Improving your confidence and health with Invisalign.

Your smile is one of your most memorable and powerful features. It’s one of the main ways we express emotions like joy, and it has the ability to light up a room. People who have crooked smiles, though, may feel self-conscious when they smile in public. If this sounds familiar, straightening your teeth can give you the confidence you’re missing while improving your long-term oral and overall health.

Invisalign straightens your teeth discreetly and is well known for its near invisible appearance. If you’re just starting to look into Invisalign, however, you might not know much about the treatment. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect when you decide to straighten your teeth with Invisalign aligners.

Invisalign treats a wide range of dental issues.

Invisalign aligners are an effective treatment option for so many people because they can resolve a wide range of dental issues. While there are some dental issues that are still best treated using traditional braces, most people are a great fit for Invisalign. The aligners are just as effective at solving issues that were traditionally treated with braces, including misaligned bites, crooked teeth, gaps between teeth, and overcrowding. If you’re not sure whether or not Invisalign will work for you, Dr. Tomasik can perform an evaluation during your initial consultation to determine if you’re a good fit for the treatment.

It works using a series of removable aligners.

Invisalign works by using a series of clear plastic aligners to slowly shift your teeth into their ideal position. This series of aligners is custom-made for you and functions similarly to the metal wires and brackets of braces. Instead of visiting an orthodontist regularly to have your braces adjusted, you’ll simply switch to a new set of aligners every week or two. Each new set of aligners moves your teeth slightly by gently increasing the pressure on them. While removable aligners are convenient, try not to take them out too often. You need to wear them for at least 20 to 22 hours a day to straighten your teeth in the predicted amount of time.

Its benefits make it an excellent option for many people.

When you heard about Invisalign, it’s likely that the first thing you learned about the aligners was that they’re nearly invisible on your teeth. This is certainly the main benefit of Invisalign for many people, as you’re able to undergo orthodontic treatment discreetly. Since your aligners will go unnoticed by most people, you won’t have to worry about whether or not your treatment will impact the way you’re perceived. This will help you feel more confident about your smile in your professional and personal life. Without metal brackets and wires covering a good portion of your teeth, you’ll also begin to see the results of the treatment more clearly.

Invisalign has many other benefits, however, that make the treatment worth it for many people. Another of the aligners’ major benefits is the fact that you can continue eating all of your favorite foods throughout every stage of the treatment process. As long as you take your aligners out before you eat, you can keep eating foods like corn on the cob and caramel that would be off-limits with braces. This also makes caring for your oral hygiene just as simple as it was before you started Invisalign—all you need to do is remove your aligners and go through your oral hygiene routine just like you usually do. They’re also more comfortable than traditional braces, as the plastic material is smooth and custom-made for you to ensure that it fits well. Traditional braces can sometimes cut or irritate the skin on the inside of your mouth, but Invisalign aligners won’t do this.

Invisalign aligners need to be cared for properly.

Before you decide to get Invisalign aligners, you should know what you’ll need to do to care for them. They do stain and scratch easily, so it’s essential that you care for them properly. Caring for your aligners does involve building a few new habits, but it’s relatively simple once you get used to it. To prevent your aligners from staining, you should always remove them before you eat or drink anything other than water. Once you’re done eating, even if it was simply a snack, you should brush your teeth before popping your aligners back in place. You’ll likely want to keep a toothbrush and toothpaste with you so that you’re always able to brush your teeth on the go. Additionally, cleaning your aligners with hot water or abrasive materials can warp or scratch them, which impacts their (in)visibility and how well they fit. Instead, clean them gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush, lukewarm water, and toothpaste every day.

It protects your long-term oral and overall health.

Straightening your teeth improves the appearance of your smile, but it also has a significant impact on your long-term oral and overall health. A misaligned bite can cause issues with TMJ, leading to jaw pain; sore or stiff muscles in your jaw, neck, and shoulders; frequent or severe headaches, and more. Straightening your teeth can help prevent or relieve these issues while making it easier to brush and floss your teeth more thoroughly. This helps you keep your teeth and gums healthy, preventing tooth decay or gum disease.

When they go untreated, these oral health issues can impact your overall health. Periodontitis, or severe gum disease, can even increase your likelihood of suffering from major health issues like infections in other areas of the body, heart disease, or stroke. It can also make it harder to control existing health conditions like diabetes, and can increase the risk that pregnant women will give birth to premature or low-birthweight babies. As a result, orthodontic treatments like Invisalign can help your overall health by making it easier for you to keep your mouth healthier.

It costs about the same as traditional braces

Invisalign has a lingering reputation for being more expensive than braces. While this was true when they first came out, it’s no longer accurate. Nowadays, they’re actually about the same price as braces. How much your treatment for braces or Invisalign is likely to cost will depend on several different factors, including how severe your case is and your estimated treatment time. Additionally, most insurance companies cover braces and Invisalign the same way: they either cover a set dollar amount or a percentage of the treatment’s cost. This means that Invisalign can be an affordable option for many people.

It’s easy to see why the treatment is so popular. It has a wide range of benefits that make it an ideal option for many people, especially those already working a job in the professional world. If you’d like to learn more about Invisalign or would like an estimate for how much your treatment will cost, you can call and schedule an appointment with Dr. Tomasik at any time.