Your Diamond Invisalign® Provider
Making a choice of a clear aligner to treat your orthodontic issue is important and you may want to know all the facts before making any decision. Here, Dr. Vick has your covered. He explains the facts everyone should look for before deciding on a clear aligner.
What should I know about clear aligners?
Clear aligners are removable orthodontic appliances which straighten your teeth in a similar way to braces, but minus all the metal and painful wires. Clear aligners are constructed from transparent plastic, making them look pretty much invisible to the causal observer.
Before your make your final decision about which orthodontic option works best for you, Dr. Vick would like to share some things your may want to keep in mind as you make this important choice. He loves to help his patients make the most informed choice possible.
Clear aligners are a discreet option many patients appreciate.
Your clear aligners will be custom-made for your mouth so they precisely fit your teeth and gradually move them into their new, proper positions.
As their name suggests, these aligner are clear. They are, in fact, nearly undetectable on your teeth to a casual glance. They can be preferable to metal braces for this reason, since many patients are concerned with how their teeth will look as they undergo orthodontic treatment.
Clear aligners typically treat dental issues quickly and efficiently.
Although each orthodontic case is unique, most patient will see noticeable results within a couple months of beginning their orthodontic treatment . Their teeth begin top straighten as their custom orthodontic treatment plan begins to take effect.
With your hard work to stay on track and excellent at-home oral hygiene, in addition to check-in visits to your dentist, you will be able to see and feel the difference in your mouth.
You’ll level up on brushing.
You should brush and floss your teeth every time you take your aligners out of your mouth before placing them back in.
Food particles that would usually be washed away by your saliva can become trapped between your teeth and your clear aligners. This can be both uncomfortable and encourage tooth decay or gum disease! It can also result in the aligners turning yellow – yuck.
Make sure to properly and thoroughly clean your aligners.
Just like your teeth need to be cleaned each time you eat or drink, you’ll need to clean your aligners as well. Do not use toothpaste to clean your aligners, it is abrasive and can damage your appliance. Instead, rinse them with water, use clear aligner cleaning crystals, denture cleaner, or Retainer Brite.
You may want to remove and place your aligners in private.
Since your clear aligners will fit your teeth perfectly, it may be difficult to remove them once they are on and pop them back in again. You might be more comfortable doing this in a restroom where you can take as much time as you need – especially at first.
Do the math on how quickly you’ll need to eat and drink.
In order for your clear aligners to have their intended effect, you will need to wear them at least 22 hours of the day.
This means you will have to fit all of your eating, drinking, and oral hygiene in to two hours of your day. While this might seem a bit daunting at first, you will soon notice a couple benefits to this scheduling of your meals. For instance, you can say goodbye to mindless snacking (and the impact it can have on your waistline).
Don’t be surprised if your teeth feel loose.
Since your clear aligners will straighten your teeth slowly and gradually, your teeth might feel a bit loose when you remove the aligners. This is a perfectly normal part of the process of moving and realigning your teeth.
Don’t count yourself out.
Patients who come to Dr. Vick asking about clear aligners often wonder whether they’d be a candidate. The only way to find out is to ask and visit him for a consultation.
Depending on which clear aligners have caught your eye, they can be used to fix a number of different orthodontic issues. These can include crowded, gapped, or crooked teeth as well as crossbites and overbites. Dr. Vick is more that happy to assess your smile and help you find out if you would be a good candidate for clear aligner treatment.
You may need a retainer following treatment.
Your orthodontic treatment may not be quite finished after your wear the entire series of clear aligners as prescribed by your dentist. Wearing a retainer after the main course of your treatment will help to ensure your straight smile stays in its place.
Dr. Vick is here to support you.
Even though choosing clear aligners can come with their own unique challenges for you as an orthodontic treatment, Dr. Vick is here to support you all the way though the process. He will be just a phone call away in order to give you advice or answer your questions. And by the end of your treatment, you will have a healthier, straighter and more attractive smile!