Invisalign is a multi-award-winning alternative to braces that will give you the straight teeth you have always been dreaming of. Invisalign is effective, non-invasive, and practically invisible thanks to the clear aligners.
Invisalign’s invisible teeth straightening technology was first launched back in 1999. It consists of a series of plastic aligners that gradually and gently move the teeth into the desired position. Your Invisalign trained doctor at Glow Dental will take a 3-D image of your teeth and then work with you to create a treatment plan. This will involve a series of custom-made aligners, each of which is worn for two weeks before you switch to the next as the treatment progresses.
These invisible braces can be used by patients of all ages. So if you have always regretted the fact that you didn’t get that orthodontic treatment as a teenager and have gone through life feeling self-conscious about your smile, it is not too late to do something about it!
What Can Invisalign Do for You?
Having crooked or gapped teeth can be truly debilitating. It goes beyond a feeling of self-consciousness about smiling. In many cases, you feel reluctant to even have others look you in the face. This can have a hugely damaging effect on both your personal and professional life, affecting both your self-confidence and the way others perceive you.
However, the potential consequences of misaligned, gapped, or overcrowded teeth are not just cosmetic. They can also be hard to thoroughly clean, leading to dental health problems that include tooth decay and gum disease.
Why Use Invisalign?
Invisalign takes a 21st-century approach to teeth straightening. The stage by stage process of using a series of aligners means your teeth are repositioned in a carefully timed way for maximum effectiveness and minimum discomfort. This level of control is impossible to achieve with conventional metal braces.
But that is just one advantage of using Invisalign aligners. Conventional braces can be highly uncomfortable and are prone to causing irritation and chafing inside the mouth. When using transparent Invisalign dental braces, you may feel some pressure with each change of aligners, but this is often less discomfort and pain when compared to traditional metal braces.
Invisalign is also less disruptive to your day to day life. You can remove the aligners to eat or brush your teeth, so you are not constrained in terms of eating your usual diet and maintaining your regular oral health routine. The fact that you can pop the aligners in and out yourself also means fewer routine visits to your dentist during treatment. With traditional braces, will usually need to see you every three to four weeks.
But most people believe the biggest advantage of all to Invisalign is that the treatment is so discreet. By using clear braces very few people will notice that you are undergoing treatment – until, that is, they suddenly notice something different about your smile!
Types of Invisalign Available
There are four types of Invisalign treatment available:
Invisalign comprehensive represents the most popular treatment. It includes as many aligners as your Invisalign trained doctor deems necessary and is effective for even the most complex treatments.
Invisalign moderate is a variation aimed at minor to moderate cases, involving a limited number of aligners. Given that there is only a small cost difference, most patients prefer the Full option and the associated flexibility of as many aligners as necessary.
Invisalign lite is a short course of treatment that provides a set of 14 aligners. It is suitable for minor cases but has limitations.
Invisalign express is a new treatment programme, suitable for patients who only have minor orthodontic needs such as a single crooked tooth.
The cost of Invisalign treatment varies on a case by case basis. Your dentist will be able to tell you more about this when you come in to see us for your initial consultation, as well as offering advice on which of the above treatment types is most appropriate for your circumstances. We have a common question and answer section below that our patients often find useful.
