One of the dilemmas of straightening your smile is the immediate discomfort you must experience with wires and brackets on your teeth. Traditional braces are a common solution for fixing crooked teeth and misalignments. But it’s not the only treatment option. If you want to upgrade your smile without train-track braces on your teeth, then talk to our team about Invisalign.
How Invisalign Works
With Invisalign, it isn’t necessary to secure wires and brackets on your teeth. Instead, custom-made plastic trays fit over the top of your teeth. These aligners are clear, giving you a natural appearance.
To achieve the ideal positioning of your teeth, you must move through a series of these clear trays. The process begins with a custom mold of your mouth. The series of trays change your teeth slightly with each phase, helping you reach the goal when you finish wearing the last set of trays.
Invisalign is a great way to help you get the straight teeth you’ve always wanted without having the visible brackets on your teeth.
Why Invisalign Instead of Traditional Orthodontics?
Here are just a few reasons why patients prefer Invisalign instead of traditional orthodontics:
- Comfort: The wires and brackets on traditional braces are uncomfortable. Patients often develop sores and irritation on their cheeks and tongue because of the metal rubbing against the soft tissue.
- Removable: When the orthodontist bonds braces to your teeth, the metal will stay in place until your treatment period is over. Invisalign is beneficial because it gives you the option to remove the trays as desired. For example, you can take out the aligners when you are eating.
- Food: It’s easier to eat your favorite foods when you don’t have anything secured to your teeth. When you remove the aligners for a meal, you can eat anything you desire. In comparison, traditional braces have certain food restrictions that you need to avoid.
- Appearance: Many people are embarrassed about their appearance with traditional braces because of the visible metal on the surface of the teeth. Invisalign offers cosmetic benefits. The aligners are clear and discreet.
- Cleaning: Traditional braces make it hard to clean your teeth because you need to navigate the areas around the wires and brackets carefully. It takes extra time to floss and brush. Since the Invisalign trays are removable, you can brush your teeth as usual – making it easier to protect your dental health.
When you have the option between clear aligners and traditional braces, Invisalign is often the preferred treatment because of the benefits listed above.
Are You a Good Candidate?
Many people can benefit from Invisalign. But we need to evaluate specific details before moving forward with this treatment. These are a few signs that you are an ideal candidate for Invisalign:
- Common Alignment Problems: Most common orthodontic issues are fixable with clear aligners, such as gaps, crossbites, overbites, crowded teeth, and misalignment. If you have a complex case or severe alignment issues, then you might require braces or dental surgery.
- Personal Responsibility: Invisalign only works if you are proactive about wearing the aligners consistently. You must commit to wearing them as much as possible. Yes, you can remove the aligners for a short time when eating. But the system only works if you keep the aligners in place for a set number of hours each day. If you want to use these aligners, then you need to commit to wearing them all the time (except when you are eating).
- Oral Hygiene Habits: Since the trays cover the surface of your teeth, it’s critical for each patient to maintain good oral hygiene. Wearing dirty aligners can cause infections and tooth decay. A dentist won’t consider you a good candidate if you don’t already have consistent brushing and flossing habits.
- Patient Age: Invisalign is only effective if all the baby teeth are gone. You must have your permanent teeth, which is why Invisalign is best for older teens and adults. If any baby teeth remain, it might require other dental or orthodontic work before you can begin using the aligners.
For other insights to see if you are a good candidate, check out this Invisalign smile assessment for more information.
Patients Who Can’t Wear Invisalign
In addition to meeting the requirements above, certain exceptions indicate you aren’t a good candidate for Invisalign.
For example, we do not recommend this treatment for people who smoke. Since you wear the aligners throughout the day, they aren’t compatible with smoking. The tobacco causes discoloration and makes the plastic look unattractive and stained.
Dentists also need to evaluate the personality of each patient. If someone doesn’t have the motivation to wear the aligners for at least 20 hours per day, then they won’t achieve the desired results. This reason is why they recommend Invisalign for older teenagers and adults.
On the other hand, Invisalign isn’t ideal for elderly patients. When someone doesn’t have the manual dexterity needed to remove and clean the trays, then it can cause problems with the treatments. Neglecting the cleaning and care of these trays leads to further complications because of tooth decay and infections.
Finally, traditional braces and/or dental surgery are necessary for serious misalignments. If you need adjustments to change the positioning of your jaw, then the aligners aren’t enough. These changes can only be done with metal braces and elastics.
Getting Started: Schedule a Consultation
Are you ready to invest in your smile? Then it’s time to schedule a consultation to see if you are a good candidate for Invisalign. Our team offers a full-service evaluation to help you select the ideal cosmetic dentistry treatments for your smile.
At Cosmetic & Family Dentistry of Las Colinas, we provide high-quality services for people of all ages. In addition to improving the appearance of your smile, we also look at the ways dental treatments will affect your speech and function.
We are here to help with all of your dental needs. Contact our office any time to learn about treatments and services for your family. Cosmetic & Family Dentistry of Las Colinas offers the personalized dental services you deserve.
