Nobody likes having crooked teeth. They don’t give you the most beautiful smile in the world and they’re hard to take care of. Ironically, nobody really likes wearing braces to straighten their crooked teeth either, for pretty much the same reasons. At Water Tower Dental Care, we have a better solution to straighten your smile: Invisalign. Invisalign clear braces are easy to clean, effective and pretty much invisible to the eye.
How Invisalign Works
Invisalign was designed to be as easy as possible. The invisible aligners, which look like teeth-whitening trays, are custom made for your teeth. As a result, they fit comfortably in your mouth. You’re given a series of these aligners throughout the treatment process - typically one every two weeks. Each aligner will gently reposition your teeth into their proper place. Your doctor controls the timing in which each tooth is moved and maps out exactly where your teeth should be.
Treatment time varies from patient to patient, but the average timeline to correct your teeth alignment with Invisalign is only about 12 months. During this time, you’ll want to wear the aligners for about 20 to 22 hours every day.
Benefits of Invisalign Compared to Braces for Fixing Crooked Teeth
At Water Tower Dental Care, we’re big advocates of Invisalign. Here are just a few reasons why you might like Invisalign more than traditional braces.
- Invisalign is virtually invisible, with no unsightly brackets or wires
- It’s incredibly easy to clean. All you have to do is pop off your aligners and clean them with the Invisalign Cleaning system, which you can purchase at our office, or with lukewarm water and a brush.
- Invisalign isn’t painful. Instead, it fits comfortably over your teeth and gently repositions them over time.
- You’ll have no food restrictions. You can take off your Invisalign braces and chew all the gum you want!
- Your teeth are easy to clean. It can be tough to clean all of your teeth with wires and brackets in the way. With Invisalign, you can remove the aligners in the morning and evening for easy access to your teeth.
- Pop them off for big events. It’s best to wear your aligners as much as possible. But if you have a big event, you can always take off your aligners and put them back on later.
- They work as fast as traditional braces. On average, treatment time for patients wearing Invisalign is only 12 months.
Health Problems Caused by Crooked Teeth
Crooked teeth don’t only look bad. They also hurt your oral health, which Invisalign can help with. Here are a handful of problems caused by crooked teeth that you may not know about.
- Gum Disease. When your teeth aren’t aligned well, your gums aren’t supporting them as securely as if they were straight. This means your gums are less healthy and strong, and more likely to develop periodontal disease.
- Tooth Decay. Plaque can build up in spots that you can’t see when you have severely crooked teeth. Untouched plaque will lead to bacteria eating away at your teeth over time.
- Harder to clean. It’s hard to properly floss and brush when you have crooked teeth. If you can’t reach your gums or specific places on your teeth while cleaning, you’re more likely to develop cavities, gum disease and other oral health problems.
- Worse Health Overall. Keeping your teeth and gums healthy means keeping the rest of your body healthy as well. Oral infection and bad oral health may lead or contribute to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, endocarditis, and more, according to Mayo Clinic.
Interested in learning more about Invisalign? We here at Water Tower Dental Care are Invisalign experts. Feel free to contact us to learn more about this amazing treatment. We will be more than happy to help put you on a path to the straight smile of your dreams, without the hassle of traditional braces.