Crooked, damaged, or gapped teeth can cause physical discomfort and more serious oral health issues when left untreated. These issues may also make you self-conscious or ashamed to show your teeth. Your smile shouldn’t be something you try to hide, but far too often, adults allow their dental problems to worsen because they don’t want to deal with braces.
Luckily, there’s another option. Invisalign gives you the exact same results as braces—straight, healthy teeth—but more quickly and without all the wires and brackets. Same dazzling smile, no unsightly metal. But how does Invisalign work and why is it often a better option? We’ll explain below.
How is Invisalign different from braces?
Braces may be the best option for some people, especially kids who might not be able to handle the responsibility of using removable tooth aligners. However, metal braces also have some negative side effects.
Food and plaque can gather around the metal brackets, making your teeth more difficult to clean. As many as 50% of patients with braces experience tooth decay or demineralization because of this, even if they brush and floss twice a day. Braces can also cause physical discomfort until you get used to them, and the tightening process is especially painful, leaving your mouth sore for days. In fact, the pressure exerted by braces can even impact the health of your gums, supporting tissue, and tooth roots.
The Invisalign system offers transparent, removable aligners which you can take out of your mouth any time you need to eat, drink, brush, or floss. That way, you can still enjoy your favorite foods and beverages without excess plaque or bacteria buildup. In addition, Invisalign trays cause less discomfort than metal braces, even when you’re fitted for a tighter pair of aligner trays. When they’re in your mouth, their presence is almost unnoticeable.
Invisalign exerts less pressure on the teeth, which means it’s safer for your gums and tooth roots. It’s also much less painful. Regular adjustments by your dentist keep your treatment on track, fine-tuning the alignment to gradually reveal your newly straightened smile without the pain of tightening braces.
While tooth-colored braces can be installed, it usually comes at a higher cost. Because Invisalign is clear plastic, they’ll be practically invisible when taking photos, talking with friends and colleagues, and eating or drinking. The system is created from the start to blend in, helping to fix your teeth without drawing unwanted attention.
How does Invisalign work?
At My Family Dentistry, Dr. Wes uses X-rays, dental impressions, and photographs to create a 3D image, which helps us plan out a series of invisible aligners—clear trays that fit perfectly over your teeth—that will gradually move your teeth into the proper places. You get a new pair of aligners every couple of weeks.
The typical treatment period for braces is 18-36 months. But with Invisalign, all you have to do is wear your custom trays every day (taking them out only to eat, drink, brush, etc.). Depending on the level of your individual needs, you’ll have a more beautiful smile in just 6-18 months!
While you do have to wear the aligner trays for 20-22 hours a day, Invisalign is comfortable for all of them. Cleaning is simple, too. Apart from soaking, all you need to do is pop them out, brush thoroughly with your toothbrush and toothpaste, then rinse to keep them fresh.
The bottom line? Invisalign doesn’t get in the way of your life. You can still eat and drink as normal without annoying restrictions. Popcorn isn’t off limits. Neither are your favorite beverages. That’s because Invisalign can be removed when necessary so you can practice thorough dental hygiene. When you finish the Invisalign process, you don’t need to worry about stained or decaying teeth, because you’ve been brushing like normal the whole time.
If you have any insecurities about your smile, we can help. Call our office today or complete the form below to ask us how we can make Invisalign work for you.
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