Front Royal Dental Care
Cosmetic & General Dentistry located in Front Royal, VA
Many teens and adults in Front Royal, Virginia, have teeth alignment problems. Alignment issues should be remedied before they cause problems with the other teeth or cause pain and issues with your jaw. Misaligned teeth can be a source of embarrassment for many people so Dr. Frederick Broadhead of Front Royal Dental Care offers Invisalign custom treatments for your custom smile.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a type of teeth straightening that uses clear plastic trays or aligners. These aligners, are custom made for each patient, and fit snugly onto the teeth. The Invisalign aligners correct teeth alignment gradually the way traditional braces do, but without all difficulty and unsightly wires.
Who can wear Invisalign?
Invisalign is indicated for use in people who have mild to moderate teeth alignment problems. This device isn't designed to correct severe misalignments. Invisalign can be worn by both adolescents and adults. There are two versions of Invisalign available; standard Invisalign and Invisalign Teen.
How does Invisalign compare to metal braces?
Invisalign is an extremely popular alternative to metal braces, and the differences between the straightening systems go beyond the material they're made from.
With metal braces, the brackets and wires are periodically tightened by a dentist or orthodontist to move the teeth into proper alignment. With Invisalign, there is no manual tightening. The plastic aligners are switched out every 2 weeks, with each progressive set of aligners moving the teeth further into place.
Braces are cemented onto the teeth, and they won't be removed for at least a couple of years in most cases.
Invisalign can be removed to eat and brush the teeth, allowing patients to have breaks from wearing the aligners on a daily basis.
While many people complain of pain while wearing metal braces, Invisalign wearers very rarely experience any discomfort at all. The smooth plastic aligners fit perfectly over the teeth, and there are no metal wires or brackets to cause pain or otherwise injure the tissue within the mouth.
How long does Invisalign treatment last?
It can depend on the patient, the degree of misalignment, and how well the individual responds to treatment. The average course of Invisalign treatment lasts for around 12 months, but the treatment period can range from 6-18 months. For most patients, Invisalign treatment is shorter than metal braces treatment would be. To keep Invisalign treatment within the expected time, it's very important that patients wear the aligners exactly as directed. This means wearing the aligners for around 22 hours a day, including overnight.