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Are your crooked teeth affecting your self-esteem and preventing you from maintaining the social life you have always wanted? The thought of wearing traditional, metal braces that are bulky and cause oral hygiene to be more difficult, may be keeping you from achieving the smile you desire. With advances in technology, you no longer need to worry about traditional, metal braces as the only solution to straightening your smile. The solution to a straighter smile without going through the potential embarrassment of wearing metal braces is through the use of Invisalign, the clear alternative to a straighter smile. Invisalign is one of the most well established invisible braces for straightening your teeth without anyone noticing. No longer do you need to use traditional wire braces to straighten your teeth. What is Invisalign and How does it Straighten your teeth? Invisalign is a removable orthodontic appliance offered as an alternative to traditional metal braces. Introduced in 1999 by Align Technologies, Invisalign incorporates a series of invisible plastic aligners that fit comfortably over your teeth. The aligners are designed to move your teeth gradually into their desired orthodontic position. Invisalign is designed to be more esthetically pleasing and treats certain types of minor misaligned tooth problems. The process of straightening your teeth with Invisalign begins with a set of impressions and photographs of your teeth, which are used to create a three-dimensional computer image of how your teeth will eventually move after each session. Through the impressions and images, a series of custom-made aligners are designed to accomplish the gradual adjustment. Your Invisalign aligners are manufactured at the Align Technologies dental laboratory using computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM). Once created, the aligners are sent to your dentist who will dispense them in groups of one or two at a time during regular check-up appointments so that your treatment is properly managed. Each aligner must be worn in the specific order given by your dentist for approximately two weeks. During this time, your teeth will move in small increments of about .25 millimeters to .33 millimeters. Although your aligners are conveniently removable, they must be worn for at least 20 hours a day in order to successfully reposition your teeth. Benefits of Invisalign With Invisalign, your treatment is very discrete, allowing you to continue with your every-day activities without anyone noticing you are undergoing treatment for your teeth. As opposed to traditional metal braces, Invisalign braces are more comfortable, less abrasive and do not react with your gum tissue. In addition, you are able to eat normally and clean your teeth without any hassle. One of the main complaints from patients with wire braces is that food can get trapped or stuck behind the wires and bands, creating a difficulty to clean. With Invisalign you can remove your aligners to eat the food you choose, in addition to being able to brush and floss your teeth as you normally would without braces. Not all cases of misaligned and crooked teeth can be treated with Invisalign. It is up to your Montreal dentist to determine the best process for straightening your teeth. Severe cases may still need to be corrected using traditional wire braces.
Sean Hartmen writes for leading Montreal cosmetic dentist, Dr. John Petruccelli. He obtained his Doctorate in Dental Medicine at Tufts University in Boston. Specializing in, but not limited to, services such as implants, CEREC, velscope testing, veneers and Invisalign in Montreal, Dr. Petruccelli provides the best in quality dental care for patients of all ages.
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