When you are an adult who has had enough of misaligned teeth, you will want action. And quick!
And while you may think that the only option for correcting misaligned teeth is to ask your dentist about a metal brace, there are now alternatives to this once common solution. In recent years, more adults have been able to correct their misalignment woes using either clear or invisible aligners. But if you are new to this concept, you will understandably want to know more about these new orthodontic tools to see if they would be suitable for you.
So, here is a brief guide to Invisalign in Clapham in the form of commonly asked questions about the aligner. Enjoy!
What are invisible aligners?
Physically similar to a sports guard, an invisible aligner fits over your teeth and gently pushes them into the desired position over a period of 3-6 months (on average).
Often removable, they offer the wearer flexibility of use and are more discreet than metal alternatives, making them more desirable to adults and teenagers. They require no adjusting and can even be tracked using a downloadable app for your smartphone, allowing you to send images of their progress to your dentist.
Who is likely to benefit from them?
Originally designed for correcting mild to moderate misalignments, you are likely to benefit from wearing this aligner if you have minor issues with overbites, underbites, spacing and overcrowding.
There are 2 types of this aligner, designed to help people over the age of 18 and those over the age of 14. It is not suited to people in younger age groups due to root development.
How do they work?
Firstly, your dentist will take an intraoral scan of your mouth to get a clear idea of the position of your teeth.
Once collected, these images are sent to a dental laboratory where, using computer technology, a set of aligners are created using a 3D printer. Once back in your dental surgery, you will need to wear these aligners in the specific order and usually for about 2 weeks at a time.
For these aligners to work, you will need to wear them for a minimum of 22 hours per day and, as mentioned earlier, it is typical for the aligners to work in 3-6 months.
Can any dentist fit them?
No, they cannot.
When you are searching online for a provider of any specialist aligner or brace, be sure that the dental surgeries on your shortlist have staff trained specifically with these aligners.
Alternatively, you should conduct interviews with the staff and assess their portfolios of previous treatments completed with these aligners or braces.
How much will the treatment cost?
That will depend on where you are having the aligners fitted, how long you will wear them for and of course, the type of aligner you are fitted with.
But many dental surgeries that offer these aligners are also able to offer 0% interest payments. Great stuff!
