Having straight, white teeth can garner you many compliments on your winning smile and, as a result, can give you confidence in your appearance. In reality, however, most of us are not born with a perfect smile. If you have one or more crooked teeth, bite issues, or an overcrowded mouth, you may not only have lower confidence in your appearance but also oral health issues. Orthodontic work is a key way to address your oral health as well as your confidence.
Traditional metal braces are the most common orthodontic appliance, and for good reason – they work extremely well. Still, some people don’t like the idea or look of a metal appliance, no matter how temporary. Fortunately, there is another option. Clear aligners can be just as effective as braces, but they are an inconspicuous way to straighten your teeth.
What Are Clear Aligners?
Clear aligners are orthodontic appliances capable of straightening your teeth, just like braces. However, unlike traditional braces, they are a set of clear plastic trays that are molded to fit over your teeth. These BPA-free plastic trays are designed to apply gentle pressure to move teeth into their proper place over time.
Since they are made of smooth, clear orthodontic plastic and without metal brackets or wires, most people find they are more comfortable to wear. Additionally, because they are clear, they are essentially unable to be seen by other people. While there are a few brands of clear aligners available for patients to choose from, one well-known and very popular brand is called Invisalign.
Understanding Clear Aligners
As mentioned, clear aligners help your teeth shift into a better position to give your teeth a straighter appearance. The trays of plastic shells fit tightly over your teeth and use pressure to cause the teeth to move. Typically, each set is worn for 22 hours a day for one to two weeks (or the duration recommended by your orthodontist) before switching to the next set, which will move the teeth a bit further. On average, each set will move the necessary teeth a fraction of a millimeter, until the teeth are in their desired positions.
Unlike braces, you can – and should – remove clear plastic aligners for certain activities, like eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing. However, much like braces, the length of treatment depends on your orthodontic issue, its severity, and how closely you follow your orthodontist’s instructions.
What Can Clear Aligners Treat?
There are several oral health issues that clear aligners can resolve.
Some of these problems include:
- Gaps between teeth
- Crowding
- Crooked teeth
- Overbite, when the upper teeth extend beyond the lower teeth
- Underbite, when the lower teeth extend beyond the upper teeth
- Crossbite, when teeth are either closer to the cheek or the tongue than the corresponding teeth above them
If you have one or more of these oral health problems, clear aligners may be a good option for you.
Are Clear Aligners Right for You?
While clear aligners are a solid option for most people with dental misalignments, they are not right for everyone. Clear aligners work best for people with mild to moderate misalignment issues, including crooked or gapped teeth. Clear aligners can also be used in addition to other orthodontic treatments when treating an overbite or underbite. However, if you have severe gaps, significant overbite or underbite, or extreme tooth rotation, traditional braces may be more conducive to treating them.
To make sure that clear aligners are the right choice for you, you should schedule an appointment with Robison Orthodontics. We can assess your situation and determine whether clear aligners can help resolve your issues. If the aligners are likely to work for you, we will begin the process of creating a digital model of your teeth before sending it to the manufacturer to create your custom aligners.
Are There Advantages to Choosing Clear Aligners?
There are several advantages to using clear aligners instead of going through traditional braces treatment.
- Discretion – The most obvious advantage of clear aligners is that they are discreet. It will be difficult for anyone to tell that you have any orthodontic devices in your mouth when you are wearing clear aligners due to their construction out of clear plastic.
- Comfort – Because clear aligners are made out of a smooth, plastic material, you won’t experience metal wires and brackets that poke your cheek or rub against your gums.
- Fewer Food Restrictions – Clear aligners must be removed before eating and drinking. This means you can eat foods that could cause damage to metal braces.
- Easier to Clean – Most people find clear aligners are much more conducive to cleaning teeth rather than having to clean around metal braces. Similarly, food can’t get stuck in clear aligners as it can in metal braces.
- Reliable Results – Clear aligners rely on 3D models of your teeth to provide precision and consistent results.
- Fewer Appointments – Since clear aligners don’t require adjustments like traditional braces, you will be able to visit the orthodontist every six weeks. You won’t have as many appointments to manage as you would with other orthodontic treatments.
Are Clear Aligners Cheaper Than Traditional Braces?
After reviewing all of the other benefits of wearing clear aligners, you may wonder if the cost is yet another advantage. The cost of traditional braces and clear aligners often totals approximately the same amount, depending on your orthodontic issues.
It’s important to keep in mind that if your dental problems are more severe, clear aligners alone may not resolve the issues. Instead, you may need multiple forms of orthodontic treatment. If this is the case, higher treatment costs are a guarantee.
The best way to know if clear aligners are a good option for you, financially or otherwise, is to consult with your orthodontist to determine whether they would help resolve your dental issues. It is also wise to check with your dental insurance to assess your coverage.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Clear Aligners?
If your dental insurance plan includes orthodontic coverage, then it will likely include coverage for traditional braces or clear aligners. However, every dental plan is different, so it is important to check the coverage available under your plan first. It is also important to remember that each orthodontist also accepts different forms of insurance.
Here at Robison Orthodontics, we are proud to work with a wide range of the nation’s best dental insurance plans.
Choosing an Orthodontist
If you are interested in using clear aligners, it is essential to choose the right orthodontist to provide your treatment. When considering which orthodontist to use, review their professional credentials. The state board of dental examiners should maintain a list of credentialed orthodontists.
You will also want to learn about the orthodontist’s treatment protocols. Determine whether they handle clear aligners if they offer the latest orthodontic technology, and whether they are accepting new patients.
It can also be helpful to scan through current patients’ reviews. Reviews can be found on the orthodontist’s website, but unbiased reviews are even more abundant on Google, Yelp, and other search registries.
When you’ve found an orthodontist you like, schedule a consultation to get more information about clear aligners and whether they may work for you. Ask about the support and follow-up care the orthodontist provides. An orthodontist with a credible reputation should provide thorough support during the treatment and provide care following the treatment for any additional issues that arise.
Steps to Getting Your Clear Aligners
Clear aligners have changed how people receive orthodontic treatment, and it can all be accomplished in a few simple steps.
Here’s what you can expect at Robison Orthodontics:
- Consultation – First, you will have an initial consultation with your orthodontic team, which has had years of experience with clear aligners. They will not only look inside your mouth to assess your teeth but also take impressions, pictures, and X-rays of your teeth to create an effective treatment plan.
- 3D Modeling – The orthodontist will then develop a 3D model of your teeth, which will help determine how your teeth need to be moved in order to resolve the issues. It will also give you a clear visual of how your teeth will look during and after the treatment and serve as a mockup to be sent to the manufacturer.
- Manufacturing – Once the manufacturer receives the 3D model and other data about your teeth, they will create several sets of clear aligners, customized to fit perfectly and move your teeth. Each subsequent set will move your teeth incrementally until they are in the desired positions.
- Fitting Appointment – Your orthodontist will schedule a second appointment, at which the custom aligners will be checked for fit. You will then be given the aligners to wear.
- Aligner Wear – Every set of aligners that you are given is meant to be worn for one to two weeks at a time, depending on your unique treatment plan. You must wear them for most of the day, as instructed by your orthodontist, but you must remove them whenever you eat, drink, and clean your teeth.
- Check-Up – Approximately every six to eight weeks, you will need to go to the orthodontist for a check-up. The orthodontist will check your progress and will make any necessary adjustments. You will be given new clear aligners to wear for the next several weeks.
- Retainer Wear – After your treatment is complete and your dental issues have been resolved, the orthodontist will create a custom retainer to help keep your teeth straight. You’ll likely need to wear the retainer overnight to help prevent your teeth from moving back into their previous positions.
- Follow-Up – You will likely have a few scheduled checkups with your orthodontist while you are wearing the retainer, but only occasionally until they believe you no longer need follow-up care.
Schedule an Appointment With Robison Orthodontics
If you are interested in clear aligners and wish to see if they are right for you, consider scheduling a consultation appointment with Robison Orthodontics. We are passionate about helping you achieve self-confidence and better oral health by helping you achieve the smile you want while avoiding dental issues.
Contact Robison Orthodontics to schedule your appointment, ask your orthodontist if Invisalign is the right treatment for you, or request more information about the process.
Dr. Tyler Robison is an alum of Mesa’s Mountain View High School. He graduated from Brigham Young University before being accepted to the “Top Ten-nationally ranked” University of Louisville in Kentucky, where he earned his Doctorate in Dental Medicine and a Master’s Degree in Oral Biology. He graduated with honors in the top ten percent of his class. Dr. Robison continued at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, where he received a second master’s degree in dental science and his orthodontic certification.
