What is Invisalign®?
You may have seen commercials on TV about Invisalign® aligners, but are they really as awesome as they seem? When custom-designed by the expert eye of an experienced orthodontist, they certainly are, and can do truly amazing things!
Invisalign® treatment may not be for everyone, but these clear plastic aligners certainly allow us to create fantastic and transformative results for many of our patients.
Unlike braces, Invisalign® does not rely on brackets, wires, or other fixed attachments. Instead, a series of thin clear aligners custom-made are worn for about one week each to slowly guide your teeth into position.
What are the benefits of clear aligners?
No wires or brackets! For many of our patients, that is enough, but Invisalign® does offer many other benefits:
Invisalign® treatment costs the same as braces in our practice
Custom fit for comfort
Removable for brushing and flossing
No food restrictions, and no food getting stuck in your braces
Helps with common orthodontic comfort issues
We realize that braces are not for everyone, and aligners are a fantastic way to realize your smile potential without the usual drawback of braces!
With so many dental offices dabbling in Invisalign®, why choose us?
We are a Platinum Invisalign® Provider, meaning we are very experienced in clear aligner techniques and work with Invisalign every day! We love to work with aligners, and enjoy getting creative and innovative in our treatment planning to create fantastic results without the need for braces.
Unlike other providers, we offer the treatment to just about every interested patient walking through our door, and use our creativity and expertise to find ways for clear aligners to work for their treatment goals, even for patients who have been told by other providers that they are not good candidates!
Aside from the above, we are fully committed to making orthodontics a fun and personalized experience for our patients of all ages.
When you choose Kirk Orthodontics for your Invisalign® treatment, you are choosing experience, innovation, creativity, and customization. You are choosing experts in clear aligner treatment with Invisalign.
Am I an Invisalign candidate?
You likely are!
Whether or not you are an “Invisalign® candidate” is determined by your provider based on his or her experience and expertise with the product - not by Invisalign! Treating patients with Invisalign® clear aligners has not historically been taught in Orthodontic residency programs, let alone dental school, and therefore, many dentists, and even some orthodontists, do not feel comfortable treating complex cases with Invisalign®.
Invisalign® expertise is gained through experience and a dedication to learning how to work with aligners and the complex biomechanics involved.
If you’ve been told that “you are not an Invisalign® candidate,” we encourage you to continue the conversation with us. The first step to find out more is to come and visit us for an easy consultation.
Does Invisalign® work as well as braces?
Invisalign® clear aligners actually often work better and more efficiently than braces, with less appointments, shorter appointments, less oral hygiene problems, and less life interruptions. Sounds too good to be true, right? But it’s not!
How often must I wear my aligners?
The goal is 22 hours per day - essentially all time except for eating or brushing your teeth. It sounds like a lot, but it really does before a part of your daily routines.
You’ll likely have custom attachments on your teeth, which are small bumps placed on your teeth, made of a material similar to that used for white-coloured fillings. They are placed in very specific positions and orientations as engineered by our orthodontists to produce the intended tooth movements.