Invisalign is a form of teeth straightening that uses a series of clear plastic aligners to move teeth into alignment gradually. So, what is Invisalign? Invisible braces that cost the same but are less noticeable.
Although they aren’t completely invisible, they use advanced technology, making them barely detectable. Most people can’t spot that someone is wearing clear aligners until they are told.
The best-known type of invisible braces in the US is the Invisalign braces system, but other similar brands are also available. If you’re wondering how to choose between the different types of invisible brace, we’ll cover these later in more detail.
Teeth aligners can be used to treat a range of mild and moderate tooth alignment problems, including overcrowding, crooked teeth, gaps between teeth, overbite, underbite, and crossbite.
How Do Invisalign Aligners Work?
Dental impressions help the orthodontist plan your treatment.
Dr. Giasi at Wildflower Orthodontics will begin your treatment either by taking a mold of your teeth, which can be used to create a digital scan, or by scanning your teeth directly using the latest imaging technology. This scan is used to plan your treatment step by step with the help of a computer program. From this, your clear aligners are created.
The 3D plan allows you to see “before and after” views of your teeth before the treatment has even begun. This allows you and Dr. Giasi to visualize the predicted outcome of your treatment and discuss different treatment options you may want to consider.
You may need to have your teeth filed along some sides as part of your treatment. This painless process creates tiny gaps between teeth to give them space to move, and it can also even out cosmetic imperfections.
Each invisible teeth aligner is customized to fit your teeth and shaped to apply pressure in exactly the right places to shift them into alignment slowly. Depending on Dr. Giasi’s recommendation, you’ll need to switch to a new clear aligner every one to two weeks, but this doesn’t mean having checkups that often. He will only need to check your treatment progress every four to six weeks before providing new teeth aligners.
How Long?
Invisalign treatment time can take anywhere from 9 months to 18 months or more but typically lasts just over a year. Longer treatment requires more trays to be made, increasing the cost. The invisible braces price increases considerably for longer treatment durations.
With this treatment, adding “Invisalign buttons or attachments” to certain teeth may be necessary to help the aligners work more effectively, especially if gentle force is needed for tooth rotation or a more complex movement is necessary.
How Painful?
Invisalign aligners are not as painful as traditional braces, because the metal brackets can catch on the insides of cheeks and cause sores. Since the clear aligners do away with brackets this won’t be a problem. The process of moving teeth usually causes a bit of pain, no matter what kind of braces or aligners you have. It’s no different for Invisalign, with the most pain at the start of each new set of aligners.
Call our office in Round Rock, TX, or Pflugerville, TX for more information today!
