The Truth About Invisalign and How It Can Straighten Your Teeth

There are many misconceptions about Invisalign, including that it only works if your teeth are just slightly crooked. This is far more than a retainer and can certainly help to straighten your teeth, regardless of how crooked they are. In rare cases, crooked teeth need actual braces but this usually due to a severe misalignment of the jaw. In general, therefore, your crooked teeth can be made to look perfect by using Invisalign. Here are some of the other facts that you should know when it comes to straightening your teeth.

The Process

Though some people think that Invisalign is simply a retainer, this is not the case. At the end of the treatment, we will give the patient a retainer to wear in order to ensure that the teeth remain in place. However, while straightening the patient's teeth, the patient will be wearing a series of aligners. The aligners are a high-tech solution that we create with the use of computer imaging software to predict how the teeth will move.

Each aligner only moves the teeth slightly, so the next one in the series has to build upon what the last one did, and so on. This makes it important to wear the aligners in order. Each time that a patient puts one on, it will feel tight, making the teeth slightly sore. After a while, it will start to feel loose, meaning that it is time to wear the next one in the series. Once a patient goes through all of the aligners, the teeth will most likely be perfectly straight.

The Timeframe

While we would love to say that Invisalign can straighten teeth faster than braces, this is not necessarily the case. The length of time it takes to straighten teeth will depend on what the treatment does overall. It may take less time in that the patient does not have to wait for orthodontics treatments to make adjustments to the wires.

However, teeth must move in a set fashion and people who attempt to speed it up can cause unnecessary irritation or damage to the roots. In order to avoid that, we must move the teeth gradually. When a patient comes in for a consultation, we can discuss his or her treatment plan and how long it is likely to take.

The Cost

As an Invisalign dentist, we have found that some people are concerned about how much it will cost to straighten their teeth. While there is a common misconception that Invisalign is expensive, it can actually be fairly affordable, and if one can afford braces, then one should be able to afford this solution as well.

When a patient comes in for a consultation, the patient needs to let us know if there are any payment arrangements we need to make, and we will be happy to discuss options with the patient.

At Brimhall Dental Group, we can improve the appearance and function of your smile by using these clear aligners. If you want a discreet way to straighten your teeth, this is an excellent option and one that we encourage you to try.