If you have crooked teeth, Invisalign aligners from Irving dentist Dental Concepts & Orthodontics can perfect your smile and benefit your oral health. Conventional braces can do this too. But unlike braces, Invisalign doesn’t negatively impact your appearance during treatment. This is because there are no metal wires and brackets or rubber bands. Instead, the Invisalign system uses clear plastic aligner trays.
Invisalign can also straighten teeth up to twice as fast as braces. Orthodontic treatment with braces can take two years or longer. Invisalign typically does the job in 12 to 18 months, with signs of improvement often apparent after a few weeks. A further advantage of Invisalign is that the aligner trays are removable, whereas fixed braces remain in your mouth constantly throughout your course of treatment.
How Does Invisalign Aligner Work?
Invisalign aligners are made from a patented thermoplastic material, with the help of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology. The aligners, which look similar to teeth whitening trays, are custom made from a mold of your mouth so they fit snugly over your teeth.
Invisalign exerts moderate pressure on the teeth in a series of precisely regulated tooth movements. This enables greater control than braces in how your teeth are moved. You wear a series of aligners that you swap out every couple of weeks. Each aligner needs to be worn 20 to 22 hours a day for optimal results.
Invisalign addresses aesthetic and oral health concerns by correcting crooked, crowded, or gapped teeth. It also resolves bite problems such as:
- Overbite – when upper teeth protrude in front of the lower teeth.
- Underbite – lower teeth jutting out over upper teeth.
- Crossbite – when upper teeth close on the inside of lower teeth.
- Open bite – upper and lower teeth not meeting properly.
Invisalign Aligners Vs. Braces
For less complex orthodontic issues, Invisalign treatment results in the same outcome as wearing traditional braces, but with several key advantages, including:
- Removability. Metal braces stay in your mouth all the time during treatment and come with a long list of foods that are off-limits in order to avoid damage to the wires, brackets, and rubber bands. Invisalign aligners are removed for snacks and meals. You can enjoy your favorite foods, with none of the dietary restrictions associated with braces.
- Discreet treatment. The clear plastic of Invisalign aligners is practically invisible in the mouth. You can smile and speak without embarrassment throughout your orthodontic treatment.
- Convenience. Unlike braces, Invisalign aligners don’t have to be constantly adjusted. You only need to visit your Dental Concepts dentist in Irving or Allen every six weeks or so to ensure your treatment is on track.
- Comfort. Invisalign aligners are made from flexible plastic with smooth, rounded edges, with no metal brackets or wires to irritate your mouth.
Cosmetic Benefits of Invisalign Clear Aligners
The jaw and teeth provide the frame for our face. So, by ensuring proper alignment Invisalign can enhance overall facial appearance as well as straighten smiles.
Invisalign to Improve Face Shape
Misaligned teeth can negatively impact your overall facial apperance, especially if you have an underbite, crossbite, overbite, or open bite. In cases like these in younger patients, when the jaw is still growing, Invisalign treatment can enhance facial profile and features while improving the smile. It realigns the jaws to create a more natural, balanced and symmetrical facial appearance.
Invisalign to Widen Smiles
Individuals with a narrow smile that shows six or fewer front teeth often ask our dentists in Irving and Allen whether Invisalign can improve their appearance. In some cases, Invisalign can straighten teeth into a position that gives the appearance of a broader smile. Even moving teeth a few millimeters can have a marked impact.
Invisalign to Correct a Gummy Smile
Smiles that reveal a lot of gum are a common aesthetic concern. Invisalign can fix minor cases of gummy smiles due to a jaw alignment issue. Moving your teeth into the right position and correcting your bite results in significantly less gum tissue being exposed when you smile.
Health Benefits of Invisalign Clear Aligners
Crooked teeth can damage your oral health in several ways. They make it more difficult to clean your teeth properly, and the resulting buildup of bacteria can lead to plaque and tartar that increase the risk of cavities and gum disease.
You may also get persistent bad breath (halitosis), and headaches and jaw pain due to heavy wear and tear on your teeth, gums, and jaw muscles. Furthermore, protruding teeth and gapped or crowded teeth may cause speech difficulties such as a lisp or whistling sounds. In straightening your teeth, Invisalign prevents the above health problems from developing.
The removability of Invisalign aligners also means better oral hygiene during treatment. Effective brushing and flossing while wearing braces can be notoriously difficult. With Invisalign, you simply remove your aligners to clean your teeth. Invisalign can also improve your emotional health.
Psychological Benefits
Your smile is important. It affects how others regard you in professional and social interactions. And when you smile, you feel better about yourself. Embarrassment about revealing crooked teeth can result in a reluctance to smile. This can damage your mental health and result in plummeting self-confidence and higher stress and anxiety levels. After Invisalign treatment, you’ll be able to show off your newly straightened smile with confidence.
Is Invisalign Your Best Option?
Since Invisalign was introduced in the late 1990s, it’s changed the world of orthodontics, providing an increasingly popular and effective alternative to braces in many cases. Unlike braces, Invisalign clear plastic aligners don’t compromise appearance, comfort or convenience during treatment.
Perfecting your smile with Invisalign boosts your self-esteem as well as enhancing your appearance and safeguarding your oral health. While there are some complex orthodontic issues when braces are currently a better option, technological advances are constantly broadening the scope of Invisalign treatment.
And experienced Invisalign providers like your Allen and Irving dentists can typically treat a wider range of orthodontic issues. Schedule a consultation with Dental Concepts & Orthodontics to find out whether Invisalign is the best choice to improve your smile and oral health.
