Everyone deserves to feel great about their smile. Your smile should reflect who you are inside. The proper alignment of your teeth is also important for more reasons than just aesthetics. Improper alignment can cause undo wear and tear on your teeth, as well as jaw pain and headaches.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a modern alternative to traditional metal braces. The process starts with a thorough exam and digital molding of your teeth. Your dentist will get a clear image of your mouth with x-rays, photographs, and a digital scan. These are used to engineer custom, clear aligners or trays that will progressively and gently adjust your teeth. The amount of time you will spend wearing Invisalign will depend on the severity of your original misalignment. Just like braces, Invisalign can correct overbites, underbites, crossbites, crooked teeth, and small gaps.  

What Are the Benefits?

Invisalign offers the same teeth straightening benefits of wire braces, but without many of the drawbacks. With Invisalign, there are no brackets to break, protruding wires, or invasive installations. Because Invisalign aligners are clear, most people won’t even notice that you have them on. Also, unlike wire braces, Invisalign trays can be removed. This eliminates the need for a long list of banned foods. It also allows you to maintain better dental hygiene than is possible with traditional braces. Finally, Invisalign, on average, takes less time to achieve the desired result than braces.

Am I Eligible for Invisalign?

Most people, young and old, are eligible for Invisalign. However, there are some situations that might make another option more suitable. First, your teeth and gums should be healthy before starting treatment. Using aligners without addressing any oral health concerns could exacerbate the problem. Also, certain previous dental work such as bridges could affect your eligibility. 

Second, you must be willing to wear Invisalign liners for 22 hours every day. Make sure that you or your child is willing to comply, or treatment will not be as effective. Third, while Invisalign is an excellent option for treating mild to moderately misaligned teeth, it is not able to address severe issues. These include a severe maladjusted bite, improperly shaped teeth, overly rotated teeth, and very wide gaps.

In the end, your dentist will review your dental history and examine your teeth to make sure that you are a good candidate for Invisalign. If you are, he or she will offer you more information so that you can make an informed decision. It will be your choice whether or not you choose Invisalign or a different braces treatment. 

Interested in Invisalign as an alternative treatment option to braces? Click here to learn more at Farley Orthodontics!