Invisalign Clear Braces to Make the Most Out of Your Orthodontic Treatment Experience
Invisalign clear aligners can be an excellent alternative for your Fairfield orthodontic treatment at Westwalk Orthodontics Group. Adults and teens enjoy their journey with these orthodontic appliances because of the many advantages they have over traditional braces and legacy methods.
While traditional metal braces are an amazing orthodontic appliance that allows us to fix our smiles, they can many times get in the way of our daily lives. Firstly, they are very obvious in plain sight, changing our smile perception from a natural look to a metallic one. Second, they are very uncomfortable due to the constant friction between our soft inner mouth tissue and the metal pieces. Lastly, they require a lot of sacrifice in the form of dietary restrictions.
On the other hand, clear braces are much less noticeable than regular conventional braces and thus allow their users to enjoy a better overall experience when it comes to looks and confidence with their smiles. However, other problems remain. Any patient will still need to follow a diet, and they will still suffer from irritation due to the ceramic or metal pieces. Here is where Invisible aligners shine the most.
Many individuals believe that the additional cost is well worth it when they consider all the advantages. Make sure you consult with a trusted dental specialist about your case.
Patients have many reasons to engage in orthodontic care, but many go to a specialist’s office without knowing much about their options and what to expect. Our team will help you fully understand everything your treatment plan implies, and these blogs will help you explore all your treatment options.
What Are Clear Aligners?
Clear aligners are transparent plastic trays molded to a patient’s teeth to fit tightly over them. Clear aligners are a type of orthodontic appliance, specifically, an alternative to braces, that allows Fairfield orthodontists to move a person’s teeth and jaw to a more suitable place.
Clear aligners move the patient’s teeth by applying light, constant pressure on the whole row of teeth. After a few weeks of movement, your Norwalk orthodontist will give you a new set of plastic aligners for you to put on. They will move your teeth even further into their optimal location. This pattern will repeat multiple times throughout your aligner treatment until you have the healthy, straight, beautiful smile that you want.
Now, Invisalign itself is a commercial brand for clear aligners. This orthodontic appliance is not exactly new, but it continues leveraging several design innovations and advances in materials science. The official Invisalign website indicates these aligners are BPA-free. This fact should help put some concerns at ease; after all, they use nearly transparent materials that remain safe for prolonged use.
Invisalign braces in Fairfield are a great alternative to braces as they can also fix many dental misalignments, known as malocclusions, in similar timeframes. Of course, each option has its own set of advantages and disadvantages that we will explore in the later segments.
The Advantages of Clear Aligners
The first and foremost advantage of Invisalign’s invisible braces is that you can’t see them. They are virtually invisible to anyone who is not looking for them. This allows patients to keep their confident smiles while they are working for a healthier, straighter version of it. With this added benefit, patients are less likely to form any type of confidence issue as well as it makes it less likely for anyone to make fun of them because of an appliance.
We want to be very clear about the following point. You shouldn’t let potential comments from others discourage you from pursuing orthodontic corrective treatments. These aligners will help reduce the risk of people noticing your appliance, but that should never discourage you from a type of treatment that helps your dental and overall health.
Another advantage is their simplicity and their removable nature. The fact that they don’t need any uncomfortable metallic parts and they just sit their thigh on your teeth makes them much more comfortable than other orthodontic treatment options. There is no irritation from metal parts, there are no wires to poke at you, and there are no pieces that can get loose if you eat something out of your diet.
How to Maintain Good Oral Hygiene With Clear Aligners?
As with any other orthodontic appliance, you need to be very careful about your oral hygiene if you want to maintain proper oral health, keep your treatment on track, and get the results you expect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that in the 2015-2016 period, 53.8% of American teens suffered from some type of tooth decay and that in 2012 around 47.2% of US adults suffered from periodontal disease. Making it clear that oral hygiene is a very delicate subject that we need to be more careful about.
Fortunately, with Invisalign in Fairfield, it is quite easy to brush and floss your teeth compared to traditional and ceramic braces in Norwalk. With Invisalign, you can remove your appliances when you need to brush and floss, leaving obstacles between you and your teeth.
Aside from the normal rules for proper oral health, like brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing once a day. You have to make sure to at least thoroughly rinse your aligners every time you are putting them back on. Normally, you’ll only remove your aligners when you are eating. This means that when you go to put them back on after your meal, you’ll be trapping a bunch of bacteria and food particles with you unless you brush your teeth or rinse before putting your trays back on.
You’ll have to clean your aligners whenever you brush your teeth. Use a soft formula soap or toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove all the bacteria and food on the appliance. You may find it easier to brush the outer side of your aligners while they are still on.
Remember that if your teeth decay or lose strength, they won’t resist the movements required for your treatment’s success.
Who Can Wear Clear Aligners?
When it comes to age, anyone can wear clear aligners. There is no age limit for orthodontic patients who are looking to get a straighter smile, and patients as young as six years can start their journey into more healthy teeth and jaw development. Invisalign offers its regular line of Invisalign clear aligners and its line for younger patients, Invisalign First.
Invisalign First is a type of interceptive treatment, meaning its aim is to fix currently developing orthodontic issues when possible and to guide the development of the jaws and other dental structures.
While we now know that Invisalign offers services for every age, we still don’t know exactly when a child, teen, or adult qualifies for Invisalign. The answer is simpler than you might believe.
With all the modern-day technological advances, Invisalign manages to fix a great variety of malocclusions, including overbite, underbite, open bite, crowded teeth, crossbite, and more. The only type of cases that Invisalign can’t deal with are very severe types of malocclusions. These cases require more pulling strength than what the clear aligners can offer, so it’s best to use regular braces for them.
Will I Have to Stop Eating Something With My Clear Aligners?
You won’t have to stop eating anything with your clear aligners. As long as you remove your aligners before any type of meal, you are invited to eat whatever your heart desires. This is because while your aligners are transparent and easier to use, they can still receive some damage if you put excessive pressure on them.
Similarly, you can only drink lukewarm or cold water when you are wearing your aligners. If you consume something too hot, you run the risk of warping your Invisalign aligner tray into an unusable piece of plastic.
If you consume anything other than water, you run the risk of staining your aligners. While stained aligners won’t damage the treatment results, it could prove to be a little bothering to have a yellowish tint in your smile for a couple of weeks until you get the new batch of plastic trays.
How Long Will I Have to Wear Clear Aligners?
When it comes to daily use, you’ll have to wear them for around 20 to 22 hours a day for them to move your teeth into the desired position. The remaining hours of the day are usually the assigned time to eat and clean your aligners in one day.
If you are talking about the entire treatment as a whole, it gets a little more complicated. Depending on your specific condition, your treatment time can last anywhere between 12 to 18 months. That is, of course, if you are great at complying with your orthodontist’s recommendations.
If you don’t follow your orthodontist’s instructions, you could develop a dental issue that requires immediate intervention that could end up pausing the treatment, such as severe periodontal disease. Additionally, losing your aligners will only put a halt to your treatment and even set you back a little until your Fairfield orthodontist can get you a new pair.
For the most part, however, you won’t have too many problems with your aligners. Considering that you’ll use them all the time, losing them is almost impossible. Just make sure to brush and floss your teeth every day and to visit your dentist’s office regularly for a professional cleaning and check-up.
Get Help From Qualified Orthodontists
The specialists at Westwalk Orthodontic Group are among the best orthodontists Westport residents have at their disposal. Get in touch with us to schedule an appointment and check if Invisalign is for you.
We will help you start your orthodontic care and guide you to achieve the best results. Getting the beautiful and healthy smile you want and deserve requires time and effort, but with a professional team at your back, you will achieve it without delay.
Hope to see you soon!
Our Norwalk Westwalk Orthodontics Group office is located 10-15 min away from the maritime aquarium at Norwalk, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Lockwood-Mathews Mansion, Sheffield Island Ferry, Norwalk Historical Society Museum, and Mill Hill Park.