Invisalign Braces Treatment
Invisalign braces are technological innovation over traditional wire braces since other people cannot notice that you are wearing Invisalign braces. Hence they are known as clear transparent aligner orthodontic braces. They are a very good option as compared to the brackets and wires. Invisalign can help with crowding and spacing problems as well as minor and moderate bite problems.
Our clinic provides Invisalign treatment. Please read this article to get all details about Invisalign and contact us for a complimentary consultation at no charge.
What Are Invisalign Braces?
Invisalign Braces are a novel category of orthodontic appliances called “Clear Braces Aligners,” which are transparent and custom-made from BPA-free plastic. These aligners are a stealthier alternative to metal braces in adjusting mild to moderate dental structural abnormalities such as overbite, underbite, overbite, gapped teeth, overly crowded teeth, etc.
Before the advent of clear braces, orthodontic teeth alignment treatments required using metal wire braces featuring metal brackets supported by an archwire strung around the teeth. Although quite effective, these metal braces were uncomfortable and lacked discretion. Thus, patients undergoing orthodontic treatments had these fixed wire braces on their teeth for 16 to 24 months, with the associated personal, social, and occupational inconveniences.
In 1997, the inventor of Invisalign, Zia Chishti, had a eureka moment during his orthodontic treatment. He thought, “what if we use clear plastic instead of metal wires to produce braces?” Soon after, Invisalign braces were born.
How Does Invisalign Work?
The first step is to make an appointment with our cosmetic dentist in Bellevue, WA. After the first round of Invisalign consultation and diagnostics, our orthodontist will take 3D impressions of your teeth. We also analyze the position of teeth, facial structure, and pallet midline. These are modified with the software to suit you.
Next, a series of virtual models between the existing and endpoint dental alignments are printed using a unique plastic material. These are the custom-made Invisalign braces for you. We ask you to wear your first alignment set for at least 20-22 hours daily. They are to be removed only at the time of eating and drinking. However, you may keep it while drinking water. However, there is no dietary restriction with this treatment.
Our Invisalign treatment makes patient change their aligners every 15 days. A new set of aligners are provided to you in accordance with your current teeth position. These steps are repeated until the desired result is achieved.
We guide our patients on how to deal with Invisalign braces. Similar to metal wire braces, Invisalign braces work by placing some pressure on the teeth, encouraging them to move slowly in the desired direction. The sustained pressure loosens the tooth, causing the new bone to grow in and support the tooth in its new position.
How Many Sets of Invisalign Aligners will I end up Needing?
The aligners/braces usually come in pairs, one for each jaw. Orthodontic patients will usually need multiple sets of braces, each pair achieving a certain degree of alignment. On average, a typical patient might need anywhere between 20-30 sets of aligners. Depending upon the complexities involved some cases may need either as few as 10 or as many as 50 sets of aligners. Each case is unique.
What are the Different Types of Invisalign Treatments?
There are five major types of Invisalign treatment. Our orthodontics recommends the finest possible treatment for your teeth depending on various factors, including insurance, the number of visits expected, and the cost of Invisalign braces. The following are different types of Invisalign treatments available at our clinic.
This is the original product introduced in 1997 as a more discreet alternative to traditional metal wire braces. It can correct many mild to moderate orthodontic issues and even a few complicated cases. A complete treatment course takes about 12-18 months.
This option is used for relatively milder orthodontic cases for which the Full treatment would be unnecessary. Two versions of this treatment are Express 5 (requiring five sets of aligners over three months) and Invisalign Express 10 (requiring ten sets of aligners over six months).
This option is available for patients with alignment issues resolvable over as little as three months with seven aligners. It is ideal for patients hoping to address minor flaws in dental appearance.
This option was developed to fix mild to moderate teeth alignment issues over seven months.
This is a specialized treatment for patients who wish to correct alignment issues in their front ten teeth. It involves the use of up to twenty aligners.
Conclusion
As the name suggests, Invisalign Teen treatment is suitable for teens whose teeth are not set into a permanent position and the mouth is still in the development stage. It means that the teeth can be guided to the desired position easily with the help of Invisalign braces. As teens are expected to lose the removable braces more often than adults, this treatment comes with bundled extra features.
We at Bellevue Azalea Dentistry provide our patients with six free replacement trays in case of damage or loss of braces. This treatment is very popular among teens as the braces are easily removable which is helpful for them during their various sports or social activities.
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Experienced Dentists For Invisalign Braces
Invisalign Braces are completely safe and prevent permanent bone loss in your teeth. Help you get a beautiful smile.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the differences between Invisalign and traditional braces?
Due to numerous reasons including aesthetics and dental hygiene, clear braces like Invisalign are preferred to traditional metal braces. However, Invisalign braces have a few shortcomings of their own. The pros and cons of both kinds of braces are compared and contrasted below:
- Applicability: Invisalign braces are mostly used for mild to moderate dental misalignments. Conversely, orthodontists prefer to use traditional metal braces for more complex issues like some more serious malocclusions and severe overcrowding.
- Aesthetics: Unlike the infamous metal wire braces, Invisalign braces are invisible. This makes all the difference to most people, as therapy with Invisalign is much less disruptive to patients` personal and social lives.
- Removability: Traditional metal braces remain screwed tightly into place until the end of the therapy. This poses a host of problems, including food particles sticking under the braces and the inability to brush or floss properly, predisposing the user to dental plaques. On the other hand, Invisalign braces can be removed when you eat, brush, floss, or for certain brief social appearances.
- Dentist Visits: With metal wire braces, patients have to visit their dentists frequently to have the wire tightened further. However, with Invisalign, the patient replaces his/her brace trays at regular intervals as instructed by their dentist, and visits the dentist much less frequently.
- Comfort: The process of tightening the metal wire brace by the dentist has been reported by patients as very painful. The wire also tends to cause dental abrasions and gum cuts. Invisalign eliminates most of these complaints.
- Cost: The traditional treatment is only slightly less expensive than the Invisalign treatment. Invisalign treatment cost depends on your healthcare provider and your particular dental needs.
- Duration of treatment: the average treatment duration with metal wire braces is anywhere between 18 months to 36 months. Whereas Invisalign therapy takes a much lesser duration of around 12 to 18 months to give spectacular results.
How successful are Invisalign treatments?
The success of therapy with Invisalign braces depends on a number of factors, including the expertise of the orthodontist, the complexity of the alignment issue, the commitment of the patient to the therapy, and the biological response of the patient`s mouth to treatment.
Invisalign is admittedly less effective for complex dental anomalies like more serious malocclusions and severe overcrowding. However, for the much more common mild to moderate issues like open bite, gap teeth, overbite, etc., Invisalign has produced reported success rates of up to 96% of patients (Dohealthwell.net). Carefully reviewed anecdotes from several dental clinics also show a high success rate for Invisalign therapy.
What are Invisalign attachments?
A small percentage of orthodontic patients with more complex dental issues may need Invisalign attachments to aid the treatment process. These attachments are basically small dots made of composite filling material that are bonded to teeth, to assist the Invisalign aligners in teeth movement. They are usually tooth-colored (inconspicuous) and are carefully placed at the center of the teeth where they function as an anchor to amplify the efforts of the brace.
Will I need to wear retainers after my successful Invisalign treatment?
With all orthodontic treatments, the risk of alignment relapse after successful completion of therapy is significant. Hence the need for retainers, which help to keep the aligned teeth in place and prevent relapse. However, unlike with metal wire braces where retainers are worn for most of the day after treatment, Invisalign users only need to wear retainers at night for a limited period after treatment.
How long does Invisalign therapy take?
The Invisalign Therapy takes between 12 to 18 months on average, depending on the severity of the patient`s dental misalignment and their willingness to keep the braces on for up to 22 hours daily. Failure to do so will lead to treatment extensions in order to reach the desired endpoint.