You’re eager to transform your smile into a straighter stretch of pearly whites with your dentist’s help this year. But you’d prefer to do it without a mouth full of metal braces.
Good news. You can.
With transparent Invisalign aligners in Norwalk, you can straighten your teeth and correct bite issues without using wires and metal brackets. The removable aligners gradually shift teeth and straighten your smile with light pressure, resulting in a beautiful Hollywood smile.
Here’s a rundown on everything you need to know about how these aligners work and how they can improve your smile and, in turn, your confidence long term.
Who Can Use Invisalign Aligners?
Invisalign can help people with the following dental conditions or situations:
- A mixture of permanent and baby teeth (occurs in growing children)
- Crowded teeth (the jaw lacks adequate room for teeth to fit correctly)
- Open bite (bottom and top teeth do not meet)
- Gap teeth (additional spaces between the teeth)
- Crossbite (lower and upper jaws do not line up)
- Underbite (lower teeth extend beyond top front teeth)
- Overbite (upper teeth overlap lower teeth)
Invisalign works best for minor alignment issues. If you have missing teeth or severe misalignment, Dr. Abad may recommend another treatment.
How Do Invisalign Aligners Work?
Your Invisalign procedure will begin with a dental visit. Dr. Abad must first determine if you are a candidate for Invisalign. The dentist will examine both your bite and your teeth, then come up with a plan for straightening your teeth to your satisfaction. The computerized plan will show you exactly how your teeth will shift into alignment as you wear your virtually invisible trays.
Once you have agreed upon your dentist’s plan, a lab will fabricate your first set of Invisalign aligners. You’ll then wear this first set for 1-2 weeks. This will be followed by more sets of aligners over a specified period until you have achieved the smile you desire.
How Long Does the Invisalign Treatment Process Take in Norwalk?
Invisalign treatment typically takes 12-18 months. However, you might begin to notice changes in your smile in just a handful of weeks.
Steps in the Invisalign Treatment Process
Let’s take a look at the multiple steps you’ll go through on the path to enjoying straighter and more attractive-looking teeth.
Step One: When you’re ready to begin wearing your Invisalign aligners, your dentist will first evaluate your smile with the aligners on to ensure that the high standards of Invisalign treatment are met. It’s rare, but sometimes we need to make an adjustment before you begin the process.
Step Two: Next, your dentist will have you schedule in-person check-ups every several weeks. During this time, Dr. Abad will check your teeth’s progress. Over time, you will see your teeth shift into their proper places. The clear aligners are designed to put pressure on them and move them slowly. Before you leave the dental office, your dentist will also select your next aligner batch.
Step Three: During the treatment period, your Invisalign aligners should be worn for 20-22 hours daily to ensure the quickest and best results. Remove the aligners only to floss, brush your teeth, eat, or drink.
Step Four: Following treatment, you will be given high-quality Vivera retainers to wear at bedtime. These durable retainers will keep your new Hollywood smile looking great long term. What’s great about these retainers is that, like the aligners, they are virtually invisible. They are also custom-made to fit your smile’s every detail.
How Invisalign Differs from Other Aligner Treatments
The Invisalign treatment process in Norwalk is backed by 20-plus years of innovation, intelligence, and research, perhaps making it the oldest aligner treatment on the market today. At least 14 million people have improved their smiles with this product. For this reason, Invisalign is more predictable and advanced than other aligner treatments.
Here are a few other reasons to choose Invisalign over other treatment options.
Convenient Aligner Material
Invisalign aligners also stand out because they are fabricated from a material called SmartTrack. This unique material makes the aligners easy to take off and put on each day.
High-Tech Dental Scanning
Instead of imagining your new smile, you can see it using Invisalign’s special iTero Element scanning device. With this scanner, your dentist can use three-dimensional images to plan out your brand-new smile. The scanner takes 6,000 pictures per second and will lead to fewer rejections compared with physical dental impressions due to its accuracy.
Precision Wings
Finally, Invisalign aligners can come with precision wings that gradually move your lower jaw. This mandibular advancement solution can help you to enhance your bite as well as your chin’s appearance. This makes precision wings a handy tool for fixing overbites in teens and tweens while also straightening their teeth.
What Foods and Drinks Should You Avoid When Wearing Invisalign Aligners?
While you are undergoing the Invisalign treatment process in Norwalk, you should generally avoid consuming foods that might cause the teeth to become misaligned. These foods include, for example, sticky caramel and hard raw carrots.
You may also want to avoid consuming wine, tea, and coffee, as these could stain your clear aligners. Drinking a hot beverage while wearing your aligners is also a no-no, as the hot liquid could distort the clear plastic tray.
This doesn’t mean you can never have coffee! Just pop your aligners out before you drink it.
Take Advantage of Invisalign Aligners at Alondra Dental Care Today
If you are interested in straightening your teeth with Invisalign in Norwalk, Alondra Dental Care can get you started with the process. We’ll take a look at your teeth and tell you whether Invisalign is the solution you need to get the smile you desire.
When you choose us for your Invisalign aligners, you can rest assured that your experience in our office will always be enjoyable and satisfactory. That’s because we’ll always tailor your treatment plan to your unique needs. We also always clearly communicate the next steps. Call us to schedule an appointment to discuss how Invisalign may help you today.
