Having a beautiful, healthy smile is a common aesthetic goal — and sometimes, it’s more than just aesthetic. How your teeth line up in your mouth can affect your ability to chew and talk. A smile that isn’t straight can also make you vulnerable to chipped teeth, jaw pain, and headaches.
In the past, the only means of straightening teeth was through years of dealing with traditional clunky metal braces and bands. While these traditional braces are effective, they are also restrictive, inconvenient, and uncomfortable to wear.
Today, there’s a better way to straighten teeth and gain a beautiful smile with Invisalign. The Invisalign system gradually repositions teeth just like traditional braces do, but without the metal, rubber bands, restrictions, or discomfort.
We fit many patients each year for Invisalign clear braces at Cynthia J. Mikula, DDS in Bay Village, OH, and love seeing their beautiful final results!
What Is Invisalign?
Invisalign braces involve wearing a series of clear, nearly invisible dental aligners that straighten teeth over time. A set of clear aligners are custom-made for each patient using advanced 3D computer imaging technology.
These aligners are worn in a specific order to slowly move teeth into better positions. Invisalign clear braces are made of medical-grade thermoplastic that is smooth, durable, and comfortable.
Each aligner is slightly different from the previous one to comfortably shift the position of teeth without the patient having to endure a mouth full of clunky metal. The aligners are completely removable — although they should be worn for at least 22 hours a day, they are easy to take out and replace for eating, drinking, and taking care of oral hygiene.
What Does Invisalign Treat?
Invisalign is an effective alternative to braces and can handle many of the same issues:
- Crowded teeth
- Gapped teeth
- Mild overbite
- Open bite
- Underbite
- Crooked teeth
- Crossbite
People with severe dental issues and those who have major tooth position problems may not be good candidates for Invisalign. However, there are many other types of dental treatments that can meet a wide array of complex needs.
How Does Invisalign Work?
These custom-made aligners are designed with cutting-edge 3D technology. We will use a digital scanner to determine both the current and optimal position of your teeth. Then, we will use this information to create a treatment plan that gradually shifts your teeth into the proper alignment.
Every patient’s treatment plan includes a different number of aligners. While you are undergoing treatment with Invisalign clear braces, you will receive a new aligner to replace the current one every few weeks.
Clear Invisalign braces straighten your teeth by applying controlled pressure only to certain teeth to align them with the others. Different teeth will be the target of this controlled force during certain phases in your course of treatment.
Since only specific teeth are targeted with each new set of clear braces, the rest of your teeth are unaffected, giving you a more comfortable solution than traditional metal braces can provide.
The Benefits of Invisalign over Traditional Metal Braces
There are several advantages to wearing these clear braces over traditional metal ones:
- They are virtually invisible
- They are removable
- They improve gum health
- They are comfortable
- There are no food restrictions
Additionally, clear braces can give you a more professional smile and a more refined overall look than traditional braces. That’s why many adult patients, especially those who work customer- or client-facing jobs, prefer Invisalign.
A short explanation of the benefits of wearing Invisalign braces for teeth straightening is warranted:
They Are Virtually Invisible
The thermoplastic that the aligners are made of is completely clear, so unlike metal braces, almost no one will be able to tell that you have them on except you! They also follow the curves of your teeth, hugging them close instead of appearing as a solid clear bar around your teeth.
They Are Removable
Take your Invisalign aligners out any time you need to! You can remove them when you eat and brush your teeth. It’s easy to keep your aligner clean by brushing it whenever you brush your teeth.
Invisalign Improves Gum Health
Since the aligners you wear are able to be removed, you’ll be able to clean and floss your teeth as often as you should without trying to navigate metal braces. Since there are no metal brackets with Invisalign, your gums won’t get sores or cuts, either.
The Aligners Are Comfortable
Traditional metal braces are often not comfortable at all, pulling on the teeth, poking the gums and cheeks with metal wire, and creating other problems. With Invisalign, you won’t experience these issues.
There Are No Food Restrictions
With metal braces, there are several foods that wearers should avoid, like bubble gum, nuts, gooey candy, and more. With Invisalign, you can just pop your aligners out and eat anything you’d like.
Invisalign Is a Lifestyle Choice
The cost of Invisalign is comparable to conventional braces. That’s just one of the many reasons that Invisalign is an excellent solution for people who don’t want the complications that traditional metal braces come with.
Many of our patients appreciate that wearing Invisalign clear braces allows them to maintain their lifestyle. No dramatic alterations of daily habits are needed; you don’t have to come to our office for constant tweaks and adjustments to the aligners, and you can avoid the dramatic change in appearance people undergo with traditional braces.
At Cynthia J. Mikula, DDS, we can do a before-and-after simulation of what Invisalign in Bay Village, OH, can do for you. If you’re interested in learning more about this revolutionary teeth-straightening system, contact us online or call us at (440) 510-3468 today!
