Sep
Overcrowded or overlapping teeth aren’t just about your appearance — a misaligned smile makes it challenging to clean your teeth, putting you at risk of cavities and gum disease. And not only that. An uneven bite can affect your eating and speaking ability and result in health complications like bruxism and TMJ disorder.
The good news is that you don’t have to live with a crooked smile — plenty of orthodontic options exist to straighten your teeth. The Goochland Dentistry team offers the Invisalign system to align your smile comfortably, discreetly, and conveniently. Unlike metal braces, this system uses a series of removable and transparent trays to straighten your smile without disrupting your lifestyle. While Invisalign has several benefits over traditional braces, is it faster? Drs. Peter Murchie and Rachele Gillespie explain.
Conventional braces use metal brackets attached to your teeth and tightened by a series of wires, and often rubber bands. This system applies constant pressure on your teeth to move them into the desired position. Traditional braces require frequent appointments to tighten the wires to move your teeth closer to perfection.
Invisalign uses a series of clear, detachable, and customized plastic trays fitted over the entire arch. These trays are created from 3D imaging of your teeth. Invisalign aligners are worn in stages, where you wear each set for about two weeks before moving to the next. This pattern continues until your teeth become perfectly aligned. Like traditional braces, Invisalign can correct several dental issues, including malocclusion, overcrowding, and gapped teeth.
Invisalign’s average treatment period is 12-18 months, while traditional braces require about 20-24 months to deliver a straight smile. However, the time taken to straighten your teeth depends on the complexity of your orthodontic issue. For instance, a patient with minor dental misalignment may see results in as little as six months with Invisalign, while severe overcrowding or bite issues can take up to 18 months.
While Invisalign is generally faster than traditional braces, it requires discipline. Invisalign aligners must be worn for 20-22 hours daily to work as expected. You should only remove your aligners when eating or cleaning your teeth. However, since Invisalign trays are removable, some people don’t use them as directed, which prolongs treatment, even in cases that aren’t complex.
Would you like to achieve a straight, healthy smile without the hassle of traditional braces? Consider Invisalign clear aligners from Goochland Dentistry in Manakin-Sabot, VA. Invisalign is a fast, discreet, comfortable, and convenient teeth straightening system for individuals who want a straighter smile with minimal disruptions to their everyday lives. Please call (804) 784 4624 to determine if Invisalign is right for you.