Invisalign
Achieve a Straight Smile Sooner Than You’d Think
Looking for a way to boost your confidence through dentistry? If you have misaligned teeth or gaps in your smile, orthodontic treatment offers a great option for enhancing your smile! While metal braces have been the standard for quite some time, they aren’t ideal if you’re a working adult. Furthermore, your diet is significantly limited when using metal braces. Invisalign’s clear aligners allow you to straighten teeth, keep your current appearance throughout treatment, and even eat the foods you enjoy. Call our office to learn more about Invisalign near Teays Valley, WV and complete your first consultation!
How Invisalign Treatment Works
Through a series of highly customized aligners, we can apply pressure to specific areas of your mouth. This effectively shifts teeth into a straighter and healthier position. Every tray is designed to fit your unique smile and oral structure, ensuring optimal comfort and results. Made from transparent plastic that is free of BPA and phthalate, you can expect your aligners to be smooth and practically vanish once worn.
During your consultation at our office, Dr. Todd Semder, who is our certified Invisalign provider, will take several photos of your mouth to determine your exact orthodontic issues. Once we’ve collected enough information, we can create a digital model of your mouth and show you what should occur over the course of treatment. As you wear your aligners (each pair is worn for about two weeks at a time), you’ll visit our office once every six to eight weeks so we can monitor your progress. You’ll also be able to receive your new set of trays. As you get closer to the end of your treatment, we will start talking about which retainer you would like to use. Retainers help you keep the straighter smile you worked so hard to achieve.
The Notable Benefits of Invisalign
It’s common for patients to choose Invisalign to straighten teeth over traditional braces for a number of reasons. There are many perks you can take advantage of when you opt for clear aligners over metal brackets and wires. For example:
- The plastic used in clear aligners is transparent and almost invisible on top of teeth. This way, people won’t be distracted by them when you show off your smile, which cannot be said for traditional braces.
- Metal materials can irritate the inside of your lips and oral tissue, increasing the risk of cuts and scratches. This can make it difficult to speak and even smile. In contrast, clear aligners are smooth and customized entirely with your comfort in mind.
- Braces are affixed to your teeth, which means you can’t remove them on your own. This makes it extremely difficult to eat certain foods you enjoy as well as practice at-home oral care. Since Invisalign clear aligners are removable, it’s easy to eat and practice routine brushing and flossing.
- Instead of being forced to brush around brackets and wires attached to your teeth, all you need to do is take them out before you begin your oral care routine. Traditional braces often require special tools and techniques to keep plaque, tartar, food debris, cavities and gum disease at bay. Clear aligners ensure your oral care can not only remain thorough, but unchanged.
How to Know If Invisalign is Right for You
If you have fully developed teeth, Invisalign is more effective. That means adults and teens are often the best candidates for clear aligners. It also means young children should steer away from Invisalign. If you have mild to moderate levels of misalignment, crooked or rotated teeth, or a malocclusion (i.e. overbite, underbite, crossbite, open bite, etc.) we can customize the treatment to meet your needs. We’ll perform a detailed exam to confirm your eligibility during your consultation.
The Cost of Invisalign Clear Aligners and Visits
Orthodontic issues can be mild, severe, or somewhere in between. This is why it’s very difficult to provide a specific price on care until you’ve been closely examined. For example, your costs can vary depending on how many sets of aligners you need to resolve your orthodontic concerns. The severity of your condition and your compliance in wearing the aligners for enough time each day (22 hours) can also influence how long treatment will take. If needed, you can also utilize flexible payment plans via CareCredit to cover costs in the long-term.
If you schedule for Invisalign clear aligners today, you can even take advantage of our special promotion. For just $129 a month, you can get started on your smile transformation!
Invisalign FAQs
From the process and the cost to the benefits, reading through the above information is a great place to start if you are interested in transforming your smile with Invisalign. If you are ready to schedule your initial consultation, then get in touch with our team today! However, if you’d prefer to do a bit more research on this orthodontic treatment before contacting us – that’s okay too. Keep reading for the answers to a few of the most frequently asked questions we hear from patients.
Does Invisalign Hurt?
Guiding your teeth into an entirely new position requires quite a bit of force, so it’s only natural that Invisalign treatment comes with some soreness. The silver lining is that’s how you know it’s working! Plus, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to remain as comfortable as possible. To start, try beginning each new set of trays at night, so you can sleep through the first couple of hours of your teeth adjusting. Next, stick to soft foods initially and use a cold compress as needed. If all else fails, use OTC pain relievers as directed to ease your discomfort.
Will Invisalign Affect My Speech?
That depends! While some patients experience a minor lisp as their mouth adjusts to their clear aligners, others don’t. Fortunately, if your speech is initially affecting, you can speed up the adjustment period by reading aloud and practicing the more difficult words (like “sixty”) repeatedly.
How Do I Care for My Clear Aligners?
Caring for each of your clear aligners is essential. Neglecting to do so can cause the material to warp and discolor, leaving your trays virtually ineffective and incredibly obvious. To prevent that from happening, make sure to:
- Use the right products (like a soft-bristled toothbrush and Invisalign-friendly cleaner).
- Store your aligners in a protective case whenever they aren’t in your mouth to prevent them from breaking or accidentally getting discarded).
- Rinse your aligners when you take them out of your mouth and before putting them back in.
- Never use hot water, since repeated exposure can warp their shape.
- Always remove your aligners when eating or drinking (with the exception of water).
What Should I Do If I Lose My Clear Aligners?
The fact that Invisalign’s aligners are practically invisible is a major bonus… until you accidentally misplace them. If this happens to you, do your best not to panic. Instead, retrace your steps, paying special attention to the small nooks and crannies they could’ve fallen into. If you can’t locate them, contact our team right away. Each moment you aren’t wearing your aligners significantly increases the chances of getting off-track with your treatment plan, so don’t wait to get in touch. Under no circumstance should you use a previous set or move onto the next pair of aligners without specific instruction to do so.
If you are interested in learning more about Invisalign or are simply ready to straighten your teeth, then it’s time to schedule your initial consultation. From there, you’ll be another step closer to the beautiful, confident smile you deserve!