Invisalign Specialist

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a state-of-the-art orthodontic system that uses removable, clear trays called aligners to move your teeth into their ideal positions instead of relying on metal brackets and wires like traditional braces. The Invisalign aligners are removable, and their clear design means they’re nearly invisible while they’re in place on your teeth, so you can feel more confident and attractive during treatment.

What issues can Invisalign treat?

Invisalign can treat most of the same issues as traditional ceramic or metal braces, including:

• Overbites
  
• Underbites
  
• Crossbites
  
• Gaps and spacing issues
  

What happens during Invisalign treatment?

During treatment, you wear a series of aligners in a specific sequence to keep your teeth moving into their proper position. Treatment with Invisalign starts with impressions and photographs of your teeth, which provide the information needed to create your custom, one-of-a-kind aligners.

Dr. Ellington sends the impressions to a dental lab that specializes in creating Invisalign aligners. At the lab, the impressions are scanned into a computer, which creates a series of 3D models that show how your teeth need to shift over time to come into proper alignment.

Your aligners are created using those models to ensure they fit comfortably and shift your teeth in the right directions. During your actual treatment, you wear each set of aligners for about two weeks before swapping them for the next set of aligners in the series. You need to see Dr. Ellington about every six weeks to ensure your treatment stays on track.

How does the Invisalign system compare to traditional braces?

One of the main benefits of the Invisalign system is that its clear design means it’s virtually invisible while you’re wearing the aligners. But that’s just one advantage.

Because the aligners are custom-made just for you, your treatment can usually be completed in a much shorter period of time compared to traditional braces. The smooth design of the aligners means your gums and lips won’t get irritated the way they can with metal brackets and wires.

The aligners are removable, so it’s much easier to keep your teeth clean and to have dental work during treatment. You can also remove your aligners while you’re eating, and that means you don’t have to worry about food restrictions — you can eat whatever you like.

Invisalign may cost a little more than traditional braces, but most patients consider the added cost to be worthwhile.