Opting for tooth realignment could help you achieve a brilliant smile and correct any major dental conditions that limit your overall well-being. You have multiple treatment options to choose from, including braces and Invisalign. Currently, Invisalign has become a popular option for tooth realignment thanks to its multiple benefits.

Based on this, you may consider it an orthodontic treatment and wonder if it suits you. Assessing whether Invisalign is right for you requires considering various factors, including the treatment duration. After receiving professional advice on how effective Invisalign will be, you can proceed with pre-treatment procedures to take you one step closer to attaining a great smile.

With the right dental team, you will receive the necessary support to help you determine whether Invisalign works for you and how to proceed with treatment. The ideal dental team has worked with hundreds of patients over the years, equipping them with the necessary skills to assess your dental structure and advise you on whether to begin Invisalign treatment. If you decide to start the teeth realignment process, you should also be able to count on the professionals to provide excellent orthodontic services, giving you your desired smile.

The Importance of Invisalign Treatment

Traditional braces are useful in realigning your teeth through the orthodontic process, relying on archwires to apply pressure to your teeth for realignment. Your dentist must create a treatment plan to ensure all teeth have space for successful treatment. As a patient, you can expect to undergo multiple examination procedures, like X-Ray images and physical checks.

Invisalign serves the same purpose as traditional braces, with the main difference being the design of the realigners. Invisalign comprises teeth aligners shaped like your dental structure but with slight alterations to adjust your teeth into the required position.

The Invisalign material is durable but soft plastic capable of comfortably fitting your teeth for continuous alignment. Your dentist creates Invisalign with your needs in mind, meaning that your dental pieces vary compared to another patient's.

Treatment procedures also vary among patients, as your dental needs are unique. Despite this, the treatment plan involves changing the Invisalign plastic plates every two weeks to a month, with new adjustments at every change. The goal is to push your teeth into the new spaces to fit into the pre-designed Invisalign.

Since you will likely have both upper and lower Invisalign plates, your dentist will provide a storage case to help you keep them safe. Using the case for storage after removing the Invisalign is essential, as the plates are subject to breakage or severe damage. Invisalign treatment thus calls for significant care to help you achieve results successfully.

Factors to Consider in Determining Whether Invisalign is Right for You

If you are new to orthodontic treatment, you may need basic information on what Invisalign treatment entails before visiting your dentist. Based on this, you should understand the standard factors in deciding whether Invisalign will suit you. If you still need professional advice to help you decide, you can consult your orthodontist, who is ready to answer any question or concern about Invisalign.

Some important elements to consider include:

  • The Type of Dental Misalignment You Seek Treatment For

Patients present with various dental misalignment conditions based on genetic factors and other triggers like injuries and habits like thumb sucking. Due to this, you should identify the misalignment you intend to remedy, as it paves the way for your treatment.

You can schedule a dental appointment with your dentist to identify your condition, which allows for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. During the initial appointment, they will inform you of the possible misalignment after a thorough exam. Common dental misalignments are:

  • Overbites and Underbites

An overbite condition occurs when your upper front teeth are significantly larger than your lower front teeth. The misalignment can change your face shape and structure significantly, especially because you must put more effort into keeping your mouth shut. Your discomfort may also interfere with your overall well-being, pushing you to seek treatment.

Conversely, an underbite manifests in reverse, meaning that your lower jaw front teeth protrude further outward than the upper jaw teeth. Due to this, you may experience significant discomfort when chewing or speaking, making it important to seek treatment options like Invisalign.

  • Crooked Teeth

Crooked teeth may result from crowding, forcing permanent teeth to grow out of line. The condition is common among patients with a small jaw compared to their tooth size, as the disproportionality causes limited space in the mouth.

With the help of Invisalign, your dentist can correct crooked teeth by creating a design that pushes them back into the desired position. The realignment will happen over time, so you need to actively participate in your treatment by following your dentist’s directives and wearing your Invisalign for as long as possible every day.

  • Teeth Misalignment Causing Speech Problems

Your tongue and mouth palate are important in speech development and pronunciation, making it important to realign any teeth that interfere with your speech. You may experience the condition after returning your permanent teeth, especially if they grow out of line.

You are also likely to develop crooked or misaligned teeth as you constantly push your teeth with your tongue when speaking. Over time, the misalignment may develop into a more serious condition that calls for orthodontic treatment. Invisalign can be effective in correcting speech problems caused by misalignment. Still, you can expect the treatment to extend for longer durations as your dentist aims to restore the teeth to an optimum alignment.

  • Gapped or Crowded Teeth

Accidents, genetic factors, and tooth infections can cause gapped teeth from tooth loss or poor alignment. Conversely, you may experience teeth crowding based on limited space on your jawbone after growing bigger permanent teeth than your milk teeth.

With orthodontic treatment, your dentist can correct a gap. They aim to push your teeth closer, reducing the gaps that often harbor food particles and plaque. Therefore, The remedy is beneficial for aesthetics and prevents bacterial growth in the gaps, which may result in cavities and tooth decay.

Invisalign treatment can also remedy tooth crowding after your dentist creates space through tooth extractions. By adjusting your teeth to the correct position, you also avoid conditions like cavities and decay from bacteria in the tight spaces between the previously crowded teeth.

  • Your Aesthetic Needs

Aesthetics plays a significant role in choosing Invisalign for orthodontic treatment. The primary reason is that you may want a discreet treatment option that does not necessarily draw attention to you.

Invisalign is thus a suitable choice for you if you intend to receive treatment without drawing attention, as is common with traditional braces. As the name suggests, Invisalign is made from clear plastic shaped like your teeth, giving them an ‘invisible’ look during treatment that is hard to notice. Based on this, working as an actor, a news reporter, or in any other profession where your aesthetics are under scrutiny can justify choosing Invisalign over braces.

You can also choose Invisalign for its discreet design, regardless of your profession, as long as you understand how to maintain a clear aesthetic by cleaning the plates correctly. When treatment starts, your dentist will provide all necessary directives on maintaining your Invisalign to help you maintain a clean look.

  • The Treatment Duration

Some patients prefer shorter treatment durations, while others do not mind long durations, depending on additional factors influencing their lives. If you have specific preferences on the treatment duration, you should reconsider Invisalign treatment, as it lasts up to one and a half years.

You can also expect treatment to extend if your dentist still intends to adjust your tooth positions. This is likely to occur if you suffer from serious misalignment problems before treatment, making it necessary to adjust the Invisalign plates for the best possible realignment.

Treatment durations also involve the number of hours you should wear your Invisalign plates to introduce the necessary force on the teeth. If you wear your Invisalign for longer durations, you can expect to complete treatment sooner than a patient who wears them for less time.

Your dentist recommends having your Invisalign on for 22 hours daily. Based on this, you should only remove the plates when eating or drinking to prevent damage. Despite this, some factors may limit your ability to achieve the daily objective, resulting in an extended treatment time. For example, if you lose or damage your Invisalign, you may have to wait a few days before receiving new ones to resume treatment.

  • Your Lifestyle and Daily Routine

Invisalign treatment requires you to follow your dentist’s directives strictly, making assessing your routine and lifestyle choices important. By establishing your routine, you can decide whether wearing Invisalign retainers for long hours every day is practical for you. If so, you can choose the treatment option and expect to see improvements as time progresses.

Your lifestyle also determines how often you can visit your dentist for a review and to receive a new set of Invisalign to progress treatment. These follow-up appointments are essential because Invisalign treatment requires your dentist to change the plates regularly to help push your teeth into new positions.

As a result, if you work or study in a different location requiring constant mobility, you may need help following up with treatment. You may need to consider alternative options like braces or postpone treatment if your condition is not high-risk.

  • Your Treatment Budget

Monetary considerations are also important in determining whether Invisalign is right for you, especially if you intend to pay for treatment upfront. While you may have working medical insurance, orthodontic treatment falls within the cosmetic medical procedure category. Based on this, many insurance providers do not cover treatment costs because they classify them as secondary.

You can prepare for treatment by inquiring about Invisalign treatment costs to help you make a more informed decision. Invisalign is typically more expensive than traditional braces, mainly because of the comfort and convenience that the treatment provides. You can thus expect to make significant payments at the beginning and throughout treatment, depending on the payment plan you settle for.

Estimated costs for Invisalign treatment can range from $3000 to $10,000, depending on the dental team you work with. Additional costs also add to the final fee, especially if you need pre-treatment procedures like tooth extractions or crown placement.

Since these procedures are critical to achieving overall dental health, you need to consider the extra costs when assessing the suitability of Invisalign treatment. Your dental team should be open to creating a payment plan to ease the financial burden you may otherwise incur for treatment.

By expressing your concerns, an assigned representative from the dental clinic will take you through the possible payment plans, giving you an easier time when making the payments. Before starting treatment, you can also request a time allowance to help you prepare adequately for all the costs involved.

Contact an Orthodontist Near Me

As a patient considering Invisalign treatment, you need to understand the treatment aspects and apply them to your current preferences and lifestyle. As a patient considering several treatment options, you must assess the advantages and potential drawbacks of Invisalign treatment. Doing so requires you to conduct sufficient research on the orthodontic process to equip yourself with the relevant information about treatment and aftercare to uphold your results.

Invisalign requires you to remain committed to the guidelines you receive, particularly by wearing the aligners for as long as possible every day. Your orthodontist will also include other directives for you to follow to promote the desired results.

At Northridge Advanced Dentistry, you will receive quality dental services that range from advising you on whether to proceed with Invisalign treatment to preparing you for the process. Your dentist will have all the knowledge necessary to help you understand the benefits of treatment and how to stay on course to attain proper tooth realignment.

If it meets all your needs, you can also count on us to provide aftercare tips and other important pointers for successful Invisalign treatment. Our services are available to any patient seeking professional dental services in Northridge, California.  For more information on Invisalign treatment, call us today at 818-701-3010.