The field of orthodontics has gone through many changes over the last 50 years with great advances in brackets, bonding materials, wires, esthetic braces, and much more. With increasing demands for more esthetic braces and less appliances on the teeth, several companies invented various alternatives to braces. One of these companies is Invisalign. You have probably heard the commercials on television or magazine ads about clear, invisible braces and how they can straighten teeth with simple aligners. But what is Invisalign exactly and does it work?
The Invisalign system is basically clear removable aligners that are “programmed” to move teeth gradually, over a period of time, into the proper alignment. The first step for an Invisalign treatment involves taking impressions of your teeth along with diagnostic photos and x-rays. This information is then sent to Invisalign, which will analyze the diagnostics records along with the doctor’s recommendations and treatment goals and custom fabricate trays that will, in theory, move the teeth into the desired position. After about a six- to eight-week turnaround time, the doctor will deliver the trays to the patient, two sets at a time typically, with instructions to wear each set for two weeks. Each month the doctor will hand out new sets of trays until all the trays are used and the final result achieved, hopefully.
There are great advantages to the Invisalign system. Some of these include; not having braces on the teeth, removable appliances that can be taken out during social events, easier to brush and floss, simple and short office visits and more comfortable to wear than braces. However, Invisalign does have limitations as well. Some of these are; not as effective as braces, requires great compliance to achieve desired results (needs to be worn full time except when eating and brushing), can be easily lost, more expensive than traditional braces, sometimes more uncomfortable than braces and last but not least, removing control from the orthodontist’s hand.
That being said, it becomes clear that not everyone is a candidate for Invisalign. Typically, a good candidate is one with previous orthodontic treatment that did not wear retainers and some mild relapse of the crowding has occurred. Other good instances are to close minor gaps between teeth, or correct mild crowding. Invisalign is not recommended when excessive crowding is present, when teeth are rotated, for closing extraction spaces, to push teeth back into the bone and many other such instances that would need to be corrected with actual braces on the teeth.
Therefore, make sure to consult with your orthodontist to see if Invisalign is a good choice for you.
Dr. Reza Salmassian is a Diplomate of The American Board of Orthodontics and specializes in orthodontics for children and adults. For any questions regarding this article or to schedule your complimentary orthodontic evaluation, please contact Dr. Salmassian at 661-222-7444. The office is located in the Bridgeport Marketplace at 24001 Newhall Ranch Road, Suite 220.