Would you like to fix your smile without the hassle of traditional braces? Is the appearance of braces preventing you from straightening your teeth? At Nasser in Shreveport, Louisiana, we offer Invisalign braces to help you achieve the smile of your dreams without the discomfort of traditional braces.
What is Invisalign and what are its advantages? Is this method as effective at straightening teeth as regular wire braces? Is it safe? We’re sure that you have many questions about treatment, and we’re here to help answer them.
What Is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a teeth-straightening treatment involving a series of dental alignment trays that are created specifically for your teeth. Trays are made from invisible plastic which is smooth and comfortable. Aligners are simply placed over your teeth, gradually shifting and straightening them to give you the perfect smile you deserve.
Our dental staff prepares your special alignment tray so that your teeth shift in the correct direction, fixing your smile with ease and comfort. Alignment trays do not require tightening or metal brackets. Because they’re made out of clear, plastic material, most people won’t recognize that you’re wearing alignment trays.
What Are the Benefits?
These alignment trays offer a host of advantages to traditional wire braces. Made out of smooth, clear plastic, the trays are very discreet and go undetected by many people. Alignment trays are also easier to care for since they don’t require wire tightening.
Treatment Is Discrete and Comfortable
The clear aligner trays are made from a patented thermoplastic material created especially for Invisalign treatment. Because these FDA-approved aligners are completely clear, treatment is very discrete. Most people undergoing treatment can smile, laugh, and engage in conversations without others knowing that they’re straightening their teeth.
The aligner trays contain no BPA, BPS, latex, or gluten, making them comfortable and safe for the majority of people. Trays are thin, clear, and fitted to the shape of your teeth. This allows them to slide snugly over your teeth and remain virtually invisible.
Treatment Requires Less Hassle
Because the aligners are made out of plastic, there are no brackets and no requirements to tighten wires. Free of metal brackets and wires, you’ll also be free of the risk of oral irritation or wire breakage that could result in emergency dental visits. Treatment is thus free of many of the restrictions that come with traditional braces.
With clear alignment trays, you are able to eat more types of foods than with traditional braces because the trays can be removed before meals. You can also remove the trays before brushing and flossing your teeth and before special occasions. Many patients are able to achieve a perfect smile and beautiful results without the added hassle that comes with traditional braces.
How Is the Alignment Tray Customized?
We use something known as the iTero Element to accurately get an image of your teeth. The iTero Element is one of the latest digital dental imaging technologies and is used to capture a digital impression of your teeth. After capturing a 3D digital image of your teeth, we use this model to create your customized Invisalign alignment tray.
The iTero Element digital imaging technology also provides a 3D image of the predicted outcome of your treatment. With this model, you will be able to see what your smile may look like after treatment. Because the alignment tray is designed using an accurate 3D model from the iTero Element, your treatment is guaranteed to be effective, comfortable, and fitted just for you.
Is Treatment As Effective as Traditional Braces?
This treatment has been effective for over 8 million users. Because aligners are made from patented, clear material that moves teeth comfortably and predictably, treatment is usually successful at helping patients achieve the smile of their dreams.
Before we begin your treatment, you will undergo a consultation with one of our medical staff. With a personalized treatment plan and an individually customized alignment tray, we can guarantee a comfortable and effective experience. After treatment, you will most likely have the smile that you have always dreamed of without the discomfort of the traditional teeth-straightening process.
Is Treatment Safe?
Alignment trays are made from FDA-approved plastic that is free of latex, parabens, phthalates, glutaraldehyde, epoxy, or BPA. All aligner materials are made from medical-grade, thermoplastic polymers. The materials used for aligners were chosen due to their safety classifications and properties.
The numerous tests done on aligners prove their biocompatibility and show that they pass all necessary regulatory requirements for humans to wear in their mouths. Since aligners are also gluten-free, even patients with celiac disease, gluten intolerances, or gluten allergies can undergo treatment. Because alignment trays are completely free of any wiring, you won’t have to worry about the potential oral emergencies that come from traditional braces.
Does Treatment Work As Fast as Braces?
Just like with traditional teeth-straightening, the length of treatment depends on your individual dental conditions and desired results. How often you wear your aligners also plays a significant role in the speed of results. Because aligners give you the freedom to choose when you’ll wear them, the speed of your results often depends on you.
We will give you personalized advice and recommendations on how long your treatment will take. However, similar to traditional braces, treatment lasts between 12 to 18 months on average. If you choose to wear your aligners consistently, you may even begin to see results in a matter of weeks.
How Often Should I Wear and Change Aligners?
We recommend that you keep your aligners on for 20 to 22 hours a day in order to achieve the best results. If you take them out simply for eating, drinking, brushing, flossing, and the occasional special outing, you will most likely see the quickest results.
After your consultation and creation of your aligners, we will tell you how often you should change your tray. The frequency of how often you change your tray will usually depend on your personalized treatment plan. Many of our patients change their aligners every two weeks.
Can I Eat With Aligners?
You should not eat or drink with your alignment trays in your mouth. We always recommend that you remove your alignment trays before meals and snacks or before drinking beverages other than water. Eating or drinking while wearing your aligners not only damages the thermoplastic material, but it can also lead to stains on the surface of the tray.
It’s important to brush your teeth after every meal and before re-inserting your aligners in order to avoid staining the inside of your tray. If you drink beverages containing colorful fruits, vegetables, or dyes, it’s important that you rinse your mouth or brush your teeth before putting aligners back inside. Colorful fruits and vegetables such as blueberries or tomatoes can visibly stain your aligners.
How Can I Clean and Maintain Aligners?
Our medical staff can provide you with a specialized cleaning system made specifically for treatment. You can use this system to thoroughly clean your alignment tray. You can also brush your aligners with a toothbrush and toothpaste and rinse them in water at room temperature. You should never use hot water to clean your aligners since the heat could disfigure the plastic.
If you happen to drop your aligners in an unsanitary place, it’s important to sterilize them before cleaning them and putting them back inside your mouth. You can sterilize them with specialized cleaning crystals formulated specifically for treatment. Our medical staff can provide you with this solution or with advice on where you can buy it.
Can I Sleep With Alignment Trays On?
You can definitely sleep with your alignment trays inside your mouth. We actually recommend that you keep your alignment trays on while sleeping. The only times you should remove your alignment trays are before eating, drinking, brushing, flossing, or for special occasions.
Sleeping with your trays on is a great way to ensure that you wear your trays for 20 to 22 hours out of the day. Doing this not only accelerates your progress, but it also helps your teeth and mouth adjust quicker to treatment. Because the alignment trays are so comfortable, you’ll have virtually no problem sleeping with them on.
Can I Feel The Trays In My Mouth?
Unlike traditional braces, treatment with clear alignment trays isn’t extremely noticeable. Though the aligners will feel different to your teeth, gums, tongue, and lips, they will fit comfortably, and you will gradually adjust to the feeling, making it less noticeable. Most patients adjust and become comfortable with wearing the aligners after about two weeks.
The adjustment period is quicker and less invasive than that of traditional braces. Because the alignment trays are made from FDA-approved patented thermoplastic material, and because we use the iTero Element to properly create a tray that fits your unique smile, Invisalign treatment is ultimately more comfortable and less noticeable than traditional braces.
How Often Will I Need to See the Orthodontist?
We will schedule regular appointments about every one to six weeks in order to make sure your treatment is effective and comfortable. Unlike with braces, these checkups don’t require any wire tightening or bracket adjustments. If we notice something amiss with your treatment or with your aligners, we will make sure to immediately rectify the problem so that you can achieve your dream smile as soon as possible.
Is Treatment Safe for Children?
Treatment is safe for children and teenagers as long as their teeth have developed to the appropriate stage. Clear aligners prove to be just as effective for children and teenagers as for adults. Among the 8 million people that have had successful treatment with Invisalign, more than 1.4 of them have been teenagers.
Though treatment is safe and effective for children and teenagers, there are some tips to remember so that they get the most out of their treatment. Since treatment affords patients the freedom to remove their aligners when they want, children and teenagers should be mature enough to keep their aligners in, even if they don’t want to. If they constantly remove their aligners, they won’t see results.
Schedule a Consultation Today
Treatment with Invisalign comes with many advantages over traditional braces. Discrete, comfortable, and just as effective as wire braces, treatment with clear aligners gives you the freedom to live life with confidence while working towards your dream smile. Schedule a consultation today with Nasser Orthodontics in Shreveport, Louisiana, and let us help you or your child achieve a perfect smile that leaves lasting impressions.