When we see patients in their teen and adults with misalignment, they often worry about how braces will alter their appearance throughout the treatment process. To ease their concerns, we often see if we can correct their alignment issue using a cosmetic alternative. In today’s blog, your Fort Worth, TX, orthodontist explains how we treat poor alignment in the teen and adult years with Invisalign®.
How Misalignment Harms Smiles
Why do we urge people to seek orthodontic care for misalignment? Isn’t this primarily a cosmetic issue? The fact is, poor alignment could impact your jaw joints and bite balance, increasing the risk of issues like painful TMJ disorder symptoms or even bruxism (chronic teeth grinding). You could be more likely or develop bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease too. Of course, there is also the esthetic component, as poor alignment could impact your self-confidence and even cause you to avoid smiling. To correct these issues and restore balance and health to your smile, we need to shift the portion of your teeth for a straighter smile!
Invisalign® Aligners
For many teens and adults, we don’t need to rely on metal brackets and wires to accomplish this. In lieu of metal orthodontics, we could instead use a series of aligners made from a clear plastic. We start by assessing the cause and severity of your misalignment. If Invisalign® is a good choice for your smile, we will take detailed digital images of your smile to create a 3D computer model. In a special lab setting, the model will be used to design and craft a series of aligners from a BPA-free, and nearly invisible, plastic. When they’re ready, you will begin to treatment process!
Treatment
A set of aligners is worn for a period of two weeks, for between 20 and 22 hours a day. After a two-week period, you move on to the next set in the series. They begin to shift the teeth and correct misalignment gently, and fit comfortably as well. You can remove them before meals and before brushing and flossing, which makes eating and caring for your smile during treatment much easier. The total treatment time varies, but adults usually see optimal results in about a year, while teenaged patients may need up to 18 months. If you have any questions about treating uneven teeth with clear aligners, then contact our team today.
Would You Like to Try Invisalign®?
We have cosmetic and clear aligners to correct crooked, crowded, and overlapping teeth. To learn more about correcting uneven smiles, then please call Lake Country Orthodontics in Fort Worth, TX at (817) 236-7846. Our office proudly serves patients who live in White Settlement, North Fort Worth, and all surrounding communities.
