Do You Need Invisalign? Find Out With Our Guide

Everyone looks better when they are smiling. Besides, happiness is contagious and people love to be around others that can make them feel happy with just a smile. However, people that have crooked teeth are more reluctant to smile and have a higher chance of developing gum disease and tooth decay. This is where Invisalign comes into place. It has made it a lot easier to fix teeth alignment issues. Invisalign is used by over 4 million Americans and Canadians to improve their smile. 

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So What Is Invisalign?

In the simplest of words, Invisalign is a treatment that makes use of clear plastic aligners for slowly shifting your teeth towards their correction position. The Invisalign aligners fit perfectly over your teeth as they are made of durable plastic and are molded to fit your mouth. Several sets of aligners will be provided by the dentist to straighten the teeth. They will be changed every two weeks as your smile starts to slowly straighten. Generally, the dentist will provide 18 to 30 aligners in total depending on how much shifting your teeth require.

Should You Choose Invisalign?

Invisalign is an excellent choice for patients that have mild teeth alignment issues. It corrects a wide range of issues as mentioned below.

●      Overbite

●      Open bite

●      Underbite

●      Gapped teeth

●      Cross bite

●      Over jet

●      Crowded teeth

●      Crooked teeth

The dentist would evaluate your teeth to determine if Invisalign is the right choice for you. Although Invisalign is perfect for many patients, it might not be the best decision for patients that have dental bridges, dental implants or dentures, and untreated periodontal disease.

How Does Invisalign Work?

When you first consult with the dentist, he or she would create a customized Invisalign treatment plan for you keeping your needs in mind. It will help you achieve what you desire. A 3D image of your teeth would be taken by the orthodontist to assess the underlying condition of the teeth. It will allow the orthodontist to evaluate the extent of the alignment issues. 

The dentist would create a customized treatment plan based on the data. It is during this time that you would find out how many sets of aligners will be needed. 

Typically, you will need to wear the aligners for 2 weeks before you can wear the next set. It will help your teeth slowly shift with each new set. This, your teeth will move towards the ideal position. You will need to wear the aligners for about 20 to 22 hours every day to achieve the best results.

What Are the Different Types of Invisalign?

There are many different types of Invisalign that are available. Each type of Invisalign is exclusively designed for addressing different issues and is used by a different age group. At present, Invisalign is available as below.

●       Invisalign Teen

●       Invisalign Go

●       Invisalign Lite

●       Invisalign i7

●       Invisalign Express

●       Invisalign Full

What Makes Invisalign Different From Traditional Braces?

Invisalign functions similar to traditional braces as it shifts the misaligned teeth slowly towards their ideal position. But, traditional braces have to be tightened and adjusted regularly by the dentist, whereas Invisalign aligners are simply switched for the next set.

Moreover, Invisalign and traditional braces use different materials. Traditional braces use rubber bands and metal wires. They have to be cemented on the front of the teeth to ensure correct alignment is achieved. Therefore, traditional braces are difficult to clean and visible. On the other hand, Invisalign is invisible and the aligners can be easily removed. There is no need to make any changes to your diet or oral hygiene routine when you opt for Invisalign. This makes it a better option for people that have minor alignment issues and need to wear them for a shorter period. As for traditional braces, they take about 18 months to correct severe alignment issues at most, whereas Invisalign would take about 9 to 12 months for the same results. If patients only require minor adjustments, they can achieve the desired results in just 2 months.

How Much Will Invisalign Cost You?

The cost of an Invisalign treatment is based on a few factors such as the number of aligners required. Since most insurance companies do not distinguish between Invisalign and most orthodontic treatments such as braces, if you have a plan that covers orthodontic treatments, it should also cover Invisalign. Moreover, you can always consult with a dentist to know your options. 

When adults get braces

When our older daughter, Chardonnay was in middle school, we all noticed that her teeth were not quite as straight as they could be. Of course, that is very normal for most any kid. Her dad urged her to get braces and continued to shove the idea down her throat highly encourage her to get them for years. She was going through that vain teenage stage where she did not want to have a mouth full of metal for all of those important stages of her high school career- prom, grad photos, and so on.

She is now 22 and finally realized that her teeth were not going to fix themselves. Either she do something about it, or just live with it. It got to the point where she really disliked seeing her smile in photos or in video. She is in the public relations field and there are many times where she has to be at events in get this, the public! She wants to always look her best and came to the point of breaking down and calling the orthodontist.

We tried not to tell her, "I told you so", but we are human, so we made sure to rub it in her face. (kidding) She realized that she should have listened when she was a teen, and has learned her lesson. She is now the not-so-proud owner of a mouth full of braces. They look so good on her and she is struggling with getting used to them. Here is the before and after shot.

It's actually very cute watching her speak, because she has to do the whole roll-your-lip-back-over your braces thing while trying not to drool. She is so angry about it all LOL Every day she is like I am calling the orthodontist so he can rip these things out of my mouth! It has been almost a week and she is still not comfortable with eating. I feel badly for her, but assured her that she will eventually get used to them and make a way to eat what she wants within reason. Of course when you can't properly eat is the time you want to eat EVERYTHING. Chardie has a slight lisp like she did when she was in kindergarten. We make jokes that maybe we need to find her old speech therapist from elementary school. HA!

Overall, she is coping the best she can. We have known a lot of people who got braces way later than she did. Oddly enough, we can already see a difference with her teeth shifting. It is amazing how quickly it happens. Well, she has a little under 2 years to go, so hopefully she will get used to them in the upcoming weeks. She told me the other day that she tells her coworkers to not think she has no enthusiasm about anything anymore. She simply refrains from smiling or laughing because she cuts her mouth easily. Just think, this could all have been done when she was in her teenage years. Oh well, you live and your learn.

Did you get or someone you know get adult braces? If you have any advice for her, please leave a comment. Thanks for stopping by today!

P.S.- for those who often ask about her curls, this is what she uses below (affiliate)

Braces update

Brie has been in braces for about a year and 5 months now. Last year in December, she had oral surgery to have a baby tooth removed and to expose the adult tooth that has been growing in the roof of her mouth. It's hard to believe that she still had a baby tooth in the front at the age of 15! Not only that, it would not budge!! She got the tooth extracted at the dentist and went to a specialist for the other part. She had to be asleep for the procedure. It was a rough recovery at first, but luckily she was back to normal within a few days. Now her adult tooth has joined in with the rest of her teeth and is coming along well. We have seen a dramatic change so far and it looks like we will stay on schedule and she will have them on about another year and a half. She recently had some raised fillings put on a couple of her back teeth to help control her chewing. She was devastated and thought she would not be able to eat normally. Well that was short lived.  To say that you are required to watch a video on all the things to avoid with braces apparently meant nothing for Brie! She finds a way to enjoy all of her favorite foods with the exception of crunchy granola.

Thankfully her journey with braces has not been too bad. It has been really neat watching the transformation. The expense is enormous, but well worth every dime we are putting into it :)

Brie's braces

Let me tell you something~ Teenage girls are the WORST beings on earth to photograph. No photo is pleasing to them. Then again I feel the same way about myself. Okay, well here is the updated photo of Brie with her braces. She continues to do well and I am so mesmerized by how quickly her teeth are shifting! I'm not sure if this is all in my mind but it seems as if her confidence has boosted a bit since getting the braces. I am also in such disbelief at how mature my baby girl is getting. She goes to high school next year :( I guess at least she will have straight teeth before junior year. She's so excited!

Brie's braces update

It has been almost 2 months since Brie got her braces and I am happy to report that things are going very well. It's going way better than we thought. She adjusted really quickly to them and feels like having them is just normal now. She has figured out what she can and can't eat and methods to make eating certain things a bit easier. The only real issue she has had so far is a bit of pain from the pressure of her teeth moving. It is amazing to see just how much her teeth have moved already! Our schedules have not been coinciding for me to snap a photo but I am sure I can pin her down some time soon and sneak one in. Brie has done really well with the extra teeth brushing and longer flossing time. It takes longer but she knows how important it is throughout this process.

On her last orthodontist visit she asked the technician how many colors she could get for her rubber bands. She was told she can get as many as she wanted. Of course she requested rainbow. My girl loves her colors!!

New Braces!

Finally, Brie got her braces! She has had them on for about 4 days now and is doing really well. I think the key is to not let other people's 'stories' influence you too much and make it a negative experience. I think it was way easier than we expected but we have a long 3 years and some oral surgery to go. She is already planning the colors of the little bands for the next 3 months and seems to like having them. I am impressed with all of the extra time she is taking to keep her braces and teeth extra clean. Thankfully she has accepted the fact that she has to give up a few of her favorite snacks and foods. She is still able to eat fairly well so let's hope it stays this way!

I will try to post a photo each month to show the progress her teeth will make.

Quick update...

Wow, it's been a while since I last posted. I have been living in the moment with the family being home so the computer has not been a priority. I took Brie to see an orthodontist yesterday for a consultation about getting braces. The doctor said she will have to wear them for 3 years because she has some interesting things going on with her chompers. One thing she has done for years is chew her tongue. How she does that and enjoys it is beyond me but it is her source of comfort since I took the pacifier away from her when she was 3 months old. She also chews when she is excited or concentrating. William is trending to be in the same boat as Brie since he is also a tongue chewer. Well Brie will be getting her braces on Thursday and she is so excited. There will be some oral surgery she will have to get in a few months that will help correct a tooth that is growing where it shouldn't. She will be going through a lot for the next few years but I am so sure it will be worth it when she has the awesome smile she will be so proud of. We are all so happy for her. Oh, they are going to cost a fortune. Seriously we could buy a car with that kind of money. She is worth it though :)

Does anyone have any advice for someone getting braces?