At Emerald Isle Smiles, we believe everyone deserves a straighter, healthier smile without the hassle of metal braces. That’s why we proudly offer Invisalign, a cutting-edge orthodontic solution designed with your comfort and lifestyle in mind. Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign aligners are removable, making it easier to enjoy your favorite foods and maintain your oral hygiene routine. Plus, the aligners are custom-made for a precise fit, ensuring a discreet and effective treatment process. With Invisalign, you can achieve the smile you’ve always wanted without compromising your confidence or daily activities.
Invisalign: Discreet Treatment to Straighten Your Teeth
It’s no secret that straight, well-aligned teeth are an important part of a great smile. Unfortunately, the inconvenience and discomfort often associated with traditional braces keep some of our patients from wanting to straighten their teeth.
For those patients who do not want traditional braces, Dr. Myers recommends Invisalign. Invisalign is a modern approach to teeth straightening without many of the drawbacks of braces. The clear plastic aligners are nearly invisible, allowing you to confidently show off your smile while straightening your teeth.
How Does Invisalign Work?
Invisalign uses a series of soft plastic aligners that fit comfortably over your teeth to gradually and gently straighten your smile. There are no wires or brackets to irritate your mouth! Unlike traditional braces, you can remove your Invisalign aligner during your oral hygiene routines and while eating your favorite meals! Brushing and flossing are not complicated; you don’t have to give up any foods you love.
Aside from stealthily straightening smiles, Invisalign has several advantages over traditional braces. Because they are removable, there’s no banned foods list! Your teen will be free to enjoy all their favorite treats without worrying that it could compromise their orthodontic treatment, and they can brush and floss normally instead of having to clean around all that hardware. As an added advantage for parents, each Invisalign Teen aligner has a blue indicator that fades over time if your teen is wearing them as often as directed, so you can ensure they’re staying on track with their treatment!
What Can Invisalign Treat?
Invisalign is an orthodontic solution for patients with dental crowding or other alignment problems who prefer a different approach to the traditional brackets and wires. It’s ideal for individuals seeking a more discreet, comfortable way to straighten their teeth while still enjoying the flexibility to remove their aligners for eating, brushing, and special occasions. Invisalign can effectively treat a variety of alignment issues, including gaps, overbites, underbites, and crossbites, offering a customized solution tailored to your unique dental needs. With its clear, nearly invisible design, Invisalign allows you to enhance your smile without drawing attention to the treatment process.
How Long Does Invisalign Treatment Take?
Average treatment time ranges from nine to 18 months, but the length of your treatment will depend on the severity of the alignment problems being corrected, as well as the diligence of the patient in wearing their aligners as directed. Make sure you’re wearing yours!
Does Invisalign Hurt?
For the first few days of each stage of your Invisalign treatment, you may feel minor discomfort as your teeth get used to the added pressure. This is perfectly normal and a sign that the aligners are doing their job.
Will They Affect My Speech?
Most Invisalign patients experience very little difficulty with speaking clearly while wearing their aligners, but there will likely be an adjustment period as you get used to having them in your mouth.
How Do I Keep Them Clean?
To clean your aligners, brush and rinse them in lukewarm water and use Invisalign Cleaning Crystals or special cleaning tablets. Make sure you’re also brushing and flossing after each meal before you re-insert your aligners.
Why Choose Invisalign Over Metal Braces?
Invisalign is an excellent choice for your orthodontic treatment. It is a trusted brand in invisible aligners, and you’ll love the freedom of being able to take your aligners out to eat and brush your teeth. You can even view your virtual treatment plan before beginning and get a preview of what your smile will look like at the end!
Is Invisalign Comfortable?
Invisalign aligners are specially designed to fit your teeth. While they do exert pressure to move your teeth into their ideal positions, they are comfortable to wear and are easy to remove and put in.
How Often Do I Need To Wear Them?
You should wear your aligners at all times during your treatment, except during meals and snacks and while brushing and flossing your teeth. Wearing them less often will delay your results.
Are There Any Eating Restrictions While Wearing Them?
One of the best advantages of Invisalign over traditional wire braces is that there is no banned foods list! As long as you are brushing and flossing before putting your aligners back in, you can enjoy all your favorite foods without compromising your orthodontic treatment!
Can I Chew Gum With Invisalign?
Gum can stick to your aligners, so it’s not a good idea to chew it while they’re in. Take your aligners out for all meals and snacks.
Can I Smoke With Invisalign?
We discourage smoking during Invisalign treatment, as it can stain and discolor the aligners, as well as put you at risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
Your Orthodontic Treatment Is Over…Now What?
The day the braces come off is an amazing day for any orthodontic patient, but don’t get ahead of yourself because now that you have the smile you’ve always wanted, you have to keep it. That means wearing your retainers daily or nightly as instructed by Dr. Myers. The reason we need retainers in order to keep our teeth in their post-braces position is that it takes time for our teeth, gums, and jaw bones to adjust to this new arrangement. So don’t slack off on wearing your retainers!
Will I Need Retainers When I’m Finished?
Retainers are crucial at the end of any orthodontic treatment, whether you’re using Invisalign or traditional wire braces, because it takes time for teeth to adjust to their new positions. Make sure to wear your retainers as directed by Dr. Myers.
Removable Retainers
Retainers come in a few different varieties. Removable ones, whether wire and acrylic or clear plastic, have the obvious advantage that you can take them out, which makes it much easier to clean both the retainers and your teeth. However, that also means you might forget to put them back in — or, worse, lose them after taking them out to eat lunch!
Non-Removable Retainers
Non-removable or bonded retainers are strips of wire cemented to the backs of the teeth to hold them in their post-braces position. These retainers have the advantage of permanently ensuring that your teeth don’t shift back to their old positions, but they can make flossing between those teeth tricky. If you think you’re likely to forget to wear your retainers, bonded might be the perfect choice for you.