Maybe you’ve always dreamed of having a beautifully straight smile. Maybe you’ve anticipated how it would make you feel about yourself to be proud of your appearance. But you may have put it off, thinking you’d have to have unsightly brackets and wires on your teeth for two to three years. With Invisalignยฎ Dr. Susan Dennis can give you the smile you’ve wanted in about a year. And the best part is, the aligners truly are invisible, so no one will ever be able to tell you’re wearing them.
Comparingย Invisalign toย Traditional Orthodontist Treatment
With traditional treatment, your orthodontist will attach metal brackets to your teeth with wires that can be loosened and tightened to slowly bring your teeth into alignment. The process usually takes two to three years, though it can last longer. And extra care is needed to ensure that the teeth are cleaned efficiently throughout the period of treatment.
With Invisalign treatment, Dr. Dennis will first determine if you are a candidate. There are some rare instances when the teeth are too crowded to allow for efficient movement with invisible aligners. Dr. Dennis will then take a digital scan of your teeth. She will send that scan along with her instructions to the Invisalign laboratory. Technicians there will enter the scan into a computer that will help determine the most effective series of movements to bring your teeth to their ideal alignment. The computer will then manufacture a complete set of aligners.
Once the aligners come back, Dr. Dennis will give them to you along with complete instructions, and you’ll snap in the first set. You’ll notice immediately that they don’t seem to fit right. This is because they are already exerting gentle pressure to move your teeth into a new position. Your teeth will move completely within a few days, and you’ll continue to wear the aligners for two weeks to stabilize them there. Then you will snap in a new pair.
With traditional orthodontist treatment, there are more appointments to get to, and those appointments will generally last longer and be more involved. With Invisalign, you will continue to see Dr. Dennis every two months or so, and she will check your progress. You can always see her if there is a problem, but your appointments will be fewer and generally quicker. And your dental hygiene will be a snap. Just remove your aligners to brush and floss as usual.
Best of all, your treatment will be completed within about a year, although circumstances vary, and the time could be longer or shorter. If you would like to learn more, click here to read our Invisalign page. Then give us a call or complete our request an appointment form. You may even request a complimentary consultation where you briefly discuss your options and situation before you commit to an exam.