Invisalign In Addison, IL
You don’t have to wear uncomfortable metal braces to gain a straight smile when you visit Elite Dentistry PC for Invisalign®. Dr. Mohamed Waheed offers these clear aligners for patients who want a discreet, comfortable treatment that will straighten their teeth. Call our dentist today if you want to learn more about Invisalign in Addison, Illinois.
Invisalign® is a great choice for our patients who are searching for a more discreet orthodontic treatment option. Rather than using metal brackets and wires like traditional braces, the Invisalign system uses a series of custom-made, computer-generated plastic aligners to straighten your smile. Each set of aligners is designed to make small changes to the alignment of the teeth. As you switch sets of aligners about every two weeks, your teeth will be gradually, gently guided to their proper positions. You will also visit our office on a regular basis during treatment to make certain that your smile is progressing as planned.
In general, Invisalign can be used to treat the same orthodontic issues that are normally treated with braces. Our orthodontist may recommend Invisalign to correct:
- Crowded teeth
- Crooked teeth
- Gapped and spaced teeth
- Certain problems with the bite, such as an overbite, open bite, underbite, or crossbite
During your initial visit, we will determine whether you are a good candidate for Invisalign. This treatment is often a good choice for adult patients and others who are interested in a virtually invisible orthodontic treatment. In addition to being discreet, Invisalign aligners are also very comfortable because they are custom made from smooth, thin plastic. The aligners are removable as well, which allows you to easily remove them as needed in order to eat, brush, and floss. We welcome you to call or visit us today to learn more about Invisalign.
Is Invisalign Right for your Teen?
Is a clear aligner right for you? It all depends on what kind of orthodontic treatment you need. Traditional metal braces still work best in some situations — and you might be surprised to find that they're still a popular option for many teenagers! But now that aligners are being designed specifically for teens, more are choosing them every day.
What is a clear aligner? Basically, it's a thin plastic covering or “tray” that fits over your top and/or bottom teeth. You'll wear a series of aligners that will gradually move your teeth into better positions. Here's how they work: Each aligner is custom-made with the help of a computer program that takes into account exactly where your teeth are now, and how they need to be moved. You'll wear each tray for two weeks or so, to shift your teeth slightly, and then you'll go on to the next, which is slightly different. Over time, all of the small movements will add up to a big change!
A Clear Distinction
Your aligner is designed to be worn 22 hours a day, allowing you to take it off for meals or important social occasions. Yet even when you're wearing it, it's pretty hard for anyone else to tell it's there — a big difference from metal braces! Plus, it offers other advantages that aren't so easy to see.
One benefit of aligners over traditional braces is that they make your teeth easier to clean. Because they're removable, there's nothing to keep you from brushing and flossing everywhere in your mouth, just as you would without appliances. But brushing and flossing can be much harder to do around the brackets and wires of braces — and oral hygiene often suffers.
Some people also suffer irritation to the cheeks and gums from the metal parts of braces. Fortunately, the plastic of an aligner rarely causes that kind of problem. Plus, you won't have to rush into the dental office to quickly fix a protruding wire or reattach a broken bracket. You won't have to watch what you eat, either, because you'll simply remove the aligner at mealtimes.
An Aligner Just for Teens
Clear aligners for adults have been available for over a decade, but until recently they weren't recommended for teens in most cases. Why not? Chiefly, for two reasons: It was thought that teens wouldn't always wear them for the recommended 22 hours per day; also, since many teens have some permanent teeth still erupting (emerging from below the gums), the precisely planned movement of the teeth might be disturbed.
Luckily, technology has come to the rescue. The first problem is addressed by “compliance indicators” located on the aligners themselves. These colored dots fade over time as the aligners are worn in the mouth, showing whether or not you've followed the plan. To solve the second problem, aligners made especially for teens come with “eruption tabs” built in; they are designed to hold space for teeth that have not yet fully erupted.
