Are You a Good Candidate for a Straighter Smile With Clear Aligners?

If you are scoping out options for getting a straighter smile, you might want to consider a clear aligners treatment. In recent times, clear aligners, or Invisalign, have been growing in popularity as the number one solution for straightening or realigning teeth, including at our dental clinic servicing Narre Warren. So, let’s find out whether clear aligners are meant for you!

What Are Clear Aligners?

Clear aligners use advanced orthodontic technology to provide you with a custom teeth-straightening solution that omits the use of metal in your mouth. Your dentist will use computer-generated imaging and impressions of your teeth to create invisible aligners that are built to fit comfortably in your mouth. Unlike traditional braces which use fixed wires to drag teeth into alignment, clear aligners use a series of moulds that push the teeth into the desired position over months.

Are Clear Aligners Effective?

While clear aligners seem like an easy fix, they are not for everyone. Clear aligners work best for teens or adults who have minor to moderate teeth alignment issues and want an alternative to braces.

For children or adults with severely crooked teeth, skeletally based malocclusions or neuromuscular bite issues, clear aligners may not work. This is because when compared to traditional metal braces, clear aligners do not offer your dentist a whole lot of control over tooth movements.

They are also ineffective for the following dental problems:

• Severely rotated teeth – This occurs when your teeth, including molars and lower eye teeth, are rotated from the normal position more than 20 degrees.
• Severely tipped teeth – This happens when some teeth rest at an angle of more than 45 degrees than normal.
• Huge gaps between teeth – These can include all tooth gaps with a combined total of more than 6mm per arch.

For severe dental problems such as the above that may require tooth extraction in the future, you may not get the desired results by using clear aligners. To save on time and money, opting for another orthodontic treatment will be a more viable option if you suffer from these issues.

Why We Love Clear Aligners?

There are several reasons why we love clear aligners for patients who are looking to get straighter teeth. These include:

1. Fewer Visits to the Dentist

Anyone who has had braces knows how frequently you need to visit the dentist for tightening of the wires. With clear aligners however, you can enjoy a lot more freedom and can cut down on those trips to the clinic.

When you begin a clear aligners treatment, you will be provided with aligner trays for different phases of your treatment well in advance. This permits you to continue your treatment without going to the clinic often. Furthermore, while braces can require emergency visits when brackets come loose or wires break, this is not an issue for clear aligners.

2. Quicker Results

The length of treatment with clear aligners is much shorter than traditional braces. On average, you will only be required to wear clear aligners for a period of 6 to 18 months as opposed to the standard two years for braces. This is due to the fact that clear aligners are meticulously designed to move your teeth precisely within a set amount of time. Braces do not have this advantage.

3. Easier to Clean

Since braces are glued to teeth, cleaning them can be a tedious task requiring special equipment and a whole lot of patience. However, clear aligners are removable so you will have no hassle when it comes to cleaning them. The flexible plastic can be placed in a container of warm water and brushed clean with some toothpaste before popping them back in your mouth. This also means that brushing your teeth will be a whole lot easier since you do not have to manoeuvre between the wires and bands that come with traditional braces.

4. Freedom to Eat & Drink Anything You Like

Food and drink choices are limited for those with braces since you will need to avoid sticky food that can get stuck between the spaces or drinks that can stain your teeth. Crunchy or hard foods are also not an option since they can cause the metal brackets to snap and the wires to bend. But since you are required to remove clear aligners before eating and drinking anything other than water, you don’t have to think twice before satisfying that food craving. Just remember to brush your teeth afterwards!

5. Improved Comfort

Since braces are made of brackets and wires, they can exert a lot of pressure to correct your teeth’s position. The tightening process can lead to soreness of the gums and there is a chance that you can cut or scrape your cheek, tongue or gums on the metal. However, since you can remove clear aligners, this discomfort is eliminated and simple tasks like eating, flossing and brushing your teeth become much more manageable.

6. Aesthetically Pleasing

Since clear aligners are made of plastic, they are practically invisible when you wear them. This can help boost overall confidence since most people don’t want to be seen wearing braces. You can go about your day-to-day without giving away that you are undergoing a dental treatment.

Need Clear Aligners? Visit Langmore Dental Today!

If you are looking to get yourself fitted for a new pair of clear aligners in Berwick, Langmore Dental has got you covered! Along with providing plenty of Invisalign treatments to Berwick and the surrounding suburbs, Langmore Dental has been providing patients with expert dental care and advice for the past 34 years. Our friendly and professional staff are dedicated to giving you the perfect smile, which is why we use only modern equipment and the latest dental procedures.

Book an appointment with us today and get ready to flaunt that million-dollar smile!