Discreet Braces for Adults
Uneven teeth can make you feel self-conscious and hesitant to smile or laugh. In addition, dental misalignment also provides hiding places for harmful bacteria, increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. With Invisalign®, you can reduce the dental health risks associated with crooked teeth without having to endure the inconvenience of metal braces.
How Does Invisalign® Work?
Typically, correcting misalignment involves the placement of metal braces. Over time, adjustments to the arch wires improve crooked or crowded teeth. The Invisalign® system provides the same smile transformation, only using a series of clear plastic aligners instead of brackets and wires. The aligners are designed to gradually guide your teeth into straighter, healthier, and more attractive positions.
What are the Advantages of Invisalign® Clear Braces?
- Invisalign® offers improved smile correction without hindering your professional appearance. The aligners are also comfortable, and patients report little or no gum and cheek irritation that is often associated with metal braces.
- Invisalign® aligners also make eating less of an ordeal. Since the aligners can be removed prior to eating, you no longer need to worry about food becoming stuck in your braces.
- Removable aligners also improve your oral hygiene. Temporarily removing the aligners, you can brush and floss your teeth more effectively, reducing your risk of cavities, teeth stains, and even periodontal disease.
- Invisalign® requires fewer office visits during the duration of treatment. Traditional braces need frequent adjustments, but since you simply change Invisalign’s aligners every couple of weeks, you only need to visit once every six weeks (in typical cases).
What Can I Expect?
First, we will examine your bite and decide if Invisalign® is the best route. From there, we will take digital X-rays, photographs, and an impression of your teeth. These images and impressions will be used to create advanced 3D images from which an Invisalign® lab will fabricate your custom-made aligners. Once you receive your aligners, you will need to wear them between 20 and 22 hours a day, depending on your doctor’s recommendation. Approximately every two weeks, you will upgrade to a new aligner. The entire treatment period takes about a year for adults. Young adults may require up to 18 months, depending on the extent of their tooth misalignment.