Invisalign clear aligners are a great option for fixing crowded teeth, gaps in teeth, overbites, underbites, and closing extraction spaces. However, it cannot fix severe malocclusions like incisor extrusion or correction of molar rotations.
韓国歯科The Invisalign process begins with a consultation appointment at your dental office. A 3D digital scan of your smile will then be taken.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a treatment that uses clear aligners to correct the alignment of teeth. The aligners are custom-made for each patient using a 3D scan of their mouth. Each tray is designed to move the teeth in small increments until they are in their final positions. Invisalign is a more discreet treatment than traditional braces, making it popular with adults and teenagers who do not want their appearance to be marred by wires and brackets.
The aligners are also removable, so patients can eat and drink without the restrictions of metal braces. Additionally, they can brush and floss as usual. Some dental insurance plans cover the cost of Invisalign, and many flexible spending accounts allow patients to use funds for this treatment.
On occasion, we will need to add attachments to Invisalign. These are usually small enamel ridges that click into the trays and help to shift the teeth more effectively. These are most commonly used when treating crowded teeth, in which case we may need to carry out an Invisalign procedure known as interproximal reduction (IPR).
How Does Invisalign Work?
Invisalign is a series of clear BPA-free thermoplastic aligners that gently straighten your teeth. Your dentist will take X-rays and digital scans of your mouth to evaluate the position and health of your teeth. They will then input this information into a computer software system to create 3D mockups of your tooth positioning.
Then they will create a personalized treatment plan based on your specific needs. Your customised trays will be fabricated at an off-site laboratory from clear, transparent thermoplastic. They will feel tight when you first wear them but this will disappear as your teeth move and adjust to their new positions.
You must wear your trays for 20 to 22 hours per day for the best results. You can remove them when eating or drinking (plain water is okay) but you must remember to put them back in promptly. We recommend that you brush and floss your teeth regularly as well as rinsing your aligners.
What Are the Benefits of Invisalign?
Most people know that straighter teeth are more attractive, but they also offer a number of health benefits. For example, they are easier to keep clean, which reduces gum disease and other tooth problems. Additionally, straighter teeth are less likely to break or chip.
Patients with crooked or overcrowded teeth often feel self-conscious about their smiles. Invisalign can help correct these issues, which can boost a patient’s confidence and improve their lives in many ways.
Additionally, Invisalign can be very affordable for most patients. Most insurance companies cover part of the cost of Invisalign, and many orthodontists offer payment plans that make it easier to manage the costs of treatment. Finally, medically necessary dental and orthodontic treatments are tax deductible. Patients should save all of their receipts to claim their tax savings. A qualified dentist or orthodontist can help you determine if you qualify for this deduction.
How Much Does Invisalign Cost?
Many dental insurance plans that include orthodontic coverage will cover at least a portion of the cost of Invisalign. This is usually a percentage of the overall treatment cost or a fixed dollar amount, says Dr. Eckhardt.
If you are paying out-of-pocket for Invisalign, it’s important to choose a dentist or orthodontist with significant experience with the product. Invisalign assigns each provider an experience level, or tier, that shows how many cases they have successfully treated. Choosing a doctor with little experience could lead to unsatisfactory results.
A patient’s compliance with their Invisalign aligners will also influence the overall treatment cost. This is because the aligners must be worn 20 to 22 hours per day, as directed by their orthodontist or dentist. If a patient fails to wear their aligners properly, it can lead to longer treatment times and thus higher overall costs. To reduce the impact of this, many dentists and orthodontists offer monthly payment plans for Invisalign that allow patients to pay for the entire treatment with affordable payments.
How Long Will Invisalign Take?
There is no simple answer to this question as the duration of Invisalign treatment will vary depending on each individual’s case. In general, however, the treatment can take between six and 18 months to complete.
During the initial stages of your treatment, your orthodontist will create digital impressions of your teeth and design your custom-made Invisalign trays. After your aligners are created, you will switch out the old ones for the new ones every two weeks and visit your orthodontist once a month to ensure that the treatment is on track.
Invisalign generally works faster on teens and young adults compared to older patients as their mouths and jaws are still developing, but regardless of your age, the duration of your Invisalign treatment will depend on your compliance with wearing your trays and how severe your dental issues are. If you don’t wear your trays as often as recommended, it will slow down the process of straightening your smile.
Will Invisalign Work for Me?
For best results, Invisalign users must wear the clear plastic aligners 20 to 22 hours a day, removing them only to eat and brush teeth. Every one to two weeks, they receive a new tray that shifts the position of their teeth ever so slightly. This continues until they have reached the end of their treatment plan and a transformed smile.
Generally, Invisalign works best for older teenagers and adults who have all of their permanent teeth. It’s also important that teeth and gums be healthy and free of gum disease. Finally, patients must be willing to adhere to the guidelines set by their dentist or orthodontist and attend follow-up appointments every 6 to 8 weeks.
Some of the benefits of Invisalign include that it tends to correct teeth alignment issues faster than traditional metal braces. Additionally, Invisalign is less noticeable than dental appliances like glue-on braces and fixed retainers.