What does your smile say about you? Is it warm and welcoming or do you usually try not to show your teeth when greeting people? If you fall into the latter category, you’re not alone. Even the whitest of smiles can be misaligned, leading to embarrassment and feelings of social awkwardness.
Thankfully, there are ways to improve your smile discreetly. To take the guesswork out of getting Invisalign, the team at South Meadow Dental put together the following guide to help decide if Invisalign is right for you.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is the new alternative to traditional metal braces. Instead of using wires and metal brackets, Invisalign braces are a custom-made plastic that is applied to the teeth. The gimmick of Invisalign is that they are almost invisible. After two weeks have passed, you have to swap the old aligners for a set of new ones that gradually straighten your teeth back into their normal position.
What to Know About Invisalign
Although Invisalign is amazing at what it does, there are a few situations where they won’t be as effective as regular braces. In fact, what determines that you need Invisalign is how severe your case is and what you want to have fixed. When it comes to mild to moderate cases, Invisalign works wonders. However, if you’re suffering from a severe tooth injury or damaged teeth, you’ll have to resort to metal braces.
Invisalign is mainly used to help treat the following:
- Overbites and underbites
- Gaps between the teeth
- Misaligned teeth
Booking a complimentary consultation at South Meadows Dental will help us determine if you’re a suitable candidate for Invisalign treatment. After you deemed a suitable candidate for treatment with Invisalign, we’ll perform a thorough exam, which includes photographs of your face, and digital x-rays.
One of our highly skilled dentists will also complete a dental exam and then make dental impressions of your teeth. Keep in mind that Invisalign works best for adults and teens. Patients without all of their adult teeth do not qualify for Invisalign.
The Specifics
Once deemed a good candidate for treatment, we’ll take digital pictures, x-rays and digital impression with the iTero scanner. We then input all of the information into the system. Invisalign then creates a 3D digital mockup of your mouth.
Based on our findings, Invisalign creates custom-molded aligners. Your aligners are clear and made from BPA-free plastic. Depending on the degree of correction needed, you will wear your aligners for about 22 hours each day, taking them out when you eat and when you brush your teeth.
After two weeks, you’ll return for a dental checkup and our dentists will make sure that your aligners fit well and are comfortable. You’ll then return every two weeks to ensure that your treatment plan stays on track.
Things to Consider
Remember to wear your retainers for the recommended amount of time. If your teeth haven’t shifted into their anticipated position, the aligners may not fit properly throughout treatment.
South Meadows Dental is a trusted Invisalign provider. If you’ve been considering Invisalign or want to know more about how it works, contact us today. Your new smile is only a phone call away.
