Some people are born with perfectly straight teeth but for those who were not so fortunate; the orthodontist’s office becomes a familiar sight. Traditionally, the only option for straightening misaligned and overlapping teeth was braces. Nobody is too thrilled about having train-tracks on their teeth, and not only that but they are hard to clean, limit food choices and are not very comfortable. Recently however, an alternative to braces has been developed; it is called invisalign.
Invisalign features a specially designed set of clear, plastic dental aligners that fit over the teeth and push the teeth into proper position in the same way that metal braces do. They are worn for two weeks, and then the patient progresses to the next set which they wear for another two weeks. Each set exerts less force than the last one and once the series is complete, the treatment is finished. Another nice thing about them is that they can simply be removed if needed.
In preparation for receiving these aligners, the orthodontist must first take impressions of the teeth, x-rays and photographs. This information is then forwarded to the lab where the devices are made; and the impression is analyzed through a CT scan and special software is used to devise a 3-dimensional model of how the patient’s teeth will progress through the treatment. Once approved, the plastic aligners will be made and available at the orthodontist’s office.
Treatment starts when the patient begins wearing the first aligner, after two weeks they go see their orthodontist and receive the next one in the series.Although the aligner can be removed to eat, drink or brush teeth it is crucial to the success of the treatment that it be kept in 20-22 hours per day. Not following this order will result in the treatment time lasting longer. Normally this lasts 1 year but in less severe cases, it can take less time.
Invisalign is not only much nicer to look at, but it makes eating meals much less of a hassle; braces don’t go well with chewy taffy or popcorn for instance. This device can simply be taken out of the mouth when the wearer is eating or drinking and put back in afterwards.
Caring for teeth is much simpler and effective when using the aligners as well. Metal braces are very awkward to clean and floss around, with these devices dental care is the same as always because they are removed altogether during brushing and flossing and then put back after. They can be kept clean by simply brushing them regularly. The likelihood of tooth decay is higher with regular braces because it is harder to clean teeth properly and also preventive measures like x-rays cannot be taken, with invisalign they can.
Another good thing about using this treatment method is that it takes less time to finish and generally the teeth end up being straighter, so it is very effective. This will only happen though if the patient is diligent about keeping the aligner in for the required amount of time; if they don’t it will take longer for the treatment to finish. Getting of course can result in the aligners no longer fitting and new ones needing to be cast. These aligners are also fairly comfortable as opposed to the scratchy metal ones.
People who need their teeth straightened now have a highly effective and much more attractive choice than they used to. Invisalign is a clear, comfortable and easy to use option many people are pleased with.
For complete dental care in London Ontario, a dentist offers dentistry services for the whole family, dental exams for kids, dentures, porcelain veneers, and teeth whitening London Ontario.