Invisalign®
Invisalign clear aligners can be an excellent alternative to traditional metal braces. These virtually invisible aligners work to fix problems such as crooked teeth, spacing issues and overbites. Invisalign aligners are custom-built using impressions of the patient’s teeth in order to provide the best results possible. Each aligner is replaced with a new one approximately every two weeks to slowly adjust the positioning of the teeth over time. A patient will be required to wear Invisalign aligners for at least 20-22 hours per day to achieve the desired results, and the full treatment usually lasts between one and two years.
There are many advantages that Invisalign aligners provide over traditional braces. Because Invisalign aligners are transparent in color, oftentimes nobody other than the patient can tell when they are being worn. Invisalign aligners can be taken out at any time, allowing the patient to eat and drink whatever they would like during treatment. The removability of Invisalign also makes the aligners extremely easy to clean and maintain. Another benefit is that the wearer will not need to make any adjustments to their usual oral hygiene practices while using Invisalign. Athletes who play contact sports can greatly benefit from Invisalign since the aligners do not present the same injury risks as metal braces.
While Invisalign aligners offer many advantages, there are also some drawbacks that should be taken into consideration. Certain problems such as large spacing issues and severely rotated teeth cannot may not be able to be fixed using Invisalign. Although being able to take out Invisalign aligners at any time is a major convenience, it is possible to take them out too often and prevent the desired results from being achieved. Unmotivated patients who do not wear their aligner enough may not fully benefit from Invisalign treatment. But even with these limitations, many patients experience outstanding results from Invisalign treatment.
If you would like to learn more about Invisalign, please contact us to set up a consultation. You may call us at (734) 441-0200 to schedule an appointment.
