-grade polyurethane resin.

Benefits of Invisalign compared with standard braces include:

• No discomfort from sharp wires.

• No risk of injury from broken brackets or wires.

• Results that are easy to see during each phase of treatment.

• Greater convenience, with fewer visits to the dental office.

Convenience and Comfort

One of the key benefits of Invisalign plastic appliances is that they’re removable – in fact, these aligners are the most popular removable dental brace.

With fixed braces, you have to avoid many types of foods that could damage them. With Invisalign, you can take out your aligners for snacks and meals, so you can carry on eating your favorite foods.

You can also remove your aligner to take part in sports and similar activities. Some patients take out their aligners for special occasions, although it’s doubtful anyone will ever notice them – they’re practically invisible, as their name suggests.

Besides the convenience of removable Invisalign aligners, they’re also more comfortable than conventional braces.

Invisalign appliances are customized for a precise fit, and, unlike metal braces, have smooth edges. Each aligner in the Invisalign process moves your teeth gently and gradually, and you don’t have to keep going back to your dentist so often – just every four to six weeks.

Although any oral appliance may possibly affect your speech, Invisalign is unlikely to pose any major problem. The thin plastic of the aligner trays means that any impact they may have on your speech should be minor and temporary. You may have a slight lisp, but this will soon disappear.

Health Benefits of Invisalign

The removability of Invisalign devices means you can continue to brush and floss as normal, with none of the difficulties associated with traditional fixed braces, which can pose the threat of a decline in your oral health – it’s difficult to remove food debris that gets trapped in the brackets and wires, which can result in gum disease and tooth decay.

A further health benefit of the Invisalign system is that it avoids the dietary limitations imposed by traditional fixed braces, and this helps you to maintain a wholesome diet more easily.

A nutritious diet is crucial during orthodontic care. If your body is healthy, the outcome of your treatment will be better, and a balanced diet provides vital nutrients for the soft tissues and bones that go through substantial changes as your teeth are moved into their proper position.

What Problems Can Invisalign Fix?

Invisalign treatment typically takes about 12 months, and it’s recommended that you wear your aligners for around 22 hours a day. Your aligners provide a high level of control in the teeth straightening process, with a series of precisely regulated and timed movements of your teeth.

Invisalign can treat both simple and complex orthodontic problems. The system features a proprietary SmartTrack device that provides a more controlled and predictable movement of teeth.

Invisalign boosts the self-confidence of patients of all ages by allowing them to show off their smile during treatment and can resolve problems such as:

• Crooked teeth, which can lead to bad breath, cavities, headaches, jaw problems, and gum infection.

• Gapped teeth, which can put you at greater risk of gum disease.

• Crowded teeth, which can result in teeth becoming severely crooked.

• Protruding teeth, which are more prone to injury.

Invisalign also rectifies irregular bite functions – when the upper and lower teeth don’t come together properly – including:

• Overbite, when the front upper teeth overlap the lower front teeth.

• Crossbite, when upper teeth bite on the inside of lower teeth.

• Open bite, when your upper teeth don’t make proper contact with your lower teeth.

• Underbite, when the lower teeth project beyond the upper teeth.

Without treatment, issues with your bite can lead to further dental health problems including tooth decay and tooth loss, gum disease, erosion of tooth enamel, and difficulties in speaking and/or eating.

Having just one or two crooked teeth can also lower your self-regard, but this problem can be compounded by wearing conspicuous conventional braces that make you just as self-conscious. Invisalign aligners – with clear plastic trays instead of the metal bands and wires of old-style braces – fix this problem.

State-of-the-Art Technology

Although standard braces have become more discreet and comfortable, Invisalign took the dental world by storm in 2000 with the introduction of clear, removable plastic aligners that are almost invisible and easier to wear.

The Invisalign system revolutionized the world of orthodontics, using state-of-the-art technology to create 3D images of your teeth, which are fed into a computer that designs and makes your aligners.

Align Technology – the U.S.-based global medical device company that developed Invisalign – says it’s the most advanced clear aligner system in the world.

Finding a Good Invisalign Dentist

As Invisalign improves your oral health and enhances your smile, it gives you the freedom to continue to enjoy your everyday life with confidence and in comfort, without any of the hassles associated with conventional fixed braces – typically involving lengthy treatment and clunky bits of metal in your mouth.

Many adults, as well as kids and teens, take advantage of the benefits of Invisalign treatment, which costs about the same as that of standard braces and is covered by many orthodontic insurance plans.

A dentist with Invisalign certification and experience can explain the whole Invisalign process to you in detail and formulate a treatment plan tailored to your specific orthodontic needs and goals.