Invisalign Braces
Do you have unwanted gaps between your teeth? Are your teeth crowded together and difficult to clean? Do you have a problematic overbite, underbite, or open bite? Whatever misalignment problems are present in your smile, they can be corrected discreetly and efficiently with Invisalign clear braces. This advanced cosmetic dentistry treatment uses clear aligners to shift teeth into alignment and it’s available from your certified provider at Ingleside Family Dental in Ladson, SC.
How Invisalign Works
Nearly every misalignment issue that can be corrected with conventional metal braces can be fixed with Invisalign, a fact that has made this treatment so popular, especially with adults who want to avoid interrupting their daily life with noticeable orthodontics. Here’s how it works:
- Exam: Before any Invisalign treatment can begin, your Ladson dentist will conduct a dental exam and take 3D images to review the health of your mouth and position of your teeth to determine if you are a good candidate for the treatment.
- Design: If you qualify for Invisalign, your provider will design the plan for aligning your teeth from start to finish. You’ll know how long treatment will take, how many trays you will wear over the course of treatment, and what your smile will look like by the end.
- Wear: Once your first sets of trays are ready, your dentist will show you how to insert and remove the aligners. Some patients will need attachments applied to their teeth at this time – small composite anchors that help the trays shift teeth more effectively. Trays are switched out about every two weeks.
- Alignment: Invisalign trays are carefully designed to move a few teeth at a time until your entire smile is in alignment. This usually takes an average of one year. Teeth and roots are shifted simultaneously and the gentle, consistent pressure of the aligners shows noticeable and motivating results very early in your treatment.
Living With Invisalign
Invisalign is customized to every patient who undergoes this treatment, but there are some rules that are the same for everyone. Following these directives ensure that your teeth move into alignment within the designated timeline for an amazing new smile.
- Daily wear: Trays must be worn for 20 to 22 hours a day at a minimum. This may sound like a lot, but consider wearers of traditional metal braces who live with their orthodontia on their teeth around the clock. The only time the clear aligners are removed is for meals and cleaning your teeth.
- Cleaning: It’s important to brush and floss your teeth morning and night as always, but you’ll need to add in extra cleanings too with Invisalign. Brush teeth and trays after every meal and before you put the two back together again – you don’t want to get food particles or bacteria trapped.
- Eating: The aligners must be removed for every meal to prevent the trays from breaking, becoming discolored, or developing odors. One of the great perks of Invisalign is that you can remove the trays, which means you never have any food restrictions like patients with brackets and wires on their teeth.
Benefits Of Invisalign
There are so many benefits to wearing Invisalign, including the following:
- Discreet: Go about work, life, and play with no one even knowing that you’re wearing Invisalign.
- Comfortable: Your lips never get snagged on brackets and wires. Invisalign trays are smooth and slim.
- Ideal for adults and teens: Many people qualify for this orthodontic treatment. There is even Invisalign Teen for adolescents. Whatever your obligations and activities, these clear aligners blend right in.
- Healthier teeth: It’s not just cosmetic changes that make this orthodontic treatment great, but straight teeth are easier to clean and keep healthy, which means fewer cavities or other oral health problems.
Get Invisalign From Your Ladson Dentist
Want to learn more about Invisalign and find out if you’re a good candidate for this treatment? Schedule a consultation at Ingleside Family Dental in Ladson, SC.
