Invisalign is a revolutionary advancement in cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics which helps create a naturally beautiful and confident smile, positively impacting all aspects of your life. Misaligned teeth can be uncomfortable and embarrassing and can affect your self-confidence, however traditional metal braces may make you feel reluctant to speak to your dentist about your aesthetic issues. With this in mind, dentists have been offering Invisalign since 1997. Speak to your Invisalign dentist in Welwyn to find out more about how Invisalign uses transparent orthodontic devices, a metal-free plastic form of braces to treat misaligned, wonky teeth, gapped teeth, crowded teeth, and bite issues which are overbite, underbite and crossbite. As long as your teeth are healthy and in good condition, speak to your Invisalign dentist in Welwyn to find out how Invisalign can help change your smile today.

How does Invisalign work?

First a full dental examination will be carried out of your mouth to ensure your teeth are clean and healthy. Following a thorough consultation with your Invisalign dentist in Welwyn to discuss your requirements and what you are looking for from the treatment, a 3-dimensional scan will be carried out of your teeth and dental impressions will be taken using a digital scanner. These scans will help the dentist to design a tailored treatment plan according to how your teeth will move over time following successful treatment and adherence to the protocol. The scans will also enable you to see a prediction of how your teeth may look following your Invisalign treatment. Once agreed, the scans can be sent to the technicians who will design and create a series of aligners according to your teeth alignment specifications. The aligners are designed to gently move the teeth by up to 0.25 mm per aligner when worn for approximately 20 hours a day for two weeks. As progress is made and your teeth begin to shift you will move on to the new aligner. The overall duration of the treatment will depend on the extent of straightening and aligning necessary to achieve the end result and can usually range from approximately 9 to 15 months.

What are the advantages of Invisalign?

The most significant advantage of Invisalign is that the aligners which are used in the treatment are almost invisible. The clear and colourless plastic gives the aligners a discreet subtle appearance, therefore no one will have to know that you are undergoing any type of treatment unless you want them to. This is ideal for those adults who are too self-conscious for conventional orthodontic braces, which is usually the main cause of reluctance for undergoing treatment for misaligned or imperfect teeth. The aligners can be taken out and put back in as required and whenever necessary. This means that they present no food or drink restrictions, unlike conventional braces, as they can be removed before meal times if necessary. As they are removable they are very easy to clean as well. They require  brushing with an ordinary toothpaste and toothbrush and then should be rinsed under warm soapy water, making them extremely convenient to look after.  Also unlike conventional braces, they do not hinder your daily home brushing or flossing techniques, as they can be taken out and your teeth cleaned as usual and then put it back in. This ensures that no further dental issues can occur during the treatment. Speak to us at Neel Dentistry to find out more about Invisalign today.