Everything You Need To Know About Invisalign® Braces

Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and correction of misaligned teeth, jaws, and bite patterns. While trying to improve teeth function, orthodontic treatment can also help to protect the teeth from tooth decay and improve the appearance of the teeth. Therefore, orthodontic treatment is used for both cosmetic and reparation purposes. Orthodontic treatments employ the use of dental devices to correct irregularities. There is a wide range of options available for general, cosmetic, and reparative treatments in orthodontics. The misalignment or irregularities in the teeth might be caused by gum diseases like gingivitis, accident, injury, or trauma to the face, early loss of milk teeth, and undue pressure on the teeth. These might lead to the growth or development of crooked, gapped, crowded, and misaligned teeth. Orthodontic treatments help to straighten and restore teeth with these deformities with the use of dental devices such as braces, retainers, aligners, etc. However, these orthodontic devices are conspicuous and make an orthodontic treatment obvious. For kids and adolescents, the use of these obvious orthodontic devices might cause issues of low self-esteem when they are among their peers. Fortunately, getting Invisalign in Elk Grove helps to offer less conspicuous orthodontic treatments.

Invisalign® is the trademark brand name for a type of clear aligners used for orthodontic treatments. Clear aligners are orthodontic treatment devices that are a transparent, plastic form of dental braces used for the correction of orthodontic issues. Being the first producer of clear aligners, Invisalign® has become a common name for clear aligners. However, Invisalign® is just a clear aligner producing brand found in 1997 by two college students seeking to provide less noticeable orthodontic treatment options to people in need of them. Invisalign aligners, according to their name, are almost invisible and are less noticeable than their traditional braces counterpart. Invisalign aligners help you undergo orthodontic treatments without worrying about how your teeth look or what people think. Invisalign aligners are suitable for both kids and adults.

Invisalign braces help to fix the following orthodontic problems:

1. Malocclusion. This is the abnormal alignment of the upper and lower teeth. Types of malocclusion include:

• Open bite. This occurs when the upper and lower teeth do not meet.
• Overbite. This occurs when the upper front teeth protrude over the lower front teeth.
• Underbite. In this case, the lower teeth extend farther than the upper teeth.
• Crossbite. This occurs when the upper and lower teeth do not meet when the mouth is closed.

2. Gap teeth. This is the abnormal spacing between the teeth.
3. Crowded teeth. This occurs when there isn’t enough space to accommodate all the teeth in the mouth.

How To Get Invisalign® Aligners

You can get an Invisalign treatment near you from a dentist in Elk Grove. The first step in doing this is a consultation with a dentist near you. This would help your orthodontist make a 3D image of your teeth and jaw to map out a treatment plan for you. This treatment plan is then used to create series of customized aligners. These aligners apply pressure to your teeth, causing them to shift and move into place gradually. This might require you to switch a set of aligners once a week or two.

Pros of Invisalign® Aligners

The advantages of Invisalign aligners include:

• Aesthetics. Invisalign aligners are practically invisible and cannot be seen by other people easily. This makes your teeth attractive even while receiving orthodontic treatment.
• Ease of use. Invisalign aligners are removable and therefore do not make eating, brushing, and flossing any more difficult, unlike traditional braces.
• Comfort. Invisalign aligners are comfortable to wear. They are smooth and made of plastic. Therefore, you do not have to worry about cuts and bruises which can occur with traditional braces.
• Maintenance. Invisalign aligners are easy to maintain.

Cons Of Invisalign® Aligners

The disadvantages of Invisalign aligners include:

• Expensive. Invisalign aligners are expensive and mostly not covered by insurance.
• Discomfort. Getting Invisalign aligners for the first time can be painful and requires time for your teeth to adjust.
• Long hours of wearing. Invisalign aligners must be worn for at least 24 hours to make sure it works.