Though braces are often thought of as an adolescent coming of age ritual, more and more adults choose to have their teeth treated either to improve their bite or to improve their appearance. Many new options exist today, including tooth-colored braces and invisible braces like Invisalign.
What Is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a type of orthodontic treatment similar to that provided by traditional braces. However, instead of using metal braces and rubber bands to shift the teeth into place, with invisible braces our cosmetic dentist provides you with custom-made plastic trays. These are made from molds of your teeth, with each one constructed to move your teeth a short distance until you finally reach the final goal of perfect alignment. The orthodontist uses digital images to determine what the final tray should look like, and what the various trays should do to accomplish each incremental movement.
Many adults choose Invisalign because the clear trays are virtually invisible. It’s almost impossible for anyone to tell you have the trays in your mouth unless they look very closely. If, as an adult, you depend upon your appearance for your job, or deal extensively with the public, Invisalign can help you maintain your smile even while you’re receiving orthodontic treatment.
Caring for Invisalign Trays
During treatment, it’s important that you take good care of your alignment trays. Precautions include:
- Clean your trays after meals and before bed
- Avoid hot beverages that could deform the trays
- Wear the trays at least 22 hours out of every day
- Avoid foods and beverages that could stain your trays
Each tray is worn for about two weeks. When you are done with your treatment, you’ll wear a retainer to keep your teeth from moving out of position. Your retainer might be the last tray in your treatment sequence. You’ll probably wear it just at night, but follow whatever instructions our cosmetic dentist provides.
Call our office to speak to our professionally trained team to discuss your orthodontic options.
