Invisible Aligners for a Perfect Smile
Published on Aug 21, 2019 and last reviewed on Nov 30, 2022 - 2 min read
Abstract
Custom made invisible aligners are orthodontic devices that are a transparent plastic form of dental braces used to adjust or move the teeth, which encourages even adults to have a "Perfect Smile."
Everyone's dream is to have a great smile, but they get stuck where to start from. Many people are experiencing success using clear orthodontic devices called "Aligners." Orthodontic braces encourage teeth to move using brackets connected with wires. Aligners are a series of custom-made tight fitted trays that slip over the teeth.
Can Anyone Get Invisible Teeth Aligners?
They are best for adults or teens because of their custom-built tight-fitting nature. Straightening a child's teeth is more complicated. Young clients and their jawbones are still growing and developing, which makes it difficult for the dentist to prepare custom-made trays for the entire procedure. These aligners are typically used for patients who have mild to moderately crowded teeth, or minor spacing issues. Patients with severe crowding or spacing problems may need more complicated orthodontic treatment.
How Do They Work?
The dentist decides and makes a plan for correcting the patient's teeth, which includes duplicating the teeth with respective jaws. The clear aligners have several versions with slight adjustments, which help the teeth to move. They are manufactured with clear plastic or acrylic material.
They are worn according to their types:
- Night worn - It has to be worn only at night, but at least 10 hours a day.
- Normal aligners - It is worn for 20 to 22 hours a day. This can be removed for eating, brushing, and flossing.
The patients get a new set of aligners every few weeks until the end of the treatment, to help the teeth move in the desired position.
How Long Does It Take to Straighten Teeth Using Invisible Aligners?
Treatment time with clear aligners depends on how much the teeth need to be moved or rotated. The more the teeth have to be moved, the longer it takes to complete the treatment. This usually takes around 10 to 24 months. But if the patient has done an orthodontic treatment before and teeth shifted slightly over the years, they may require around ten weeks with clear aligners this time.
Why Use Invisible Aligners over the Braces?
- Aligners can be removed if needed, like while eating, drinking, brushing, flossing, and social gatherings.
- Unlike conventional braces, aligners are more comfortable as they do not have rough edges or wires.
- As the teeth move to the new positions more quickly, the patients get motivated.
Are Teeth Straightening Just About Having a Great Smile?
Correcting crooked or misaligned teeth is not just creating a perfect smile. It benefits long-term oral health makes cleaning easy.
Oral Hygiene with Aligners:
Maintaining good oral hygiene is a long term commitment. When aligners are worn, few patients find it a bit difficult to maintain proper oral health. This can be done through using interdental brushes and flossing apart from usual brushing. Making sure the aligners are cleaned before every insert reduces the risk of plaque formation over time.
How Much Do Invisible Aligners Cost?
Treatment prices for these aligners are normally set by the dentist but can be more or less the same as the traditional braces, depending on how long the treatment time takes.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.
Is It Possible to Get Perfect Teeth Using Invisalign?
Invisalign is the most aesthetic orthodontic method to get perfectly aligned teeth within the arch. Although more expensive than traditional brackets, they are more aesthetic and more hygienic. The aligner trays can be removed and cleaned, ensuring proper oral hygiene.
2.
Can Invisalign Correct Smiles?
One of the prime goals of any orthodontic modality is to design a beautiful smile line. Often individuals are concerned and conserved about their smiles due to existing crookedness and misalignment within or across the arches. Invisalign can aid in correcting those imperfections along, hence, establishing a more natural and balanced arch relation, resulting in an improved smile.
3.
Can Invisalign Change the Shape of the Face?
Changing the shape of the face is a very aggressive change that is beyond the scope of Invisalign aligners. Small changes can be expected due to movement of the tooth within the arch, but extensive changes like jaw line changes require surgical interventions and is not an indication of clear alignment protocols.
4.
Do Direct Aligners Fit Perfectly?
Aligners are created off a perfect positive replica of the oral structures. These are replicated from digital or elastomeric impressions of the arches. Several trays for the entire span of treatment are made based on the initial impression, treatment plan, and expected final outcome. The trays, at least the first set, is supposed to have a snug fit. There might be some changes in fitting with subsequent sets, but ideally, the aligners are planned to fit perfectly with the changing alignment.
5.
What Is the Reason for the Teeth Not Being Perfect After Invisalign?
Perfection in the teeth visibility, from a layman's point of view, can be subjective, whereas the orthodontist or the Invisalign specialist aims to stride a perfectly functional and aesthetic harmony. After the period of aligner treatment, there may be small imperfections like gum problems, tooth yellowing, small misalignments, etc. These might be resultant of poor hygiene and not following the tray-wearing instruction throughout the treatment schedule. The patient may approach the orthodontist with their apprehensions which then can be attended to with further treatment.
6.
Which Teeth Are Contraindicated for Invisalign?
Some teeth may just be beyond the indication of Invisalign, but that does not mean that the patient can completely write off orthodontic treatment. Conditions like severe overbite, pegged teeth, severely rotated teeth, very large intra-tooth gaps, intruded or extruded teeth, or fixed prosthetics cannot be managed with Invisalign, but the patients still have the option of fixed orthodontic therapy (braces).
7.
Why Do Dentists Prefer Invisalign or Braces?
There is no consensus on this as dentists recommend treatment modalities based on multiple factors like patient age, financial status, intra-oral examination, degree of orthodontic disharmony, expected treatment duration, etc.
8.
What Is Beyond the Scope of Invisalign?
Some pre-existing dentoalveolar anomalies limit the usage of Invisalign like
- Extruded tooth.
- Severe rotation.
- Molar uprighting.
- Extraction spaces.
- Pegged teeth.
- Severe overbites.
- Presence of deciduous teeth
9.
Is Relapse Possible After Invisalign?
Orthodontic relapse is not specific to Invisalign treatment; rather, this can be expected from any orthodontic treatment modality. An orthodontic relapse is a multi-etiologic event ranging from lack of patient cooperation to clinical negligence.
10.
What Is the Reason for the Tooth Looking More Crooked With Invisalign?
As with all modalities of orthodontic treatment, especially within the first six months, the dentition might look much worse than it was before the treatment. This is an interim stage where the teeth are moved out to be repositioned gradually in a harmonious location.
11.
Do Invisalign Wearers Talk Differently?
Invisalign is a thin clear thermoplastic, and they do not have any profound, long-lasting effect on the speech of the wearer. During the initial days of treatment, the individual might notice a slight lisp in their speech which is most evident with “s,” “sh,” or “z” sounds.
12.
Can an Observer Notice the Aligners?
Aligners (or Invisalign) are tight-fitting and clear trays that enforce their actions with very subtle visibility. Casual onlookers may not even notice anything different. The buttons, elastics, attachments, and aligner edges might be the most noticeable part of the trays.
13.
Is It Possible for Invisalign to Make Lips Look Bigger?
Invisalign are thin clear plastics that are adapted over the tooth. During and after the treatment, the overall rest and position of the lips might change due to changes in the positioning of the incisors. Since this is a dentoalveolar treatment, aligners cannot change the fullness of the lips or make them look bigger.
14.
Is It Possible for Invisalign to Make the Face Look Slimmer?
Invisalign affects and modifies the tooth position and their inter-arch relationship. Over the course of treatment, the appearance of the cheeks and the lips might alter due to changes in the underlying tooth position. They do not affect the growth or appearance of the jawline. Overall, they can have an impact on the appearance of the face.
Last reviewed at:
30 Nov 2022 - 2 min read
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