If you want to have your teeth straightened but dread the inconvenience, discomfort and unattractiveness of metal braces, you may want to learn more about Invisalign™. The Invisalign system straightens teeth faster than conventional metal braces, using clear, virtually-invisible plastic aligners that are custom-made for each patient. Invisalign has helped over a million people worldwide to perfect their smiles comfortably and quickly.
Advantages of Invisalign
Because Invisalign aligners are virtually invisible, your friends and coworkers may not even know you are wearing them. Invisalign aligners never need adjusting or tightening, because each aligner is custom-made for you and your current stage in the tooth movement process. And since you can remove your Invisalign aligners while eating, drinking, and brushing your teeth, there is no fussy cleaning regimen like conventional braces require.
How Invisalign Works
Your dentist will use advanced 3-D computer-imaging technology to lay out a treatment plan for you, mapping the initial position of your teeth as well as their final, desired position. Based on these images, a series of clear aligners will be custom-made for you, so your teeth are moved little by little as you advance to a new aligner about every two weeks. On average, the treatment process lasts just 12 months, compared to two years for conventional braces.
Invisalign Aligners
The aligners are molded of thermoplastic, medical-grade polyurethane resin. This clear plastic is biocompatible and approved for use in the human mouth. It is free of potentially harmful substances, such as phthalate plasticizers or bisphenol-A. Invisalign aligners have had FDA approval since 1998.
Your Treatment Plan
Your dentist is a trained Invisalign provider, who has received special training in the use of Invisalign. Before you start treatment, he or she will help you view your computerized results and treatment plan, so you can see how your new smile will look. You will pick up a new aligner at your dentist’s office every two weeks, but it will not be necessary for you to be examined each time. Instead, your progress will be monitored by the dentist about every 6 weeks.
Wearing Invisalign Aligners
You will wear your aligners for 20 to 22 hours each day, even while sleeping. But you can easily remove the aligners before you eat, drink, or brush your teeth, then simply replace them when finished. There are no restrictions on what you can eat during your treatment with Invisalign, although smoking and chewing gum are discouraged.
Invisalign Comfort
Invisalign aligners move the teeth gradually and comfortably. There is none of the discomfort and anxiety associated with the tightening of wires and braces, as with conventional braces. A few patients experience mild, temporary discomfort, described as a feeling of pressure, for a few days after advancing to a new aligner. This results from the gentle, constant force your aligners exert as they coax the teeth into a new position. It is a sign that your aligners are working, and will only last a few days.
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