Dr. Aarthi Raghavan, DMD
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Invisalign

Invisalign uses a set of thin and transparent aligners to help to help correct the position of crowded or crooked teeth.

Teeth straightening is nothing new. In fact, the practice has been around for thousands of years, and the benefits are not simply cosmetic. Well-aligned teeth can benefit your overall dental health.

Why is it important to fix crooked teeth with Invisalign?

For many people, fixing crooked teeth is a purely aesthetic decision, but there are other health issues are associated with misaligned teeth, overbites, and underbites.

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Invisalign can help:

Reduce
harmful bacteria
Straighter teeth are easier to clean. This help stop the formation of harmful bacteria, which if left untreated, can result in periodontal gum disease.
Improve
sleep quality
When your teeth crowded, your tongue may fall back and obstruct your airway while you sleep leading to snoring and low sleep quality.
Prevent
jaw aches and pains
Misaligned teeth can cause jaw aches and pains because of the extra work being done to chew your food. The discomfort can worsen over time.

What makes Invisalign better than Traditional Braces?

When most people think of straightening their teeth, they think of traditional braces. In many ways, it became a rite of passage of childhood — close-lipped smiles to hide the glinting metal inside your mouth. It has always been tough for children to go through this procedure at one of the most emotionally challenging periods of their life. It's a physical challenge too, having to contend with complex, outdated mechanics going on inside their mouths. This includes having different sized wires shifting teeth into place, replacement brackets, and rubber bands.

Then there is the issue of cleaning and the special flossing tools needed to get between the teeth and brush around the bracket. Eating presented its own set of issues. Hard or sticky or sticky foods, that could lodge in the brace or cause a bracket to break off are a major hazard.

How does Invisalign differ from Direct-To-Consumer aligners you see online?

The biggest difference between Invisalign and DTC aligners is that DTC aligners don’t offer expert guidance during the treatment process. DTC aligners task you with creating molds of your teeth at home. Sometimes the mold you create isn’t entirely inaccurate, which can cause problems down the road.

At Dupage Dental Group, our dentists use the best orthodontic principles and training to design an Invisalign treatment plan specifically for you. We will also monitor the movement of your teeth every step of the way to make sure you get the best smile possible.

How does Invisalign work?

Invisalign relies on new technology to make the teeth straightening process as unobtrusive and seamless as possible.

It relies on the following steps:

STEP 1
Non-invasive scanning technology is used to scan your teeth to create a set of aligners that gently push your teeth into their optimal position.
STEP 2
Once created, the aligners, made from medical-grade polyurethane resin (SmartTrack®), are checked for exact alignment so that their edge rides the ridgeline of your teeth.
STEP 3
The aligners are worn for 22 hours out of every 24-hour day to have the maximum effect.
STEP 4
They should only be removed whenever you are eating or drinking anything other than cold water.
STEP 5
Treatments last between 12-18 months when worn properly with improvements usually noticeable within the first three months.
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The Benefits of Invisalign

Comfort

Invisalign removable aligners are custom-made for your teeth. Unlike traditional metal braces which have sharp edges that can cut into your gums, lips, and cheeks, the smooth resin of Invisalign aligners dispenses with any hazardous sharp metal.

The technology used to create Invisalign aligners ensures a precise, custom fit, putting pressure on the teeth incrementally from all angles. This allows a comfortable sequence of movements without any of the pressure associated with traditional braces.

Remove issues associated with crooked teeth

Gum disease, jaw aches, and chewing problems are just a few of the health issues associated with crooked teeth. Properly aligned teeth are easier to brush which helps with bad breath. Badly brushed teeth can also lead to gum disease and tooth decay.

An overbite or underbite associated with badly aligned teeth can result in tooth erosion cavities, gum disease, and even speech difficulties.

Better oral hygiene

Traditional metal braces make good oral hygiene very difficult. Brushing and flossing around plastic and metal is a tough undertaking and rarely results in a completely clean mouth. Invisalign aligners are easily removed, allowing you to brush and floss as you normally do. The aligners themselves can easily be cleaned with a soft brush or soaked in a cleaning solution, specially formulated for that purpose.

Cutting-Edge 3D Scans instead of Molds

To create your aligners and monitor the movement of your teeth, we periodically perform 3D scans of your teeth using Invisalign's scanning wand. Unlike putty impressions, you won’t feel anything on your teeth. The wand hovers over your teeth to capture a comprehensive image. This makes scans fast, accurate and completely painless.

Fewer visits to the dentist

Traditional metal braces will have you running to your dentist every 4 weeks to have them adjusted and tightened. If the odd emergency occurs, like a piece of metal becoming loose, expect even more visits.

Fortunately, Invisalign aligners don’t need to be tightened. When one set of aligners has done its job, you simply switch to a new set of aligners at home. Yes, there are still follow-up dentist visits with Invisalign, but they are not as frequent as metal braces.

Faster straightening

Traditional braces can take up to two years to be effective. Invisalign aligners have pre-planned movement for your teeth to fit into place. This speeds up the alignment process significantly, making most treatments take about a year from start to finish.

Are you ready to take the first step
towards a great smile?

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