My teeth are crooked – can I have Invisalign instead of braces?

I usually get asked this question quite a few times during any given day at the office. And my answer almost always is YES!

Let me explain this further. With the advancement in clear tray technology it is now possible to perform orthodontic treatment on most patients using Invisalign type trays. There are two major companies out there that are doing this – one is Invisalign and the other is ClearCorrect. There are even “Teen Invisalign” options available that do wonders in most cases. We have been able to do some extraction cases with Invisalign as well as non-extraction cases. We have been able to correct some overbite cases as well as deep bite cases. Just remember every case is different and unique – only your orthodontist can evaluate your unique bite and recommend a treatment that is best for you.

The point to remember is it always comes with certain caveats. First and foremost, you must be willing to wear the Invisalign trays 22hrs a day. As we all know, braces are on your teeth all the time, 24/7, and you are not able to take them off to eat and then put them back in. Unlike braces, one of the advantages of Invisalign type treatment is that you can take them off when you are ready to eat and are able to “enjoy” your food without the discomfort of having braces, or watching what you eat and getting tons of food getting stuck in your teeth. So, advantage Invisalign over braces for eating. After you have enjoyed your meal simply rinse/floss your teeth and place your trays back in your mouth immediately. And your treatment is back on.

If you are unable to put the trays back in your mouth and you wait and wait, then your treatment might get delayed and the teeth might take longer to shift, etc. This is one of the challenges for this type of treatment that we face often. With Invisalign, although you are more in charge of your wear time, it could also play against you.

So, usually the first question I ask a potential Invisalign patient is, “Are you able to leave the trays in for 22 hours?” If not, then we’ll discuss why and devise a plan to make sure that they are able to wear the trays for that long. If after talking and answering questions it turns out that they will not be able to wear the trays for at least that long, then we come up with another treatment option such as clear braces (ceramic braces) or a combination of Invisalign and braces.

Once the treatment is moving along, in some cases, the trays start to not fit. It could be because you were not able to wear them for the time prescribed or possibly the tray is warped. This can be taken care of easily, with one option being to rewind back to previous trays. Going back one or two steps for about 2-3 weeks will usually correct the issue and allow you to then continue on with the latest tray. However, in some cases, we may have to get you a new tray.

Another advantage of Invisalign is you are able to do tooth whitening while your teeth are being aligned. Pretty cool stuff!

Although this is a very short version of what Invisalign treatment involves, I hope it will answer some of your questions that you might be thinking about. And if you are looking to do Invisalign as one of your treatment options in Vista, California, then look no further and call us! We would love to help you. We are an Invisalign certified office http://www.Invisalign.com/ and ClearCorrect certified https://ClearCorrect.com/ office.

With most cases we charge no down payment to start an Invisalign or ClearCorrect treatment and have very low monthly down payment options. Get your free consultation today to learn more.