Braces are a necessary evil. Nobody really wants to have a mouth full of metal but everybody wants to have straight teeth, so often wearing a brace is the pay off for having the perfect smile. But there is an alternative. Invisalign is a new system of invisible braces that means you won’t have to sacrifice your smile while straightening your teeth.
Invisalign was introduced in 1999 by Align technologies and utilises a series of clear plastic aligners that are specifically designed to fit over the patients teeth and gradually manipulate them into position. This is obviously a much more aesthetically pleasing system of straightening teeth and one that has rapidly become one of the most popular orthodontic treatments. The clear plastic is less than one millimeter thick and is barely noticeable unless up very close. The other major advantage is that Invisalign braces are removable, which conventional straightening braces are often not.
Although invisible braces have existed before they have often been flawed. Invisalign uses the very latest CAD/CAM (computer aided design/computer aided manufacture) technology which means exact 3D simulations of the patient’s teeth can be made on the computer and the plastic retainers manufactured according to the exact specifications. This removes the need for constant dental molds which have been a major negative factor in previous clear braces. Multiple sets of invisible braces will be given to the patient by the dentist, each to be worn for a period of about two weeks, which gradually move the teeth into the preferred position. There are usually about twenty sets for upper and lower teeth required but this often depends on the patient.
Invisalign braces may not be suitable for all patients, and conventional metal braces have also come along way in terms of size and visibility, but for the right patient they can offer discreet straightening without embarrassment. Dentists in Merseyside will be able to assess if an Invisalign brace will be suitable for you during a routine check up.
Dentistry and orthodontistry have made huge advances in the last twenty years. Previously, for patients wishing to straighten their teeth, the only option was to have uncomfortable and unseemly metal braces fitted for the best part of two years. For millions of teenagers this meant facing the embarrassment of braces during the most emotionally difficult developing years. For adults it meant facing the stigma that they were too old to wear them.
Metal braces or brackets, though effective for aligning the teeth, are highly unpopular and most people find them unattractive.