Straightening Teeth The Invisalign Way

Now you can have straight teeth using discreet and convenient aligners!

Most dental treatments show quick results, or, at worst, take a few weeks to complete. For the sake of a positive outcome, most of our patients are prepared to put up with a little inconvenience in order to have end results that greatly improve their smile or rectify a general dental problem. One treatment in particular though, can take a lot longer to complete and this is when a patient’s teeth are crooked and is leaving them with a smile that they are unhappy with.

Aesthetics are not the only reason why you should have straighter teeth. Straight and even teeth are much easier to keep clean. For a start, there are fewer places for food to become trapped, and similarly, it is easy to clean between teeth that are not pressed together or that don’t overlap. The end result then is that someone with straight and even teeth is much less likely to suffer from problems like tooth decay or even gum disease.

Let us take a look then at the orthodontics that we provide at the Cygnet Dental Practice for patients from the Wickford area of Essex.

Gentle teeth straightening

First of all, it is worth looking at why some orthodontic treatment can take a year to eighteen months to be completed. The fact is that our teeth are deeply embedded into the jawbone and it is this that gives them their stability. Applying too much pressure on these teeth would very likely cause damage to the bone and would probably result in them becoming loose.

For this reason, and for comfort too, as applying a lot of pressure would be very uncomfortable as well, it is necessary for this treatment to be applied gently and this can result in a longer treatment duration than the patient might have hoped for.

Traditionally, to carry out this treatment, highly visible ‘train track’ style metal braces have been used. This has been challenging for patients as not only does the treatment take quite a while to complete, but they have to wear very visible braces for the duration too.

The good news is that anyone who attends our Wickford dental practice who wishes to have a straighter smile can take advantage of the more discreet Invisalign orthodontic system which not only offers a more aesthetic approach but comes with other advantages too as we shall now see.

‘Invisible braces’

The Invisalign system falls into the category of what have often been called ‘invisible’ braces. Naturally, they are not entirely visible otherwise you wouldn’t be able to find them! They are however, made from a highly translucent medical grade plastic in the form of ‘trays’ that fit over your teeth. This means that they are almost invisible to those around you when being worn, allowing you to feel confident about your smile as there are no metal braces involved. This is a game changer for most patients and avoids the need to have a ‘train track’ smile for a year to eighteen months. You will be provided with a number of these trays with each one working to straighten your teeth a little before they are removed and the next in the series put in place which continues the progression. This continues until your teeth are straight and even again.

Comfort and convenience

Naturally, any pressure that is applied to the teeth is going to cause a little discomfort at first. This would happen whichever method is used. Most patients find that this discomfort is quite minor though and they soon adjust. Some patients find using their regular pain killing medication such as paracetamol useful for a short period during this adjustment. In the highly unlikely event that you feel too much discomfort or it continues, you should contact us for further advice. Most people find this method to be more comfortable than traditional braces and quickly adapt.

The benefits of Invisalign don’t end there either and resolve another problem that can occur when you wear traditional dental braces. Firstly, there is the problem of food becoming trapped in the wiring when eating, often causing the wearer to avoid a lot of foods because of this problem. The second issue, exacerbated by the first one, is that cleaning your teeth when wearing metal braces is quite tricky and it is not unusual for wearers to suffer some instances of tooth decay in areas where the food has become trapped and is next to impossible to remove. Invisalign addresses this issue in a very simple manner.

Quite simply, the trays that you wear are removable by yourself and are designed to be done so when you are eating and when cleaning your teeth. This means that you can eat whatever you want in the knowledge that you will be able to eat comfortably and also clean your teeth effectively as well, removing any food that has become trapped. You will also need to clean the trays to avoid bacterial issues and we will advise how you can do this.

By using Invisalign to straighten your teeth then, you can not only have a discreet tooth straightening experience but also have no restrictions on your diet and run less risk of problems like tooth decay and gum disease.

If you have a crooked smile that you would like to have corrected, we highly recommend that you consider this convenient method. We are happy to offer a free non clinical consultation with you to discuss this and to determine if this is the most appropriate orthodontic system for you.

If you would like to take advantage of this innovative approach to teeth straightening, why not call us today to arrange your consultation? You can do so by calling the Cygnet Dental Practice on 01268 733078 or by using the form on our website. We look forward to being able to help you have a straight and even smile again!