Invisalign Beaverton
An Alternative to Traditional Orthodontics
Wearing metal brackets and wires is not what many teens and adults envision when learning that they need braces. The challenges that can come with traditional orthodontics are often enough to make many patients avoid treatment altogether. Fortunately, there is an alternative solution – Invisalign. As clear plastic aligners that work to produce the same results – a straighter smile – they are more discreet and capable of shifting teeth with less irritation and discomfort. Call us today to find out if you are a good candidate for Invisalign in Beaverton.
Why Choose Wolfe Dental Cedar Mill for Invisalign?
- Your Dental Insurance is Welcome
- Digital Impression System for More Comfortable Aligners
- Available for Teens & Adults
How Invisalign Works
Invisalign consists of clear plastic aligners that are custom-made to follow your smile as it progresses through treatment. Arriving in sets, you are instructed to wear them 20-22 hours a day. This allows your teeth to receive gentle, consistent pressure so that they will shift into proper alignment. After 1-2 weeks, you will switch your trays to the next set in the series. Throughout your treatment, you will have multiple follow-up appointments with our team to ensure that everything is moving smoothly. While timelines are different for each patient, it is not uncommon for patients to be finished with Invisalign clear aligners in 12-18 months.
Who Can Invisalign Help?
If you are struggling with overcrowding, crooked, or gapped teeth, you will find that Invisalign can help to make changes to your oral structure so that your teeth move into proper alignment. It is also possible for these trays to address minor cases of overbite, underbite, crossbite, and open bite. In addressing these issues, you will notice that your teeth come together more fluidly, allowing your jaw and bite to function correctly.
Crowded Teeth
If there isn’t enough space in your mouth, then your teeth will overlap. Whether your case is minor or severe, it’s important to schedule a consultation with us so we can determine if you’re a candidate for Invisalign. If you are, then we can use the clear aligners to gently move your teeth into their properly aligned positions, preventing tooth decay and improving your confidence in the process.
Gaps Between Teeth
Of course, some patients are struggling with the opposite: there is too much space between their teeth. Since both small and large gaps can trap food particles, plaque, and debris, this orthodontic problem has the potential to wreak havoc on your oral health too. We recommend scheduling a consultation with us before that happens! That way, we can determine if clear aligner treatment is right for you and, if it is, get started on improving the look, health, and function of your smile.
Overbite
You want your top teeth to sit in front of your bottom teeth, but not too much. If there is a significant space, then you have an overbite, which can lead to everything from trouble enunciating clearly to chronic jaw pain. Fortunately, Invisalign can address bite problems as well! If your case is relatively mild, then we can use the clear aligners and a few other orthodontic accessories, like attachments, to guide your teeth and your bite into proper alignment.
Underbite
An underbite is when your lower teeth jut out beyond your upper teeth. If you have this bite problem, then you know all too well the negative toll it can have on both the look and function of your smile. Plus, it can lead to everything from TMJ dysfunction to persistent jaw pain. Similarly to an overbite, we can incorporate other orthodontic accessories, like rubber bands, into your clear aligner treatment plan to improve the alignment of your bite as well as the alignment of your teeth.
Crossbite
A crossbite is when you have a mixture of an overbite and underbite (some of your bottom teeth sit in front of your top teeth and vice versa). While severe cases often require traditional braces, more moderate and mild cases can usually be fixed with Invisalign. Again, rubber bands, buttons, and other orthodontic accessories may be needed to ensure the final result is the beautiful, healthy, and functional smile you deserve.
Open Bite
Usually the result of genetics or thumb-sucking as a child, an open bite is when your teeth don’t come together evenly in the front or back. This may not seem like much of an issue, but it comes with its own set of problems, including premature wear and tear on certain teeth. That’s why it’s so important you undergo orthodontic treatment – it will benefit every aspect of your smile!
Living with Invisalign Aligners
When turning to Invisalign to straighten your teeth, you may be excited about the idea of pursuing a more discreet form of treatment, but you may also wonder what life will be like with your new braces. Before you begin to panic, you can trust that our team of professionals will provide detailed instructions that will help you navigate daily life with your clear aligners. From eating and speaking to keeping them clean and protected, we’ll make sure that you have all the information you need to succeed.
Wearing Your Trays
Of course, one of the most important aspects of life with Invisalign is wearing your aligners. After all, if you don’t wear your aligners, they won’t work! So, it’s of the utmost importance that you keep them on for a minimum of 20 hours a day. A simple way to make this goal a reality day in and day out is by only taking them off when it’s absolutely necessary, like before brushing your teeth.
Cleaning Your Aligners
Fortunately, you don’t need a long list of expensive cleaning products to keep your aligners in pristine condition. In fact, you probably already have the three things that you need: clean water, a soft-bristle toothbrush, and mild dishwashing liquid. You can also use the cleaning crystals that came in your welcome kit!
Eating & Drinking
One of the many benefits of Invisalign in Cedar Mill is that there aren’t any dietary restrictions. As long as you remove your aligners before eating or drinking anything other than water, you’re free to enjoy all of your favorite meals throughout your orthodontic treatment! Just make sure not to overindulge on cavity-causing foods, like ice cream, since tooth decay will bring your treatment plan to a temporary stop.
Losing or Damaging a Tray
If you lose or damage one of your aligners, it’s important that you call our team at Wolfe Dental right away. Over the phone, we can take a look at your treatment plan and determine if it’s safe for you to move on to the next set of aligners in the series. If it isn’t, then we will ask you to wear the previous set until a replacement arrives.
Attending Progress Visits
Every 6-8 weeks, you’ll need to come to our office so we can take updated scans. That way, we can monitor the movement of your teeth and make sure you’re on track with your treatment plan! If you are, then there’s a good chance that you’ll be at our office for 30 minutes or less. If you aren’t, then we will need to dedicate some time to determining why that is as well as how to get you back on track.
Tip: You can schedule some of your progress visits in tandem with your biannual checkups to reduce your time in the treatment chair!
Benefits of Invisalign
The benefits of having straight teeth include everything from improved self-esteem to a decreased risk of tooth decay, sleep apnea, and TMJ dysfunction. As for the perks of Invisalign specifically, there are several noteworthy reasons patients and dentists alike love clear aligners, including:
Freedom to Eat Your Favorite Foods
Let’s start with one of the biggest advantages of Invisalign over traditional braces: there aren’t strict rules around what you can and cannot eat. In fact, as long as you remove your aligners beforehand, you can enjoy all of your favorite meals on your journey to your dream smile! Just do your best to be mindful of your oral health. After all, if you develop a cavity from eating too much ice cream, then your treatment plan will be brought to a temporary stop.
Shorter Average Treatment Timeline
Another noteworthy benefit of Invisalign: the average treatment timeline is 12-18 months, not 2-3 years. So, if you have an important event that you want a straight smile for, you should definitely consider clear aligners. After all, if you schedule your consultation within the next few weeks, there’s a good chance that you’ll have the results you desire by this time next year!
Improved Comfort
If you had metal braces when you were younger, then you may remember that they were a bit painful at times. Don’t worry, Invisalign clear aligners won’t irritate the soft tissue in your mouth the same way. Since they are crafted from smooth plastic and are custom-made to fit the contours of your teeth, they should fit comfortably.
Hassle-Free Dental Care
Since Invisalign aligners can (and should!) be removed before eating anything, you won’t have to worry about pieces of food getting stuck between your braces. Not only that, but you won’t need any special products to keep your teeth or your trays clean. Just complete your oral hygiene regimen as usual. Then, before you put your aligners back in, use a damp, soft-bristle toothbrush and mild dishwashing liquid to gently clean the surface.
Fewer Follow-Up Visits
With traditional braces, there are usually monthly adjustment appointments. With Invisalign, that’s not necessary because patients are able to progress through portions of their treatment plan at home. As a result, you’ll likely only need to come to our office every 6-8 weeks. Plus, if your teeth are moving as anticipated, each visit may be less than 30 minutes!
Virtually Invisible Braces
Lastly, Invisalign aligners are crafted from clear, smooth plastic. So, once they are seated in place, they will blend in seamlessly. That means that you won’t have to worry about hiding your smile until the end of your orthodontic treatment. Instead, you can show off your gorgeous grin throughout the entire process and see all of the improvements along the way!
Understanding the Cost of Invisalign
The cost of Invisalign is not something that can be determined ahead of time. You must first schedule an appointment with a member of our dental team so that we can perform a thorough examination of your mouth. Once digital images are taken and proper analysis of your teeth, jaw, and bite are completed, we will formulate a cost breakdown for you to review. We will then go over ways to maximize your dental insurance benefits and discuss additional payment options should you require them.
Invisalign FAQs
Who Invented Invisalign?
The inventors of Invisalign are Zia Chishti and Kelsey Wirth. While attending Stanford University, Zia underwent traditional orthodontics. Like most patients at the time, he wished there was a way to achieve the same reliable results but without the uncomfortable and noticeable brackets and wires. Align Technologies, LTD was founded on this vision, and today more than 12 million patients around the world have used Invisalign!
Does Invisalign Hurt?
Let’s move onto one of the most asked questions about Invisalign: does it hurt? Don’t worry – the answer is “no.” That’s because there aren’t any brackets or wires, and each aligner is custom-made to fit the unique contours of your mouth. Furthermore, there are several easy ways to alleviate any discomfort that does arise, including sticking to soft foods and taking OTC pain medication as directed.
How Long Does Invisalign Take?
On average, Invisalign takes between 12 and 18 months. With that said, there are numerous factors that impact the length of your treatment, including the complexity of your case and how many aligners are needed. It’s also important that we mention here that how well you follow the treatment guidelines will impact how long it takes to get the results you desire. So, be proactive about following all of the rules, like wearing your aligners for 20-22 hours a day.
Can You Eat with Invisalign?
You won’t have to worry about cutting out any foods from your diet since there aren’t any dietary restrictions with Invisalign. There’s really just one rule: you need to remove your aligners before eating or drinking anything other than water. If you don’t, then you can run into numerous issues, including a broken aligner that delays your treatment plan significantly.
What Are Invisalign Attachments?
When patients think of Invisalign, they often think of clear aligners. However, this discreet orthodontic treatment sometimes requires the use of rubber bands, buttons, and attachments. In short, attachments are little pieces of tooth-colored resin that are bonded directly to your teeth, giving your trays something to grip. Usually, these are used when the case of malocclusion is more moderate, and you could have anywhere from 1 to 20 or more – it really depends on your unique treatment plan!
Can I Drink Coffee with Invisalign?
You can. Just make sure to take your aligners out first! This will prevent them from taking on a yellow or brown hue, which will negatively affect the look of both your trays and your teeth. We recommend drinking your coffee alongside a meal or snack as well to cut down on the amount of time you aren’t wearing your aligners.