A couple of decades ago getting straight teeth involved lots of awkward materials like metal braces, uncomfortable wires, rubber bands, and let’s not forget that embarrassing headgear. As if the appearance and discomfort were not enough of an inconvenience, the treatment process often took years that involved frequent visits to the orthodontist and a ton of orthodontic wax just to attempt to make the whole process a little less painful.
Those days are long gone thanks to a game-changing clear aligner technology called Invisalign®. In this blog, Dr. Emmanuel Aguilar at American Dental Clinic shares his insights on this hassle-free treatment that can straighten your teeth without the muss and fuss or the ugly metal braces. Oh, and you can forget about the gooey dental wax too!
Invisalign hit the orthodontic market in 1999 and is probably one of the most recognized names in the clear aligner industry. Name recognition is great, but let’s take a look at how the treatment process works. The first step is an initial consultation, which will establish whether you are a good candidate for Invisalign. Depending on the severity, most common orthodontic issues like crooked teeth, crowded teeth, overbites, underbites, and gapped teeth can be addressed with Invisalign.
During this appointment, your dentist does a medical history, performs an oral examination, and asks you about your treatment goals. If everything checks out, your dentist takes a digital scan or impression of your teeth. This information gets uploaded to a computer. Using this data your dentist develops a custom treatment plan that identifies the precise movements of your teeth. Once the plan is finalized your dentist sends the plan and digital impressions to a special laboratory that makes your set of aligners.
Your treatment plan establishes the frequency of your follow-up appointments where you’ll return to your dentist for the next set of aligners. At each follow up your dentist tracks the progress of teeth movement, ensures that your aligners are fitting correctly and that everything is going as planned.
Invisalign’s clear advantage (pun intended) starts with aesthetics. Each Invisalign aligner tray is made from SmartTrack®, a flexible allergen-free thermoplastic. The material doesn’t contain BPA, BPS, latex, or gluten, but the best part is that because it's so super clear and fits perfectly over your teeth, no one will notice you’re wearing them unless you tell them. Say goodbye to the metal mouth stigma.
If you’ve ever had metal braces as a kid you know how uncomfortable protruding wires can be, not to mention the ongoing issues with food getting stuck in your braces and the difficulties of brushing and keeping your teeth clean. Well, you can forget about all those hassles. Since Invisalign trays are made from smooth plastic the comfort can’t be beat. Plus because they are removable you can take them out to eat, drink and do your routine oral hygiene care. Sounds too good to be true, right? There is something important you need to do – simply wear your aligners for 20 to 22 hours every day. You’ll be on your way to a gorgeous smile in no time at all.
Fewer appointments and expedited treatment time
Speaking of time, another hassle-free perk of Invisalign is that compared to traditional braces treatment time is shorter and generally requires fewer appointments. Here at American Dental Clinic although it varies from patient to patient depending on their goals and the severity of the imperfection we are addressing we’ve seen amazing transformations with Invisalign in 12 to 18 months.
If you are tired of looking at your crooked teeth and finally ready to get that smile you’ve always dreamed about, contact us at American Dental Clinic to Make an appointment for a consultation at American Dental Clinic in San Diego to see if Invisalign is right for you. Use our online booking tool or call today at 858-216-4662.
