Invisalign is a clear aligner system that provides many of the same movements as traditional metal braces, in the same amount of time with much less pain. The treatment is digitally planned so that we know where each tooth should be moving throughout your entire treatment before you even begin wearing the aligners. Each tray moves the teeth about 0.25 mm and small tooth-colored attachments are used to create different forces on the teeth and move them in the planned direction.
Traditional braces tend to cause soreness after each appointment and some patients can have cheek and lip irritation from the wires and brackets on your teeth. Traditional braces can be used for more extreme tooth movements, like moving impacted teeth into position or for cases needing surgery. However, the vast majority of malalignments can be treated with Invisalign.
There are advantages of Invisalign over traditional braces. One being that there are no wires to poke at your cheeks and lips. They are safer for patients placing contact sports as they are less likely to injure themselves than with wires. Invisalign also tends to be less painful because the movement is slow and controlled over time.
Invisalign treatment can be as short as a few months to a few years depending on how much movement your teeth need. More advanced cases usually take 1.5-2 years, where the shorter, minimal movement cases are usually closer to 6-8 months.
The best way to have a successful outcome with Invisalign is to wear your aligners at all times. The only time they can be taken out is to eat. Invisalign recommends that patients wear the aligners for 22 hours a day. The more often they are worn, the more predictable your outcome will be.
We usually have patients come in every 6-8 weeks to check on their movements and make sure the treatment is progressing along as planned.
Invisalign is a comfortable and non-invasive way to make your natural teeth more beautiful and function better. A beautiful smile is a healthy one! Call us today for a consultation on what Invisalign can do for you!
