Adults Ortho Treatment

Do you despair every time you see your crooked teeth? In today’s day and age, there is increasing emphasis on having a perfect smile, but very few of us are lucky to be born that way. There is some good news, though, as it’s never too late to improve the appearance of your crooked teeth using adult orthodontics. If that conjures up an image of unsightly, tricky to clean metal braces, then what about Invisalign?

What Is Invisalign?

Invisalign is an adult-oriented orthodontic system that produces excellent results. It’s popular worldwide so that you may have already heard a bit about it, or perhaps you know somebody who has undergone this treatment. However, this system is so discreet you most likely wouldn’t be aware of friends or family who might have used using Invisalign unless they chose to enlighten you!

That’s because Invisalign uses clear, BPA free plastic aligner trays, custom-designed to fit tightly over your teeth where they form a thin, nearly invisible skin of plastic that makes them virtually undetectable. The system is super easy to use as you wear the aligners every day, ideally for at least 22 hours, only removing them when you want to eat or brush and floss your teeth. You wear every set of aligners for approximately two weeks after which you discard them and move onto the next set in the series. It’s an excellent system for adults because you don’t need to worry about the fact you are wearing braces. There are significant advantages in choosing Invisalign, and we’ve listed a few below:

Predictable Treatment Times

Most adults will only need to wear Invisalign aligners for a year or so. Some people may complete treatment even more quickly and especially when correcting cosmetically oriented problems that only affect the front teeth. Cosmetic braces may only take a few months to straighten teeth that are visible when you smile. If you are wondering how long treatment might take you, we can provide you with a more precise timeframe during your initial consultation here at Fine Dentistry of Downtown Orlando.

Aligners Look like Natural Teeth

Because the aligners are made from very thin plastic, they are virtually invisible to the naked eye, so you can wear them anywhere without feeling self-conscious. The aligners may create a slight halo effect, but you’d have to look quite hard to notice it.

No Need to Change Your Diet

If you are at all familiar with fixed braces, you’ll know that they come with all sorts of dietary restrictions, and you cannot eat hard or sticky foods or anything that might damage the brackets and wires. There are no such restrictions with Invisalign as you remove the aligners for every meal so you can eat whatever you want without damaging your braces. You just need to remember to brush your teeth before replacing your aligners.

Easy to Keep Clean

Unlike fixed braces that require special tools and quite a bit of dedication to brush and floss around, Invisalign aligners are easily cleaned. A special cleaning system removes bacteria in just 15 minutes, or if you prefer, you can clean your aligners with a soft-bristled toothbrush, rinsing them under warm water.

A More Comfortable and Convenient Treatment

Conventional fixed braces can dig uncomfortably into the gums or cheeks, and especially if you break a wire. Because Invisalign aligners are made from smooth plastic, they are more comfortable to use, and there are no sharp edges to dig into your mouth. Disruption to everyday life is minimal because you don’t need to change your dietary habits, and follow-up appointments are most likely quite short. We simply need to see you every few weeks to check treatment is progressing as planned and providing additional sets of aligners as required.

What Problems Are Typically Treated by Invisalign?

Invisalign is great for treating most common orthodontic problems, for example, issues with overcrowded or overlapping teeth, and it can close or minimize unsightly spaces in between teeth. Treatment is also suitable for correcting bite problems that may include overbites, underbites, crossbites, and open bites. It is wonderful for correcting cosmetically oriented problems where only your front teeth need straightening are slightly misaligned. Choosing Invisalign can be a more conservative treatment for straightening smiles compared with other procedures such as porcelain veneers or crowns and where some tooth structure must be removed. Invisalign might not be suitable for treating more complex orthodontic problems where teeth are significantly misaligned.

Who can have Invisalign?

You are probably suitable for Invisalign if your teeth are reasonably strong and healthy, but our dentist, Dr. Aileen Trivedi can tell you for sure after examining your teeth, gums, and jaws. He can assess the alignment of your teeth and jaws, quickly determining if Invisalign is the best treatment for you. If you decide to go ahead, treatment is planned using digital technology.

What to Expect with Invisalign Treatment?

A detailed impression is taken of your teeth, and we may take photographs as well. These are used to plan how each tooth will move during your treatment. The planning process creates digital images that you will be able to view, which is quite exciting because you can see how your new smile should look at the end of treatment. Once you are happy with the treatment plan, we fabricate your aligners, and you will be shown how to insert and remove them, and how to care for them. You can then start the process of straightening your smile! Initially, the aligners may feel a little strange, and you could feel some slight discomfort as your teeth start to move. This should soon settle down as you become accustomed to wearing the aligners. If you have any problems, then, of course, we are here to help you. Provided you wear the aligners as prescribed, your teeth should look beautifully straight within the predicted time frame.

After completing treatment, you will need to wear retainers for a while, but these are just as discreet as the aligners and are made from the same plastic. Retainers are necessary as your teeth could move back towards their original positions; your jawbone needs time to remodel around your tooth roots to hold teeth firmly in their new places.

Contact your Orlando Invisalign provider, Fine Dentistry of Downtown Orlando, for more information. We love to see you smile!