Invisalign
An invisible way of treating crooked and twisted teeth, bite problems and gaps, Invisalign uses a series of patented clear removable aligners that slowly move your teeth into position to create a natural, healthy looking smile.
What does the Invisalign brace look like?
Unless someone gets very close to you while you are wearing it, the Invisalign brace is unnoticeable. Oral hygiene has often been an issue while wearing traditional wire braces, sometimes causing bad breath and tooth decay. This is not the case with Invisalign, as the brace is removable, allowing you to eat and brush your teeth with ease.
How does Invisalign work?
The Invisalign aligners are designed using a 3D digital model of your mouth, so that they fit over your teeth perfectly. The model will indicate how your teeth will move during the treatment so that a series of aligners will be created to follow this movement and guide your teeth into position. The aligners will be changed approximately every two weeks to reflect the movement of your teeth. To ensure the quickest possible treatment time, the aligners must be worn for at least 22 hours a day. The can be removed to clean your teeth and whilst eating.
Suitability for Invisalign
Invisalign is not suitable for people requiring severe orthodontic work, this may include those who require a lot of movement to align the teeth, or those who may need a tooth extraction. For severe orthodontics fixed braces are often the best solution as they provide more control for individual teeth.Your dentist will be able to advise whether Invisalign is suitable for you at your first consultation.
Comfort
The Invisalign brace eliminates several problems faced by wearers of traditional metal braces. The aligner does not contain metal, which often causes inflammation to the gums of those being treated with wire braces. Also, the aligner does not need to be tightened which causes a large amount of discomfort to the wearers of traditional braces. There may be some slight discomfort in the first few days of the Invisalign treatment, but this should settle and not be severe. Mild pain killers such as ibuprofen can be used for the first couple of days to ease any discomfort.
Treatment
Many of the Invisalign-certified dentists offer a free consultation which you may wish to take advantage of. This allows you to discuss your options without any obligation to proceed with treatment and gives you the chance to learn if Invisalign is the right treatment for you. At this point you will get an estimation of treatment cost and length. Treatment length usually varies between 6 months and 1 year, but in some cases may take up to 3 years to complete.
Once you have decided to proceed with treatment a photographs and a mould of your mouth will be taken so that the 3D digital model can be made at the Invisalign laboratory. This will be sent to your dentist with your aligners, who will be able to show you how your treatment will progress and give you instruction regarding how to use your aligners.
Your aligner will be changed every two weeks and you will have to have regular checkups with your dentist to monitor the treatment.
How much does the Invisalign treatment cost?
Treatment can cost anywhere between £1500 (Invisalign Lite for mild cases) and £5000, depending on the complexity and length of treatment. This may seem more expensive than other treatments, this is because Invisalign treats all of the teeth in the mouth, rather than just the front teeth like some other rapid orthodontic treatments such as the Inman Aligner and 6 Month Smiles. The Invisalign aligners are also more expensive than using traditional braces.
Things to remember
- Check that your dentist is Invisalign-certified, and determine whether they will be able to offer a free consultation.
- You will require regular checkups so you may want to consider a dentist close to home or work.
- For the quickest treatment time you must wear your aligners for 22 hours a day.
- Treatment may take up to 3 years to complete but your dentist will give you an approx. idea of timescales.
