You have attended every routine exam and cleaning in your dental plan, and you never skip or skimp on your at-home oral health practices. The result: You have perfectly healthy, white teeth. Now you’re ready to take the next step and straighten out the imperfections in your smile, but you want to avoid traditional braces. Fortunately, at Ark-La-Tex Pediatric Dentistry, Texarkana and New Boston dentist Dr. Brian Steele offers a comfortable and nearly invisible braces option for patients with mild to moderate misalignment: Invisalign.
What is Invisalign?
This teeth-straightening system uses clear aligners that are made out of nearly invisible plastic and, unlike traditional braces, can be inserted and removed for special occasions, eating, and your daily cleaning routines. The aligners are BPA free and so smooth that they don’t irritate your cheeks and gums. Invisalign is an invisible-braces method that begins with a consultation during which you and Dr. Steele plan the desired result. A series of custom-made aligners are then used to correct your unique misalignment.
The Invisalign Treatment Process
Your Invisalign treatment begins with a consultation with Dr.Steele. He will analyze your bite and discuss your dental goals with you. Once Invisalign has been determined to be the best tooth-straightening system for you, Dr. Steele will:
- Take x-rays and impressions of your teeth to create a digital image
- Map the movements of your teeth from their current position to the final desired position
- Have custom-made clear aligners created specifically for you, to wear through the day
- Monitor your progress and have you change aligners ever two weeks, advancing you to the next stage of your treatment
As you move from one aligner to the next (approximately every two weeks), your teeth will gradually shift until they reach their final, improved position.