But at what age can you get Invisalign? Is it possible for anyone to qualify for this life-changing procedure? This is what you need to know.

Requirements to get Invisalign

To begin with, let’s take a look at what the requirements to get Invisalign are. While Invisalign might be an ideal treatment for many, the truth is that not every can have it, regardless of age. The basic requirements to be considered for Invisalign are:

• Oral Health: To begin with, you must not have any significant active decay or tooth damage. Before braces of any type, you need to already have good oral health.
• Baby Teeth: All baby teeth need to have come out with the permanent teeth erupting.
• Incisors and First Molars: Your incisors and first molars should have already erupted.
• Wisdom Teeth: Second molars and your wisdom teeth do not need to be out in order to get Invisalign. Since the trays are custom-made, they can be built to take the missing teeth into consideration.
• Maturity: Patients need to be able to faithfully wear their Invisalign trays for at least 22 hours a day, while still understanding the trays must be removed for eating and have to be cleaned after each meal.

In theory, you could say that children as young as 12 could meet the above requirements in order to receive Invisalign. Yet, just as every orthodontic case is different, the maturity level of each child is different. If a teen patient does not take his or her orthodontic treatment seriously, the results can be disappointing.

Yet if the child is responsible and understands what is needed in order to have effective treatment, it is possible to have a younger teenager be successful with Invisalign.

There are also some oral situations where Invisalign might not be the most effective form of treatment or will take longer than traditional braces would. These cases are usually when there is substantial crowding or tooth displacement that cannot be reasonably helped by Invisalign. Fortunately, even in extreme cases, many patients can switch from traditional braces to Invisalign once the teeth have been moved to an easier position.

Why Invisalign?

Many young teenagers still get the traditional braces because they are not good candidates for Invisalign. But you still might be wondering what it is that makes Invisalign so great to begin with. With Invisalign, instead of traditional braces, your child will:

• Be able to eat the food of his or her choice.
• Maintain better overall oral health.
• Eat without pain or discomfort from metal brackets.
• Be free of sores and cuts along the cheeks and gums.
• Be confident with his or her smile.

One of the biggest drawbacks to traditional braces in the eyes of a child is the appearance of the braces themselves. With a lot of metal in the mouth, children often hesitate when it comes to smiling. Since the teenage years are already awkward for most, having the addition of metal braces does not help.

If you are wondering whether Invisalign is a good choice for your child, schedule an orthodontic consultation today.

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You’ve chosen Invisalign because it doesn’t just sound like something that won’t affect the way you look, it also sounds so convenient. After all, although you need to wear Invisalign aligners most of the time, you can remove them when eating or brushing your teeth.

You decide that these clear aligners are just the thing you need to perfect your smile without the embarrassment and difficulty when eating food or brushing your teeth. And so, the treatment process begins.

Scoping Out Your Smile

Using a scanner or by taking impressions, your dentist determines the exact shape and alignment of your teeth as they currently are. He or she will show you how your teeth will move into place over time when using Invisalign, helping you to visualize the final result.

The fun part of this step is that your dentist can show you a 3-D simulation – watching how your teeth will move into place makes you feel confident about the process, and you can see exactly what to expect once the teeth straightening process is complete.

Now you’re feeling motivated and you can’t wait to start. Twisted teeth will straighten; ugly gaps will close up; crowded teeth will settle into a more comfortable spacing.

You Get Your First Set or Sets of Aligners

Using the information gathered from scanning or taking impressions of your teeth, your first sets of aligners are made. The clear material they’re made of means that hardly anyone will even spot them, and they fit perfectly onto your teeth, applying gentle pressure to the ones that need to move.

But precisely because Invisalign is so gentle, you will need to use a slightly different aligner after a week or so – your dentist will provide these aligners too along with instructions on when to switch over to the new set.

Checking Progress

The way your teeth will realign is relatively predictable, but your dentist still needs to make sure that everything is going according to plan. After receiving your aligners, you will probably need to book another appointment in about six weeks’ time.

Your dentist will then make sure that everything is going according to plan, and based on your progress, the next sets of aligners will be made for you.

Repeat and Complete the Course

How many aligners you go through will depend on a lot of factors including just how much your teeth need to move. But it’s not a shot in the dark. Your dentist will have explained how long the treatment will take and how much it will cost (less than you may think) before you even started.

As the tiny differences each set of aligners makes become more apparent, you’ll be getting more and more excited. At last, you wear the final set of aligners – and you’re smiling with confidence! How easy is that?

Choose an Invisalign Trained Dentist

Because Invisalign is such a unique teeth straightening option, dentists need to attend specialized training to offer the service. That means you’ll visit not just any dentist, but an Invisalign-trained dentist. And in case you hadn’t guessed it yet, we are trained and experienced in helping our patients to achieve straight teeth using Invisalign!

Call us to make an appointment and discover the breakthrough that is helping teens and adults achieve the straight teeth that not only improve their looks, but that also has health benefits they (and you) can’t ignore.

The post How Does Invisalign Work? appeared first on Surrey Dentist | Green Apple Dental | Surrey, BC.

Which one of those devices is right for you, is a question only your dentist can really answer. It will involve a thorough assessment of your dental problems, your needs and your outcome goals – plus a good understanding of the different types of aligners available and their strengths and weaknesses as treatments.

Invisible braces

One of the most popular forms of aligners is Invisalign. Its popularity stems from the fact that it is the furthest away from the traditional images of wire grid-like braces which used to embarrass and torment their teenage wearers in the old days. Invisalign is almost invisible, doesn’t involve elastic bands or brackets, and best of all, there are no wires.

There is no impact on your speech and the Invisalign trays can be removed when you eat, or when you want to brush or floss. Several sets of Invisalign trays are created and are replaced every couple of weeks, each new set providing a little extra pressure to move the alignment process forward.

Invisalign can be used to space out crowded teeth or reduce space when teeth are too far apart. It can also be used to rectify simple problems with your bite, and sometimes helps deal with mild relapses after traditional braces have been used.

Drawbacks: Because they are removable, the onus rests on you, and you alone, to make sure you don’t remove them too often. The aligner must be worn for at least 20 hours each day. Treatment can take anything from 9 to 18 months, depending on the severity of your misalignment and the outcome desired. Invisalign is considered ideal for less complicated alignment issues, but many dentists still recommend choosing attached metal braces when the movement required is more challenging.

Dental braces

There are different versions of these descendants of the old school wire braces, and none of them are anywhere near as ugly. But though not as intrusive, they are not invisible. Dental braces are used to correct most alignment problems, including crookedness, protrusions, crowding and irregular spacing, as well as problems with your bite. Dental braces are usually advised for more difficult cases.

• Metal braces: The nearest descendants of the old type, these still involve visible wires and brackets. They are regarded as being the toughest, and most effective, in complex cases. Makers of these new-look metal braces attempt to provide a quirky, literally in-your face statement by producing them in funky colours to brighten your smile. The braces, which are fitted to the teeth, have brackets in the front which press against the teeth’s surface, so adding extra control of the tooth movements in aligning and straightening.
• Lingual Braces, sometimes called Incognito Braces, are also attached to the teeth, but this time to the back of the teeth so as to be less intrusive. They are cast in gold rather than stainless steel, formed to the shape of your teeth, and have custom-fitted wires. These braces can also be constructed so as to involve only the most visible teeth.
• Ceramic braces: Created out of ceramics and coloured to match your teeth, these braces are not as smile intrusive as the metal ones. The ties which hold the device are available in a choice of white or clear, to further lessen their visibility. They do require more maintenance, take longer to put in, and are a bit fragile, which can lead to chips or breaks.

Drawbacks: Dental braces in general are anything but invisible, and they are attached to the teeth for the duration of the treatment. Some can impact on your speech, make oral hygiene more difficult and occasionally irritate the gums, tongue or inner cheeks.

Check the details

All forms of aligners usually require the use of a retainer after the realignment is completed. This is to prevent the teeth from moving back to the place or angle the treatment was designed to correct. How long the retainers will be required depends on individual situations. Be sure to ask your dentist’s opinion on which type of aligner to use and discuss the details of the treatment involved.

The post Invisalign versus Braces appeared first on Surrey Dentist | Green Apple Dental | Surrey, BC.

Braces

Dental braces consists of metal brackets that are attached to your teeth. They are tied together by wires and tiny rubber bands. Your orthodontist or other dental professional is responsible for affixing the braces on your teeth.

Invisalign

Invisalign, as the name suggests, are designed to be invisible (that is why they are also called clear braces). Invisalign trays are made from BPA-free virtually clear plastic and are worn over your teeth. Your certified Surrey Invisalign provider will use x-rays and impressions to create a 3-D image of your teeth which will enable him to create custom made aligner trays for you. There are no significant risks associated with wearing Invisalign clear braces. In addition they can not only straighten your teeth but also fix your jaw problems.

Our Green Apple Dental principal Surrey dentist Dr. Pavandeep Kooner has been a certified Invisalign provider since 2005 and she has helped hundreds of patients to straighten their teeth and achieve the smile of their dreams.

Invisalign Pros

• Invisible
• Removable
• You do not have to worry about the food getting caught in the wires
• You do not feel any discomfort from wires

Invisalign Cons

• You must remove your clear braces before eating or drinking anything besides water
• You must brush your teeth after eating in order to avoid stains

Invisalign is not only suitable for adults but it can be also used to help teens to straighten their teeth. 10 Things parents need to know about Invisalign Teen.

Do you want to achieve a great smile, straighten your teeth and improve your oral health? Contact us – your certified Surrey Invisalign specialist for more details!

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