What would you do if your family member is affected by a bad bite or has crooked and misaligned teeth? We are confident you will look for an orthodontist, a specialist in treating these issues. Would you for a moment believe Invisalign dentists also treat mild to moderate orthodontic dental problems? You may find it challenging to think of orthodontic treatments; a specialty is now also available from dentists.
Genuinely dentists aren’t qualified in the specialty of orthodontics because they don’t spend an additional two to three years pursuing further education after completing dental school. In most cases, dentists treating orthodontic problems work with orthodontists near them or refer patients to specialists when they notice any issues with their patients’ teeth.
Thankfully things were revolutionized by the late 90s by Align Technologies, the developers of clear teeth aligners to treat orthodontic issues. The clear aligners are available and known as invisible braces fitting snugly over your teeth to strengthen them. Therefore you can take your family member to an Invisalign certified provider to correct the issues in their mouths and give them the freedom of receiving orthodontic treatment without a mouth full of metal.
What Revolution Did Invisalign Bring in?
Until the late 90s, people with orthodontic problems had to undergo treatment from an orthodontist providing them traditional metal brackets and wires attached to their teeth for the straightening. Invisalign developed a new technology providing virtually invisible braces without metal brackets or wires connected.
Initially, people were skeptical about whether clear plastic aligners can indeed straighten their teeth until they were proven wrong by the invisible braces. You also can have a similar misconception in your mind until you visit the dental office near you with your family member for a dental evaluation. The dentist assesses your family member’s teeth and mouth to determine whether they are suitable for Invisalign treatment.
Invisalign clear braces can treat many orthodontic issues, and the treatment is suitable for everyone between 16 to 40. However, some complicated issues of underbites, open bites, crossbites, gaps between the teeth, crowded or crooked teeth are not treatable with Invisalign clear aligners. In such cases, you must take your family member to an orthodontist to receive traditional treatments.
The most significant revolution Invisalign ushered into orthodontics was creating the aligners, making them removable instead of attached to the teeth. If your family member doesn’t have any complicated situations and is considered suitable for Invisalign treatment, they receive a batch of clear aligners from the manufacturers they must wear over their teeth for about three weeks. At the end of three weeks, they receive a replacement batch of aligners to continue the treatment.
Invisalign provides your family member a discreet method of straightening teeth by having the virtually invisible aligners sitting snugly over their teeth. Your family member receives instructions to keep the aligners on the teeth for approximately 20 to 22 hours every day, giving them around two hours of freedom to remove the aligners for eating, drinking, and maintaining appropriate oral hygiene. Besides the treatment provided by dentists, the removable nature of the aligners is perhaps the most significant revolution ushered by Align Technologies, changing orthodontic treatments forever.
Is Wearing Aligners the Only Requirement to Straighten Teeth?
No, it isn’t. Besides wearing the aligners for the specified timeline, your family member must visit the Invisalign dentist once every six to eight weeks to assess their progress and collect their fresh batch of invisible braces. No one can get Invisalign aligners from any dentist in town because certification from the manufacturers is essential for every dentist providing these braces.
Invisalign wearers must understand the aligners must remain on the teeth and not in the storage container even when they are sleeping. Patients wearing Invisalign can compromise the timeline demanded by Invisalign and keep them away from their teeth for over two hours. However, patients must also prepare themselves to experience delayed and disappointing results extending the treatment time and the expenses over the aligners.
Invisalign treatment is suitable for people diligent about getting straighter teeth and a beautiful smile. Patients who cannot adhere to the requirements are better off with traditional braces attached to their teeth and adjusted every month by the orthodontist near them. If you are looking for a discreet and comfortable treatment for your family member and if they are suitable for Invisalign treatment, you can consider them fortunate to have a treatment alternative to traditional braces delivering results faster and providing them with a beautiful smile.