Properly aligned teeth are an important part of a healthy, attractive smile.
If you’ve been troubled by misalignments like wide spaces or twisted or overlapping teeth, you may have considered orthodontic treatment. Many people, however, are deterred by the thought of a year (or more!) in traditional bracket-and-wire braces.
Invisalign is a new type of orthodontic treatment, and it’s ideal for mature professionals who need to look their best during treatment.
What Is Invisalign?
Instead of using the classic system of metal wires, brackets, and rubber bands to move teeth into their appropriate positions, Invisalign uses aligners that you wear over your teeth. These aligners are made of translucent BPA-free plastic, and once in place, they are virtually invisible!
How Does Invisalign Work?
Dr. Ebert will create a personalized treatment plan and send this plan, along with digital images and impressions, to the lab where your aligners will be custom made. The aligners work in a series, and when you first place your aligner, it will feel slightly “off.” This is because the aligner is using gentle pressure to nudge your teeth into their proper positions. By the time you switch to the next aligner, your teeth will have shifted. You can actually see progress as it happens!
Dr. Ebert will see you periodically throughout your treatment to make sure that it is progressing as planned, but you won’t have to tolerate uncomfortable “tightening” appointments. All you have to do is switch to the next aligner in the series as directed.
What Are the Advantages of Invisalign?
As you might imagine, Invisalign has a number of advantages over metal braces. For example:
- Since the aligners are practically invisible when they are in place, nobody ever needs to know that you are wearing them.
- You remove the aligners to eat, so your diet isn’t limited like it is with braces.
- You also remove the aligners to brush and floss your teeth. This makes home hygiene simple – and you don’t have to worry about trying to weave floss between wires!
- For best results, the aligners should be worn for at least 22 hours of each day. You can remove them in certain situations, however, such as a special event. Just let Dr. Ebert know so that we can adjust your treatment plan accordingly.
Can Anyone Use Invisalign?
Most adults who are treating minor to moderate misalignments can use Invisalign. Certain conditions, however, such as severe misalignments or malocclusions (problems with the way the teeth come together) do require treatment with traditional braces.
If you’re curious about Invisalign, we encourage you to call our Morrisville dental office and schedule a consultation with Dr. Ebert. During this appointment, Dr. Ebert will take time to discuss your goals with you, examine your teeth, and take x-rays. Using this information, Dr. Ebert can determine whether you are a good candidate for Invisalign.
Are you ready to learn more? Give us a call today and let us know that you are interested in treatment with Invisalign!