Invisalign Therapy Teeth Straightening FAQs
Invisalign® is a brand of clear aligners that offers a discreet way to straighten your teeth. This useful invention allows you to achieve a straight smile without enduring the metal and soreness of braces.
Clear aligners are a type of orthodontic treatment, which means they need your time, patience, and funds. Before you commit to this investment, you should know what you are signing up for.
The answers to a few frequently asked questions can provide useful information that lets you know what to expect. We start with an explainer on clear aligners and how they work.
Invisalign®: a brief explainer
Clear aligners like Invisalign® come as a series of custom dental trays that fit snugly over the wearer’s teeth. Their not-quite-perfect fit forces the teeth to shift and mimic the exact contours of the aligners. In time, an individual set of aligners becomes a perfect fit.
When a dentist confirms that a particular set of aligners has done its job, they will ask their patient to swap their current aligners for the next set in the series. This process will repeat itself until the patient goes through every set of dental trays in the series. At this point, the teeth should be in optimal arrangement and the patient should have a straight smile.
Read up on the following FAQs to find out more about the process that is Invisalign® therapy.
1. What is the process of Invisalign® therapy?
First, the patient consults a dentist and explains their needs. In this case, the patient’s need is a set of straight teeth. The dentist will examine the patient to find out if they are a good candidate for Invisalign® therapy. This evaluation will involve a visual exam, medical imaging, and a study of the patient’s dental records.
The dentist will use the information from the evaluation phase to clear their patient for Invisalign®. They will proceed to craft a treatment plan that moves individual teeth with precision and over time. Images of the patient’s teeth, gums, and jaws provide the information that the dentist needs to design a set of custom aligners. These aligners provide the gentle, gradual force that executes the treatment plan crafted by the dentist.
2. How long does the treatment take?
It depends on factors like:
- The age of the patient
- How crooked the patient’s teeth are
- The compliance of the patient
Younger patients have bones and teeth that are pliant and more responsive to pressure. This means orthodontic treatment works faster in teens and young adults. The severity of a patient’s dental issues also dictates the duration of Invisalign® therapy. The more crooked the teeth, the longer it takes to straighten them.
Lastly, Invisalign® is only as effective as the patient’s compliance. A patient that forgets to wear their aligners for hours at a time will see slower results than the patient who wears their dental trays for 22 hours a day. To put it simply, there is no magic number that marks the end of Invisalign® therapy. The duration varies from patient to patient.
3. What are the factors that inform the success of Invisalign® therapy?
The first factor is the competence and experience of the dentist. A dentist that is good at their job will screen their patients for Invisalign® treatment. They will recommend an alternative if a patient fails to qualify for the treatment. A skilled dentist will also design a treatment plan that will yield good long-term results. The second factor is patient compliance.
Your dream smile may lie in Invisalign therapy
Get in touch with us to find out for sure. Our dentist is happy to use their experience to craft a convenient treatment plan that will deliver a beautiful smile. Who knows? Invisalign therapy could be in your future.
Request an appointment here: https://www.carolinasmilesdentist.com or call Carolina Smiles Family Dental at (828) 974-3326 for an appointment in our Brevard office.
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Invisalign in Brevard, NC.
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