February 13, 2012

Subtle Straightening with Invisalign

Invisalign Fort WorthEven slight imperfections in your smile can make you self-conscious and affect your overall quality of life. If you have minor misalignment or teeth that are slightly out of place, Invisalign can help you achieve the perfect smile without the discomfort of conventional orthodontics.

Advantages of Invisalign?

Invisalign uses clear plastic aligner trays custom-made to move your teeth gradually into the proper position. Each tray is slightly different from the previous tray. The slightly different contours of the aligner trays move your teeth in the correct position over the course of your Invisalign treatment. You will wear each tray for about two weeks, then switch to the next tray in the sequence.

Advantages of Invisalign treatment over traditional wire braces include:

  • Aligner trays are transparent, so they are virtually invisible
  • Trays can be removed
  • Trays are more comfortable than wires and bands

All these advantages make Invisalign popular among adults who wish to have orthodontic treatment without the self-consciousness and inconvenience associated with braces.

How Long Does Invisalign Treatment Take?

The length of Invisalign treatment depends upon your goals for your treatment. When you initially consult with your orthodontist, he/she will give you an idea of how long your treatment will take and what the results will be when treatment is complete. On the average, Invisalign can take from twelve to eighteen months.

After Invisalign treatment is complete, you will probably need to wear a retainer to ensure that your teeth stay in their new position. This retainer might be a standard retainer, or it might be a plastic tray much like the trays used during treatment. Your orthodontist will recommend the best type of retainer for you to keep your teeth properly positioned and maintain your smile for years to come.

Any Invisalign treatment begins with a consultation with your orthodontist. To find out what Invisalign can do to perfect your smile, please contact our Fort Worth TX Cosmetic & Family Dentistry office at 817-918-4199 to speak to one of our experienced Invisalign dentists.

December 17, 2011

Will I Still Have to Wear a Retainer After Invisalign?

Invisalign Fort Worth

If you have misaligned or slightly crooked teeth, you might have considered Invisalign to straighten your teeth and improve your smile. Our Invisalign dentists in Fort Worth TX can help you determine if Invisalign is a good option for you, and can help explain how it works and how to keep your teeth straight in the long term.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment that uses clear plastic trays to shift your teeth into the correct position. These plastic trays are custom made to move your teeth a small amount with each new tray, gradually easing your teeth into proper alignment. By the time you reach the final alignment tray, your teeth will be straight and you will have a beautiful, perfect smile.

Invisalign treatment usually takes about a year, depending upon the severity of your misalignment. After treatment is complete, you will most likely have to wear a special retainer to keep your teeth from moving back into an inappropriate position. However, be sure to consult your Invisalign dentist about this issue, as treatments vary from person to person.

Maintaining Your Perfect Smile

After you have finished your Invisalign treatment, you will want to follow your dentist’s instructions to ensure your smile remains straight and perfect. How this is accomplished depends upon the recommendations of your dentist per your individual case. Typically, you will wear either a traditional retainer or a tray similar to those used during your treatment to keep your teeth from moving out of position.

In general, it is not necessary to wear your retainer every day. Usually, you will wear the retainer at night. Your dentist might recommend wearing it every night, or only a few days a week for the best results. If you do not follow your dentist’s recommendation, though, you might find your teeth moving back into their original positions, reversing the long-term effects of your Invisalign treatment.

For more information about Invisalign treatment and how to keep your smile straight, please contact our office for a consultation.

March 28, 2011

Invisalign: The Invisible Orthodontic Treatment

Invisalign Fort WorthOrthodontic treatment can help turn a misaligned smile filled with crooked teeth into a bright, shiny smile with straight, healthy teeth. However, traditional orthodontics involves the use of traditional metal braces, cemented to the teeth and bound together with bands to move the teeth into their proper position. This procedure is uncomfortable and very visible. Many adults cannot imagine having braces on their teeth for the amount of time it takes to achieve a successful orthodontic treatment.

Invisalign, however, provides an alternative to traditional orthodontic procedures and metal braces. Because Invisalign aligners are virtually invisible, many adults feel much more comfortable with this procedure. In addition, Invisalign aligner trays are removable.

How Invisalign Works

Each individual aligner tray moves your teeth a small amount, according to a plan designed by your Invisalign dentist. You will wear each clear plastic tray for about two weeks, then switch to the next tray in the sequence. Each tray should be worn for at least twenty-two hours every day, but should be removed while eating and for cleaning.

Invisalign aligners are constructed based on detailed digital imagery that represents how your teeth look now and how they will look after treatment is complete. Each tray represents an incremental stage between these two images. After the final tray, you will have achieved the straight, beautiful smile you and your dentist envisioned during the modeling process.

Caring for Invisalign

During your Invisalign treatment, you will have to take special care of your aligner trays to ensure the best possible results. Some of the guidelines for caring for your Invisalign trays include:

  • Do not drink hot liquids
  • Do not drink dark-colored beverages
  • Keep the trays clean
  • Keep the trays in a safe place while they are not in your mouth

These guidelines will help you keep your aligner trays in the best possible condition for the best possible results. For more information, contact a dentist with experience with Invisalign in Fort Worth.

December 27, 2010

Can I Still Drink Tea and Coffee with Invisalign?

Invisalign represents a breakthrough in orthodontics. Using clear plastic trays to move misaligned teeth into proper position, Invisalign is an excellent alternative for those who need or desire orthodontic correction but do not wish to undergo the discomfort and inconvenience of traditional metal braces.

Like traditional braces, though, Invisalign aligner trays require special care for the best results. One set of precautions your dentist might recommend regards beverages.

Many Invisalign dentists recommend that you only drink water while wearing your Invisalign designer trays. There are several reasons for this, including:

  • Hot beverages can warp the shape of the plastic trays
  • Sugar from beverages can become trapped inside the trays, promoting tooth decay
  • Coloration from beverages like tea, coffee and wine can discolor the trays

Tea and coffee could potentially contribute to all three of these potential problems. If you drink a great deal of tea or coffee, you can remove the trays while you indulge, but this could result in your having the aligners off your teeth enough to affect the final results of your treatment. Invisalign aligners must be worn a minimum of twenty-two hours every day in order to provide sufficient correction to your bite.

You could also cut down on your consumption of beverages that could harm or stain your trays. Some Invisalign patients have reported that staining to the trays is minimal during the two weeks that each set of trays is worn. If you have any concerns about consuming tea and coffee while using Invisalign aligners, though, you should consult with your dentist.

Another way to prevent staining to your teeth and to keep sugars from being trapped beneath the trays is to rinse them thoroughly after you have consumed tea or coffee. Again, you must be sure that the aligners remain in your mouth for at least twenty-two hours each day.

To find out more about how to care for Invisalign aligner trays, please contact a dentist with a specialization in Invisalign in Fort Worth.