Are you wondering how long you’ll have to wear braces? We take a closer look at the timeline for braces, from the initial consultation to when the braces are removed!
If you’re considering orthodontic treatment to straighten your crooked teeth, then you’ve probably heard about Invisalign®, a very popular alternative to traditional metal or ceramic braces. Invisalign® uses clear aligners made of smooth plastic to gently move your teeth into position over time, without the discomfort and self-consciousness of traditional orthodontic treatment. Here are seven quick facts that just might convince you to have this innovative treatment.
Invisalign® gets its name from its most noticeable (and arguably most popular) feature: the clear aligners. These aligners are almost impossible to detect. In fact, they’re so hard to spot, they’re the go-to solution for lots of celebrities who want to enjoy straighter teeth (including A-listers like Oprah Winfrey and Tom Cruise). You’d have to get really close and stare at someone’s teeth to tell if he or she is wearing aligners.
With metal and ceramic braces, you need to watch the foods you eat because really chewy, crunchy, or hard foods can break your wires or get stuck in your brackets. Not only is this unattractive, but it also means you’ll need to schedule an emergency visit to remove stuck-on food and have repairs made. With Invisalign®, you simply remove your aligners before all meals. This gives you the freedom to eat whatever foods you like — even foods like corn on the cob and bagels.
Not only do you slip your aligners off to eat — you take them off to brush and floss as well. In fact, with Invisalign®, you’ll continue to care for your teeth just like you did before your treatment began. With braces, it takes a lot of practice (as well as time and special tools) to work your way around the wires and brackets while you brush and floss. Even then, it’s easy for food particles to get trapped between and around your brackets. When you can’t clean your teeth as well, you risk developing cavities and gum disease. Traditional braces also make routine dental cleanings take a lot longer.
With traditional braces, you’ll need monthly office visits to have your wires and brackets tightened and adjusted. That’s the key to keeping your teeth moving toward alignment. Not only can monthly visits be a hassle for your schedule, but those regular tightenings can be pretty painful. And once you adjust to the new level of tension in your wires, it’s time to go back and have them tightened again. With Invisalign®, you come in for quick visits once every six weeks or so to make sure your progress stays on track. Visits are fast, and there are no painful adjustments to worry about.
It’s called SmartTrack® and it’s so unique, it’s only used in Invisalign® aligners. SmartTrack® is designed to provide gentle but continual pressure on your teeth, helping them move toward alignment without abrupt tightening, as is common with traditional braces. The smooth surface lets you slip the aligners on and off with ease, while still providing a secure fit. Plus, it doesn’t contain any BPA, BPS, latex, or gluten.
Thanks to that SmartTrack® plastic and the fact that aligners are custom made just for you, Invisalign® treatment often takes less time than traditional orthodontic treatment that uses one-size-fits-all brackets and wires. That means you don’t have to wait as long for a beautiful smile.
As with traditional braces, Invisalign® clear aligners can be used to treat overbites, underbites, crossbites, and open bites, as well as gaps and spacing problems.
At Millennium Park Orthodontics, we offer Invisalign® treatment for both teens and adults to help all our patients get the straight teeth and beautiful smiles they deserve. If you’d like to find out more about Invisalign® and whether it’s the right solution to help you reach your goals, contact the practice today.
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