What could be better than getting your teeth straightened without fixed braces, no going for regular adjustments, and most of all having a cosmetic and comfortable option. This is Invisalign!
So what makes Invisalign braces so popular?
Invisalign is an “aligner” solution for correcting teeth. Aligners are thin plastic mouthpieces (like a thin mouth guard) that have ‘programmed’ tooth movements built in. Depending on how bad your teeth are you can have as few as 7 or as many as 70 aligners for the course of your treatment, but overall it’s fairly easy for patients. Just put your aligners in and watch the magic happen. No braces needed, no hassle, and you can take them out when eating, for a date, or for an important meeting.
What’s the catch? Well there is no doubt that Invisalign is a great tool to correct crooked teeth. In fact it’s getting better every year. So much research and development is going on within Invisalign that it is becoming more and more effective at moving teeth. Things that before could only be done with fixed braces is starting to be possible with these aligners. BUT you need to know a few things before you agree to go ahead:
- 1) It is NOT invisible – you will see the aligners if you look closely. It is also very likely that some attachments are needed (these are tooth coloured blobs that are bonded to the tooth to help the correction)
- 2) They will still make your teeth hurt
- 3) You will have to wear it at least 22 hours per day
- 4) You may not get a perfect result BUT it will be a lot better
- 5) If you are looking for perfect correction you may still have to consider a short course of fixed braces to get there
- 6) It will involve some “shaving” of the teeth – this is quite normal practice in orthodontics
- 7) It may take longer than a fixed brace
But we still love it! Invisalign is making it possible for people who don’t want braces to have straight teeth. It works for teenagers and adults alike.
Paula