Invisalign® is a revolutionary system that uses clear aligners to correct teeth. That’s right: No wires and no brackets. The Invisalign system uses clear, removable aligners to give you the perfect smile.
And while this system can help most people, not everyone may be a candidate. In this blog, Dana Samet, DDS, of Dental Art of South Bay in Torrance, California, explains how the system works and who is a candidate for treatment.
With the Invisalign system, you are given a series of clear, plastic aligners. Each aligner in the series is slightly different than the one before it, each one gradually moving your teeth into the correct positions.
To begin treatment, Dr. Samet scans your mouth to get a 3-D image. This helps her plot out how to adjust your teeth from start to finish. Then she sends this information to a lab, where your aligners are made.
Then you get a series of aligners. Every two weeks or so, you take out one set and replace it with the next set in the series. And when you take out your last set, you have the smile you desire.
Most people are candidates for Invisalign treatment. However, the following considerations should be taken into account:
Invisalign is excellent at fixing crooked or misaligned teeth. However, in some cases, it may not be as successful as traditional metal braces in correcting severe jaw issues, such as extreme underbites or overbites.
In some cases, you may need jaw surgery to correct a jaw issue along with braces to straighten your teeth. We can give you a better idea if Invisalign could work for you after giving you a thorough evaluation.
There’s no specific minimum age for using Invisalign. In fact, there’s even an Invisalign system that’s designed for children as young as age 6. However, children have to be mature enough to properly use the system.
If children aren’t mature and responsible enough for Invisalign, they may accidentally throw away their aligner trays, fail to put them back in after brushing their teeth, or do other inappropriate things. While these may not be deal-breakers for treatment, they can make treatment take longer or become more expensive.
Invisalign aligners have the unique advantage of being removable. You can remove them to eat, brush your teeth, and for special occasions. This is a significant advantage over traditional braces, which can’t be removed and require you to not eat certain foods.
Even though it may seem obvious, this means that you can’t leave out your aligners for extended periods of time. If you do, your treatment will take longer. In general, you’ll need to wear your aligners 22-23 hours a day. On the plus side, you may have a bigger incentive to snack less.
If your teeth have other issues, such as existing tooth decay or gum disease, you might not be a good candidate for Invisalign in that state. However, you can still begin Invisalign once we treat the other dental problems. It should make you feel motivated to address any existing dental problems as quickly as possible.
Everyone deserves to feel confident about their smile. You may currently feel less than confident if you have crooked or misaligned teeth. But Invisalign is a solution that can give you the attractive smile you desire, no matter your age, without the disadvantages of traditional metal braces. To see if Invisalign can help you, book an appointment over the phone with Dental Art of South Bay today.
