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Jeffrey J. Becker, DDS, Inc. © 2014. All Rights Reserved.
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Invisible Braces (Clear Aligner Therapy)
Invisible braces, also known as clear aligner therapy, is the clear and easy way to straighten your teeth without braces. Commonly known as Invisalign, clear aligner therapy utilizes a series of custom-made aligners created specifically for you. These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable, and virtually invisible plastic that you wear over your teeth. Wearing the aligners will gradually and gently shift your teeth into place, based on the exact movements that your doctor plans out for you.
Although there are a number of different clear aligners available, we utilize Invisalign. Utilizing a digital scanner, high quality photos of your teeth (rather than gooey impressions) can be sent instantly to Invisalign.
Treatment information
A patient undergoing treatment with Invisalign is instructed to wear the aligners 22 hours a day. They are removed when eating or drinking and to brush and floss your teeth. The patient sees the providing dentist every six weeks and is given two sets of aligners at a time. Each set is worn for three weeks and the patient is instructed when to change to the next aligner. The patient typically feels significant pressure when starting a new aligner and the pressure gradually subsides as the aligner is worn over the three-week span. When treatment is completed, the patient is given the final set of aligners to be worn as retainers. Retainers are recommended to be worn for the remainder of the patient's life, usually at night time, to help maintain the final result of treatment. The retainers can be easily replaced if worn out or lost.
Advantages of clear aligners
Invisibility: Its main advantage is that it is virtually invisible.
Hygiene & convenience: The patient can remove the aligners when eating or brushing.
Comfort: Custom fit and minimally invasive. No wires or brackets.
Viewing: See a 3D representation of the before and after of the desired objectives.
Allergies to metals: Due to its composition, is ideal for patients with allergies to metals.
Disadvantages of clear aligners
Limitation of movement: The system is limited to certain cases and the amount of movement that can be done.
Compliance: Being a removable device implies an advantage and a disadvantage. If the patient does not cooperate in actually wearing the aligners, treatment may fail. This is particularly important in adolescents. If the patient takes the aligner out of their mouth and doesn't wear it the required amount of time per day, the trays can stop tracking and might not fit properly.
Tooth modifications
Tooth modifications are sometimes necessary to achieve the desired results with clear aligner therapy.
Engagers (also known as buttons or attachments) - In order to apply the appropriate amount of pressure to the teeth, engagers consisting of tooth colored resin are attached to some teeth during the course of treatment. The engagers are removed at the end of treatment.
Interproximal Reduction (also known as “IPR”) - IPR is done by the doctor using an abrasive disc or strip. The doctor uses the abrasive device to gently file between two teeth to create space in order to move teeth into the desired position. The amount of tooth structure removed is very minimal (up to 0.1mm-0.3mm per visit) and there is typically no significant increase in sensitivity or chance of decay.