What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is the biggest manufacturer of clear aligners. They are what Kleenex is to tissues or Band-Aid to bandages. Invisalign is made of clear, transparent, and removable plastic sheets that wrap around your teeth.
It usually comes in a series and each consecutive aligner moves teeth ever so slightly towards your goal of complete alignment. Our team prides itself on delivering the most custom treatment plan for your specific needs.
This means that all our clear aligners are made to address your unique orthodontic problems in a timely manner.
What are the benefits of Invisalign?
The benefits of Invisalign are three-fold:
Comfortable:
Invisalign is one of the most comfortable orthodontic appliances out there. The main reason for this is that they rely on light biomechanical forces applied for a short period of time. Because each aligner moves teeth just 0.2mm at a time, patients often do not feel their teeth moving making treatment a comfortable ordeal.
Invisible:
By nature of the plastic of which they’re made, Invisalign aligners are completely transparent and nearly invisible. This makes them an ideal appliance for patients in search of an esthetic orthodontic appliance.
Removable:
Finally, Invisalign aligners are removable. While treatment progress depends on 20-22 hour daily wear, Invisalign aligners can be taken out at any time during the day, making brushing and flossing a breeze.
Who Can Get Invisalign?
Invisalign is best suited for patients with mild to moderate orthodontic problems. These include:
- Mild crowding, spacing, crossbites, and overbites.
- Patients who need orthodontic treatment to facilitate restorative treatment by their general dentist. This includes patients who need space for a cap (crown) or implant.
If your problems are more severe, Invisalign can still be incorporated into your treatment plan to minimize your overall treatment time and achieve an excellent result.
We do this by combining traditional or lingual braces with Invisalign to play to each system’s strengths.
We call this hybrid treatment.
Hybrid treatment often results in faster, more esthetic and more comfortable orthodontic treatment.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Invisalign?
Much like other means of straightening teeth, Invisalign has its advantages and disadvantages. Here are some that you should be aware of:
Advantages:
Clear: Invisalign and clear aligners are obviously a much more esthetic option compared to traditional braces, but less invisible than lingual braces behind the teeth.
Removable: You can easily remove your Invisalign at home, work, or wherever you are. This means that it is generally easier to brush and floss during treatment than with traditional or lingual braces. However, this also means that if the clear aligners are not worn, the teeth are less likely to move and treatment may not be as successful.
No unsightly white spots: Because clear aligners and Invisalign are removable, it is much easier to keep the teeth clean and therefore unsightly white spots from poor oral hygiene are less of a problem with clear aligners like Invisalign than they are with traditional or lingual braces.
Disadvantages:
Compliance Driven: Because Invisalign can be removed, treatment success hinges on the patient’s ability to wear the aligners at least 22 hours daily. If the aligners are not worn for 20-22 hours daily, Invisalign’s ability to move the teeth will drastically diminish.
Limited to mild to moderate orthodontic problems: Invisalign is not an “end-all be-all” solution to all tooth alignment problems. Severe bite issues or tooth malalignment can be very difficult to treat and, in some cases, may take more time then traditional or lingual braces to treat. Luckily, our orthodontic team is uniquely trained to combine clear aligners like Invisalign with other systems like lingual braces behind the teeth.
