Invisalign

If you are an adult who decided you did not want the embarrassment and discomfort of walking around with traditional braces for 2-4 years, the good news is that in many cases you can straighten your still-crooked smile without all that. And maybe just as important to you now, there are no dietary restrictions to avoid getting certain foods getting stuck on those wires, brackets, and bands.

Invisalign is a process of customizing a series of nearly transparent trays (known as aligners) that can be put in or taken out of your mouth easily and which gradually move your teeth into their ideal positions. It is not for complicated cases that require braces, but it is effective for many adults, as well as teens whose permanent teeth have come in (usually 12-13). It has a number of important advantages over braces:

• The process is usually quicker to complete, three months to two years, depending on how many teeth need to be moved, but 6-18 months is enough for most cases.
• There is no severe discomfort after wires are tightened each time you visit the dentist (and no emergencies because of broken wires or brackets).
• Fewer visits to the office are needed to make adjustments (you will be given a schedule for the aligners to be delivered or picked up, depending on your progress, typically every couple of months).
• You remove the aligners before you eat as you always have, without having to worry about hard, tough, or sticky foods.
• You can brush and floss normally, without having to the challenges of trying to clean around braces to avoid cavities and gum infections.
• No one needs to know you are even having orthodontic treatment, since the trays are transparent and you can remove them in privacy before you eat. They may just think your improving smile is due to brushing and flossing better.

It’s no wonder that six million people report having had a good experience with Invisalign on their way to their perfect smile.