Invisalign is a teeth-straightening treatment in Newcastle that uses clear, plastic aligners instead of fixed braces. The aligners are custom-fitted, and once in your mouth, they are virtually invisible.
How Does Invisalign Work to Straighten Teeth?
Treatment begins with a consultation with our Invisalign dentist in Clarington. We need to discuss your treatment goals and assess your dental health to ensure that Invisalign is the right solution for you.
During this appointment, we can use a small handheld scanner to scan your teeth and create a unique digital treatment plan using Invisalign’s proprietary software. Part of this process involves producing digital images that show how your teeth could look if you decide to proceed with treatment.
If you are happy with the anticipated results, we can create your custom aligners. These are made to fit precisely over your teeth, applying just the right amount of pressure so that your teeth gradually move into their correct positions.
Treatment is very simple, as you need to wear each set of aligners for approximately two weeks. You must leave them in for 22 hours each day. Ideally, we would prefer that you remove them only for meals and oral care.
You continue wearing your aligners until your teeth are straight.
Who Can Have Invisalign?
You will likely be a suitable candidate for Invisalign if you have moderate tooth misalignments, although Invisalign can also effectively treat more complex tooth movements. The type of situations they can correct include:
- Overlapping teeth.
- Closing or minimizing gaps between teeth.
- Correcting bite problems like open bites, cross bites, underbites and overbites.
You must have teeth that are relatively strong and healthy. If you have any restorations, such as dental implants, crowns and bridges, this may affect your suitability for treatment.
It’s also very important to have good compliance and to remember to wear your aligners as directed. If you are likely to forget to wear them, Invisalign may not be suitable for you.
What Are the Advantages of Choosing Invisalign?
The advantages can include:
- A predictable treatment outcome, provided you wear the aligners as directed.
- The aligners are designed to be smooth, relatively comfortable to wear, and virtually invisible in the mouth.
- You don’t need to change your oral hygiene routine, since you remove the aligners for meals and brushing and flossing.
- You can eat whatever you wish with Invisalign aligners. There is no need to avoid certain foods, unlike with fixed braces.
- Invisalign produces its own removable retainers made from the same clear plastic material, which you wear after teeth straightening. These are equally easy to use and very discreet.
How Long Will Treatment Take?
This all depends on the tooth misalignments that must be corrected. When you visit West Bowmanville Family Dental, we can provide a more accurate estimate based on your digital treatment plan.
Some situations that are more cosmetically oriented and only affect your front teeth may be quite quick to correct, only requiring a few sets of aligners.
More moderate or complex tooth misalignments will require longer treatment, as additional sets of aligners will be needed.
How Much Will Invisalign Cost?
The price of Invisalign is based on the number of aligners required to achieve a straighter smile in Courtice. Overall, you can expect the cost to be similar to that of fixed braces. If you have dental insurance, it will likely cover Invisalign in the same way as conventional fixed braces.
Invisalign is a great solution for those who want to straighten their smile discreetly. Treatment can be useful for older teens and adults seeking a less obtrusive solution than traditional braces.
