Palm Springs Dentist
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Would You Like a Straight, Attractive Looking Smile Without Ugly Metal Braces? Part 1 of 3
New Options to Straighten Teeth Especially For Adults!
There are no options to straighten teeth with new technology. Through a series of clear, removable teeth aligners, dentists now have alternatives to traditional metal dental braces. They are virtually unnoticeable, and are often referred to by many patients as invisible braces. The clear aligners are specially fabricated to fit your teeth exactly, and over time, they move your teeth into a position that gives you a natural-looking, straight smile.
Advantages
The most obvious advantage of the treatment is cosmetic: the aligners are completely transparent, therefore far more difficult to detect than traditional wire and bracket braces. In addition, the aligners are marketed as being more comfortable than braces. Due to the removable nature of the device, food can be consumed without the encumbrance of metallic braces.
Clinically, aligners avoid many of the side effects of traditional fixed appliances, for example the effects on the gums and supporting tissues. Almost all types of orthodontic treatment will cause the roots of teeth to shorten (root resorption) for most patients, and demineralization or tooth decay occurs in up to 50% of patients because they cannot be removed for eating and cleaning, and because they prevent accurate x-rays from being taken.
Patients "graduate" to a new set of aligners in their treatment series approximately every two weeks. The aligners give less force per week and less pain than do fixed appliances (traditional metal braces). Fixed appliances are adjusted approximately every 4-6 weeks and apply greater forces.
Aligners are removed to eat, drink, to clean the teeth, or to have them checked by the clinician. Because you remove the aligners, you are not limited to what you eat. (It is acceptable to wear aligners while drinking water.)
Would You Like a Straight, Attractive Looking Smile Without Ugly Metal Braces? Part 2 of 3
New Options to Straighten Teeth Especially For Adults!
Disadvantages
The product also has potential disadvantages: the very fact that the aligners are removable means they are not continually correcting the teeth. Unlike traditional fixed braces, they are largely dependent on a patient's habits and their consistency in wearing the aligners. The success of the Invisalign aligners is based on a patient's commitment to wear the aligners for a minimum of 2022 hours per day, only removing them when they are eating, drinking, or brushing their teeth.
The aligners must be removed before eating, an advantage and disadvantage depending upon the person. They and the teeth should be cleaned before re-inserting them afterwards.
Because the aligners are removed for eating, they could be lost. Aligners should be stored in containers, so they are safe and can't be lost or damaged.
Unlike traditional braces, if a patient grinds or clenches her or his teeth during the day or while sleeping, the aligners can become damaged. In practice, however, this problem is very rare and a new aligner can be ordered. Also, similar to traditional metal braces, aligners may cause a slight lisp at the beginning of treatment. This usually disappears as the patient becomes used to the treatment.
Would You Like a Straight, Attractive Looking Smile Without Ugly Metal Braces? Part 3 of 3
New Options to Straighten Teeth Especially For Adults!
How Are They Made?
A dentist begins by taking dental impressions, x-rays and photographs of the patient's teeth and creates a specialized plan for the patient. The impressions are put through a CT scan from which a computer creates a three-dimensional model. Technicians then individualize the teeth in the computer model and move them to their final position as prescribed by the dentist. Custom software then simulates the movement of the teeth in stages. The dentist reviews the simulation and approves or modifies the treatment. Once approved, a plastic resin aligner is manufactured for each stage of the computer simulation and shipped to the orthodontist.
Average treatment time is about one year, again depending on the complexity of the treatment. Simple treatments (minor crowding, minor spacing) may be as short as twenty weeks. Although the aligners are removable, they must be worn at least 20 to 22 hours per day to avoid delaying the treatment process. If they are not worn consistently, treatment time will increase.
To see if this option is right for you, contact your dentist for a consultation.
Information provided by www.PalmSpringAreaDentist.com
by: Gtz Young
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