Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. If you suffer from crooked or misaligned teeth, it can really hurt your self-confidence and make you reluctant to share your smile.
Living with poorly aligned teeth can also damage your oral health. Fortunately, Dr. Heffelfinger can fix your smile with Invisalign® — it’s easy, inconspicuous, and it works about twice as fast as metal braces.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign features a series of clear aligners to gently guide your teeth to the proper alignment, giving you a perfect smile. Using their advanced flexible SmartTrack® material, Invisalign will straighten your smile with minimal discomfort.
Dr. Heffelfinger will create a treatment plan just for you. Invisalign can be used to address most of the issues that are corrected with metal braces, including:
- Overbite
- Underbite
- Crowding
- Gaps
- Open bite
- Crossbite
The Invisalign Advantage
Traditional metal braces are an effective way to straighten your smile, but they have a number of disadvantages, especially when compared to Invisalign. Metal braces are bulky, unattractive, and they have sharp wires and brackets that can scratch your cheeks. They also make eating difficult and they limit your diet because certain foods get stuck to them.
Invisalign eliminates these issues, allowing you to straighten your smile without all the hassles associated with metal braces. The benefits of Invisalign include:
- Faster Treatment Time — Your course of treatment with Invisalign is typically much faster than it is with metal braces.
- Easy to Care for — Invisalign aligners are removable, so you just take them out when it’s time to eat. Just remember to brush and floss your teeth and carefully rinse off your aligners when you’re finished eating.
- Safety — Unlike metal braces, Invisalign won’t limit your ability to participate in physical activities such as sports. You simply remove your aligners before the activity begins and then reinsert them afterward.
- Comfortable — The patented Invisalign SmartTrack® material is flexible and your trays are designed to move your teeth gradually with minimal discomfort. Unlike metal braces, your Invisalign trays will never need tightening.
- They’re Inconspicuous — Our Invisalign trays are practically invisible, so you won’t feel self-conscious about smiling when you’re wearing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Taking care of your Invisalign trays is easy and simple. Each morning and night, you should take out your Invisalign aligners and thoroughly clean both your teeth and trays. It’s recommended that you rinse your trays with water, antibacterial soap, and a soft-bristled toothbrush to prevent plaque and bacteria from building up. You should also soak your aligners once a day and rinse them before putting them back in your mouth.
Yes! It is possible to switch from traditional metal braces to Invisalign clear aligners. However, it may not be an option for some patients depending on their individual circumstances. If you’re curious about getting Invisalign, it’s best to schedule a consultation with Dr. Heffelfinger. He’ll examine your teeth and orthodontic situation to determine if Invisalign is right for you.
Invisalign treatment is different from patient to patient, depending on the severity of their orthodontic condition. Typically, it will take 12 to 18 months to straighten your teeth, but in some cases, Invisalign can take as little as six months. Each aligner is worn for one to two weeks, and you’ll pick up a new set of aligners every six to eight weeks. This process will continue until your teeth are aligned to perfection.
While wearing your Invisalign aligners, you can eat all of your favorite foods and drink whatever you’d like. Remove them for each snack or meal and brush your teeth before putting them back on. Dr. Heffelfinger recommends taking out your trays when drinking alcohol or darker beverages to prevent any discoloration or staining. These beverages may include red wine, cranberry juice, dark beer, and more.