About Invisalign®
Dr. Jones is a certified Invisalign provider and will be happy to discuss how Invisalign works, how much Invisalign costs and whether you are a good candidate for invisible braces versus tooth colored, ceramic braces or the new, tiny metal braces.
What is it?
Invisalign aligners are made of a nearly transparent, thermoplastic material uniquely developed for the Invisalign treatment plan. They look similar to tooth-whitening trays. Invisalign aligners are custom-made for you and only you to move your teeth in the sequence determined by your doctor.
Invisalign uses a series of invisible, removable, aligners that are made with 3-D computer imaging technology, and has been proven effective in certain cases.
Why would I want it?
Not only are the aligners clear, they are removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment, plus brushing and flossing are no problem. No metal and wires usually means you spend less time in your doctor’s office getting adjustments.
How does it work?
You wear each set of aligners for about 2 weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush, and floss. As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will move – little by little, week by week – until they have straightened to the final position.
You’ll visit Dr. Jones about once every 6 weeks to ensure that your treatment is progressing as planned. Total treatment time averages 9-15 months and the average number of aligners worn during treatment is between 18 and 30, but both will vary from case to case.
Does Invisalign hurt?
Some people require “attachments”, which are “buttons” that are glued to some of your teeth in order to allow the plastic trays to grip your teeth to turn and pull them. These attachments can sometimes be abrasive when your aligners are out. At the start of treatment, when your teeth aren’t quite used to moving yet and the aligners are tight and then about every 2 weeks when you start a new set of trays, your teeth can be especially sensitive. When your treatment is finished, the attachments are ’sanded down’ to remove them.
Invisalign aligners may temporarily affect the speech of some people, and you may have a slight lisp for a day or two. However, as your tongue gets used to having aligners in your mouth, any lisp caused by the aligners should disappear.
How much does Invisalign cost?
Invisalign may cost anywhere from $3500 to $6500 depending on the complexity of movement of teeth. They are about the same cost as any other type of orthodontic treatment.
Will I have to wear a retainer after Invisalign?
Like any other orthodontic treatment, the post treatment retainer should be worn forever (at bedtime) or else the teeth will move back to their original positions. Dr. Jones can also affix a permanent retainer to the inside of your teeth so that they stay in place permanently.
Can Invisalign become discolored?
Smoking while wearing aligners is highly discouraged because it is possible for the aligners to become discolored. They should always be removed before eating, chewing gum and of course for brushing and flossing.
If your smile and appearance would be more efficiently, quickly or permanently changed by a method other than Invisalign, or if using Invisalign alone would not fix your bite or malocclusion without more time and expense than you anticipated, Dr. Jones also specializes in the Damon System of Orthodontics, which offers a usually highly accelerated and painless route to transforming your smile and appearance in the shortest time possible.