Some patients may be reluctant to consult with an orthodontist about improving their smiles because they don’t want to spend years with their teeth obscured by unattractive brackets and wires. Now, there’s a better option for patients who prefer not to hide their smiles during treatment.
Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment system that uses clear, removable plastic trays to reposition the teeth rather than standard braces. Because the trays are nearly invisible, they don’t intrude on the smile’s appearance during treatment.
This treatment approach eliminates some of the other unpleasant aspects of traditional braces, including dietary restrictions and challenges to your oral hygiene routine. Because the trays can be removed at mealtime and when you brush and floss, you don’t need to cut out your favorite foods or navigate your dental floss around an archwire that limits your access to the gumline.
Additionally, the Invisalign trays are quite comfortable because they don’t have the sharp-edged brackets and wires that can break free and injure the soft tissues of your mouth.
To gain all of these benefits, however, the patient takes on more responsibility for the treatment. Your orthodontist will give you a schedule for wearing the trays and switching to the next tray in the sequence. You must follow this schedule closely in order to get the desired results in the projected timeframe. If you’re not wearing the trays for at least 22 hours a day, your teeth will not be repositioned as quickly as expected.
When Invisalign was first introduced, it was limited to rather simple, straightforward cases. But now Invisalign can be employed to resolve a variety of issues, including malocclusions (“bad bites”) and severe crowding. Even if your case is somewhat complex, Invisalign may be able to help you to improve your smile. It’s worth an evaluation to see.
Schedule an appointment with us to learn more about Invisalign and to see whether it may help you achieve your smile goals. For more information, contact San Antonio Orthodontics at 210-970-7638.