Conventional braces, especially the ones that use visible wires on the exterior side of the teeth are a cause of embarrassment for many wearers and the length of the dental realignment process also causes resentment toward conventional solutions, that’s why more and more people recognize the advantages of Invisalign, invisible braces that align teeth in an efficient and almost unnoticeable way.
What Is, in Fact, Invisalign?
Invisalign is the new method of dental realignment that uses the most advanced 3D computerised technology to create a set of clear braces based on the patient’s facial and dental features. The process of creating Invisalign braces starts with a complex scanning of the patience head with special focus on the teeth and the jaws. The scan that represents the actual position of the teeth is than correlated to the desired results and the milestones of the process – the stages that require the patient to switch to a new Invisalign tray – are defined. Depending on the number of these milestones, a set of clear trays is manufactured. When the trays are ready to be used, the patient starts using the first one in the set and wears it until the teeth move into the position for which the next tray in the line has been created. Each tray is worn for a period of two or three weeks and the process continues until all the aligners in the set have been used and the teeth have occupied the desired position.
The patient is required to wear Invisalign for at least 20 hours a day. The first results will be noticeable after about 2 or 3 months, but the complete duration of the process depends on how much the teeth are supposed to move by the end.
The Advantages of Invisalign
Invisalign uses the most advanced dental realignment technologies, therefore it is a relatively high-priced solution, but it offers numerous benefits that more conventional solutions cannot compete with:
- Invisalign braces are made from clear material and they are hardly noticeable;
- Unlike most types of traditional braces that can be removed only by the dentist or by the orthodontist, Invisalign braces can be easily taken out by the patient for brief periods, thus making the process of eating and drinking more comfortable and free from embarrassment;
- Safety – Invisalign braces are made from soft, flexible material that does not cause any harm to the enamel of the teeth. They don’t have any sharp edges and they do not cause the demineralization of the teeth they come into contact with;
- Duration – with conventional braces, the realignment process can take up to 5 years. Invisalign braces might look very soft and the realignment process is very gentle, indeed, but in most cases, Invisalign does not take longer than a year to move the patient’s teeth to the desired position, and many dentists in Lakewood now offer invisalign.
The wonderful advantages of Invisalign have already convinced thousands of patients that the extra costs are well worth it – if you are interested, too, find an specialist in your area who uses Invisalign technology and find out more about the details and the costs of the process.