Everything You Need to Know About Invisalign Tooth Straightening System

Many stereotypes come to mind when we think of braces and teeth straightening. We often picture big metal bands and brackets, and tend to imagine children or teens wearing them. As adults, the thought of traditional metal braces can be a huge deterrent. Luckily for people who want to get on with their life while discreetly straightening and perfecting their smile, Invisalign is an alternative.

The biggest advantage of Invisalign is cosmetic. The aligners your orthodontist will fit you with are transparent, and much more difficult to detect than traditional metal braces. Because of this, this type of tooth straightener tends to be especially popular among adult orthodontic patients. The aligners are made from implantable grade polyurethane.

Invisalign works best for patients with minor dental issues. If your teeth are severely out of place, your orthodontist will probably not recommend this method of treatment. Invisalign can be a great option for treating overly crowded or widely spaced teeth as well as overbite, underbite or crossbite. If you have minor problems, treatment can last as little as 9 months. Traditional braces generally take longer, up to two or more years.

Steps to Straight Teeth

With Invisalign, your teeth are treated with a series of clear aligners. Each one is generally worn for about 2 weeks, and then replaced with the next in the series. Over time, your teeth will move until they are in their final new position.

During treatment, you will visit your orthodontist approximately every six months, and the total treatment time averages between 9 and 15 months with a series of 18-30 aligners. At your first appointment, 3-D computer imaging software is used to map the complete treatment process from start to finish. Based on this plan, your aligners are custom made.

Comfort is one large advantage of Invisalign. The aligners you wear are molded to your teeth and smooth on the outside, so you don't face some of the issues that traditional fixed appliances cause with gums and cheeks. There is no scraping or chafing.

Also because they are removable, you can continue with your normal eating and oral hygiene habits. There is no need to avoid certain foods. You can take the aligners out to brush and floss, making keeping your mouth clean and healthy during treatment a breeze.

Pros and Cons

With any treatment option, there are pros and cons, and Invisalign is no exception. Although they are designed to be less visible than traditional metal braces, they are not always completely invisible. The appearance of your braces will depend partially on the appearance of your teeth.

The fact that the aligners are removable is an advantage, but it also means that the success of the treatment is largely dependent on the patient. The success of the aligners is based on your commitment to wear the aligners for at least 20-22 hours per day.

If aligners are removed at times other than for eating, drinking, or brushing teeth, it can have negative effects on the success of the treatment. If an aligner is lost, your dentist may need to re-fit you for the remaining ones in the series. To avoid this, it is important to contact them as soon as possible if an aligner is lost.

Invisalign braces are also more expensive than traditional braces. If cost is an issue, you may want to consider a more traditional route. It is also important to check with your dental insurance before making any type of plans to find out what is covered, and what isn't.

Maybe you're not interested in traditional braces because you already went through that as a teen. Maybe you're just not interested in metal braces because they have too much affect on your appearance. Whatever the reason, Invisalign can be a great option for giving you the perfect smile you've always wanted.