Crooked teeth have become a growing concern around the world, both for aesthetic and health-related reasons. Invisalign reduces future tooth movement and corrects current tooth displacement.
Straight teeth are more than just a sign of a beautiful, well-cared-for mouth. They’re a sign of excellent oral hygiene. When your teeth become crooked and crowded, it becomes difficult for your toothbrush and floss to clean between teeth. Bacteria and food particles have an easier time hiding in cracks and crevices. This leads to a plethora of health concerns, including:
- Tooth infection and decay
- Gum disease
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Increased risk of stroke
Invisalign reduces these risks and improves your ability to clean teeth and maintain gum health. Throughout this article, we’ll talk about Invisalign, what it is, and how it could help improve your oral health.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a clear aligning tool, very similar to traditional braces. The treatment uses a transparent plastic to correct crooked and crowded bites. People use Invisalign for several reasons, such as:
- Crossbite
- Open bite
- Crooked teeth
- Overbite
- Underbite
- Tooth crowding
They can be used on adult and baby teeth successfully. At Bristol Dental, we often get questions regarding the use of Invisalign on preteens, and whether it’s necessary to start treatment while baby teeth are still involved.
The answer is, yes. Of course, baby teeth will eventually fall out and be replaced by healthy new adult teeth. However, by straightening adult teeth around them, the baby tooth in question provides a straighter and open space for new adult teeth to grow. This reduces the chances of impacted teeth and other concerns.
The Invisalign Process
When you decide you’re ready for Invisalign, your dentist will start with a consultation. He or she will examine your mouth. This may include some x-rays to determine where teeth are sitting below the surface, and whether any more are on their way in.
Once your dentist knows what they’re working with, you’ll have a moulded impressions and photos taken to accurately design the clear corrector. In order to change the position of your teeth, slight modifications are made in the plastic mould to guide your teeth into position over time. More than one plastic corrector will be used to do this as the process continues.
How long you wear Invisalign will depend on your desired outcome and the current condition of your smile. Your dentist should give you an estimation for completion. Following the use of Invisalign, you may be prescribed a retainer to maintain your new teeth placement. Retainers are often worn at night, but sometimes during the day. This keeps newly placed teeth from slipping back into old habits.
Why choose Invisalign?
Invisalign is a revolutionary teeth straightener which combines the precision of traditional braces with the art of invisibility. In other words, you’ll straighten your teeth without making it obvious to everyone you know.
When you get very close to someone you know, they may notice the Invisalign on your teeth. However, in photos and from a distance, the device remains invisible. For teens and adults who are shy about the concept of braces, this works in your favour. There are many other benefits to Invisalign than invisibility alone. Such as:
Ease of Brushing
Unlike traditional braces, which require you to brush around each metal wire carefully and rubber band, your Invisalign corrector is removable. To clean your teeth, you simply remove the Invisalign, brush, floss, rinse with mouthwash, and your corrector is placed back over your teeth without fail.
Traditional brace wearers use special flossing tools and must remove and replace rubber bands before and after each teeth cleaning. It’s also more difficult to clean around and under braces, which sometimes causes decay and cavities in hard to reach places.
Eat What You Want
Another benefit to Invisalign over traditional metal braces is your ability to each whatever you want. When you receive braces, your orthodontist presents you with a list of foods you can and can’t eat. Sticky, chewy foods and hard, crunchy foods are usually restricted for fear of them getting caught or breaking the braces.
Invisalign simply gets taken off during mealtime so you can chew down on all your favourites. After a thorough cleaning, just place your corrector back in your mouth and go on about your day.
As Effective as Braces
The use of an Invisalign corrector has been proven to be as effective as wearing traditional braces. The success rate is high and requires less frequent visits to your orthodontist for tightening and new elastics.
Fewer Chances of Dental Emergency
Believe it or not, many brace wearers find themselves in need of emergency dental services. Sometimes concerning the difficulty brace wearers have cleaning their teeth. Research shows that there’s an 80% less chance of emergency dental work needed for Invisalign wearers compared to traditional braces.
Less Painful Tightening and Treatments
It’s not just that multiple visits to the orthodontist are testing to your schedule; it’s also a nuisance to your comfort level. Patients who wear traditional braces experience intense pain the day after receiving braces, and every time they visit their orthodontist to have them tightened. This makes it uncomfortable to eat or even talk. Some brace wearers need to take the day off from school or work when they have braces tightened.
Invisalign wearers don’t have painful tightening. Instead, when your teeth have caught up with your Invisalign, a new corrector is made and placed onto your teeth. Invisalign may cause slight discomfort as teeth begin to move into place, but not the same type of pain traditional brace tightening causes.
For more information on Invisalign, call Bristol Dental at 1-866-673-2109 or 905-712-3409 or contact us here.
