Invisalign – Straighten Teeth Invisibly
Invisalign is a transparent dental appliance used as a substitute to the metal brackets of conventional braces. These plastic aligners are meant for people who desire an aligned set of teeth. Invisalign is probably the most widely used traditional braces substitute in the cosmetic dentistry because of the results of the treatment and its immense use in clinical studies.
Why to Wear Dental Invisalign
Invisalign was usually developed for teenagers and adults, having all their adult teeth and who can religiously follow a treatment schedule suggested by their cosmetic dentist. This process is widely used to repair the following dental glitches:
- Overly Crowded Teeth– In the lack of sufficient space teeth become crowded within your jaw and it becomes difficult for all your teeth to fit properly. This situation may lead to severe dental concerns, if left untreated. Crowded teeth may result in plaque accumulation and tooth cavity and can have risk of gum disease.
- Spaced Teeth– Extra space between teeth often occurs with unusual growth of the jaw bone. It may lead to gum problems due to missing teeth that act as protection for the gums. It may result in periodontal pockets and developing periodontal disease.
- Crossbite– It is witnessed when the lower and upper jaws are not aligned properly. It may lead to unusual tooth chipping, and periodontal disorders leading to bone loss and gum disease.
- Underbite- This is a condition when the lower teeth thrust outward the front teeth due to abnormal growth of the upper jaw and overgrowth of the lower jaw. It may lead to painful joint and jaw problems.
- Overbite– This situation arises when the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth. It is generally caused by genetics, overgrowth of bone supporting the teeth and bad oral habits. This condition may result in fractured or chipped front teeth and gum disease.
All the above conditions call for an Invisalign process to correct the misalignment of teeth.
Procedure of Invisalign
Once your cosmetic dentist suggests that your misaligned teeth can be corrected going through Invisalign process, you will be explained a comprehensive treatment plan, which include how each of your aligners will perform in different stages of the program. During the treatment, you’ll wear a different set of tailor-made aligners in a nearly two week gap. These aligners will gradually shift your teeth into its right position, and after every two-weeks of time, you move towards the next set of aligners.
This process is equipped with an array of tailor-made aligners meant for the patient. Initially the orthodontist will collect the impression and images of your teeth and the same will be sent to invisalign laboratory for creating a three-dimensional computer sketch, how the teeth could be shifted gradually, generating the foundation for developing an array of custom-made aligners crafted to achieve this goal. Once this treatment program is approved, a plastic aligner is created for every phase of the computer projection and sent to the orthodontist.
Once the aligners are returned to the cosmetic dentist, it is handed over to the patient to accomplish the desired results in each treatment phase and to track the progress. These aligners are worn in a particular manner for nearly two weeks. It will gently move the teeth back to place.
This treatment for invisalign mostly takes a year if the patient wears the device for 20 to 22 hours every day. During this session the patient will usually undergo 20 to 30 aligners for correcting both the lower and upper teeth.
Benefits of Invisalign
This process is generally associated with glossy pearly white looking smile manifesting properly aligned teeth. Some of the popular advantages that are associated with this process include:
Healthier Gums: It has been proven by clinical studies that properly aligned teeth help gums to hold the teeth tightly leading to better gum health. Hence Invisalign’s biggest benefit is its potential to effectively alight and straighten your teeth line, which improves your gum health. It also allows you to avoid tooth decay as you can floss and brush conveniently with Invisalign on.
Better Oral Health: With Invisalign no metal bands, wires or brackets are used that avoids food trapping and plaque, which is found in conventional braces. As the invisalign can be removed a good oral hygiene is also maintained reducing chances of tooth decay, building of plaque and any kind of gum disease.
Better Speech and Chewing: When left untreated the incorrectly developed teeth and jaws, it may result in speech trouble and trouble in proper chewing. Going through the program of invisalign both these problems can be eliminated by improved and properly set teeth and jaw line.
Retain tooth Structure and Comfort Level: Misaligned teeth often leads to abnormal stress. It results in a painful dilemma to underpinning jaw and bone joints. All these problems can lead to unusual wearing off of your teeth, triggering increased problems in the future. This treatment can stimulate proper alignment of teeth and better bite.
Length of Life of Invisalign
Usually the entire process of Invisalign will take minimum one year depending on the duration it is worn by the candidate. If it is worn by the patient 20 hours per day it will take a year to get the desired results or else it may take more time if not worn as per the instruction!
Precautions Required
Not many precautions are associated with invisalign treatment vis-à-vis other treatment options of teeth. Some often advised precautions include avoid eating hard food items like chewing of ice, pen, fingernails, pencils etc.
Cost of Invisalign
The cost for Invisalign depends of several factors! It includes treatment complexity, duration, the level of cosmetic dentist, etc. More often than not, this treatment may fall within the range of $3,000 to $8,000, coming to the official average at $5,000. It is entirely up to your cosmetic dentist to ascertain the real cost of this process, which will again be influenced by specific requirements and tailor-made program.
Considering invisalign to improve your overall personality by dint of properly aligned teeth has become popular and has yielded improved results! After having a good understanding of the entire process and other related aspects, you would be in a better position to take an informed decision if you’re the right candidate for this treatment!
