The Invisalign Dentist - Costs and Benefits

 Many an Invisalign dentist has become an Invisalign patient after seeing how effective this method works on his or her own patients. Today, almost 50,000 orthodontists and dentists around the world are now using this revolutionary method, and almost one million patients have been successfully treated. This is probably why you almost never see people wearing metal braces today!

About Orthodontics

The dental specialty of orthodontics is that in which crooked or crowded teeth are straightened. Misaligned teeth are more than just unattractive; they can actually cause serious health problems, such has premature tooth wear, self-inflicted bite injuries when chewing (ask anyone who has ever bitten their lip how exquisitely painful this is) and even temporo-mandibular jaw (TMJ) disorders that can extend to neck and shoulder pain and chronic headaches.

As you can see, misaligned teeth and poor bite is more than just a matter of looks. For decades, orthodontists have used metal braces (which consist of wires, retainers and tiny screws) to address these problems. While these devices were highly effective in addressing orthodontic issues, they had several drawbacks. Unsightly mechanical appearance was the least of it, though understandably, this is one that patients are greatly concerned with. The most serious problem, however, was the fact that the nature of metal braces made proper dental hygiene almost impossible. Despite dietary restrictions and thorough brushing after meals, it was inevitable that small amounts of food would get trapped in the metal, causing tooth decay (not to mention chronic halitosis).

Unfortunately, it was difficult to detect cavities because the presence of metal in the patient's mouth made it impossible to take x-ray images.

The Invisalign Difference

Instead of small metal straps, screws and wires, the Invisalign method uses plastic trays, or retainers, to accomplish the same objectives. The Invisalign treatment has been around for awhile - since the 1990s, in fact - but has come a long way since then. It was limited in the early days as to what orthodontic issues could be treated; generally, only mild cases such as slightly crooked or crowded teeth could benefit.

Today however, even patients with serious orthodontic issues can be helped with Invisalign treatments. Deep bites, overbite, gaps between teeth and even TMJ pain can all be successfully treated with Invisalign trays.

Higher Cost - But Shorter Treatment

It is true that a course of treatment with Invisalign is somewhat more expensive than traditional braces. However, most orthodontists and their patients find that results can be obtained much faster. Whereas treatment with metal braces can go on for anywhere from thirty-six months to five (and in some cases, twelve) years, patients usually complete their Invisalign treatments in about eighteen to thirty-six months.

In addition to comfort, they are easily removed for eating and cleaning (though these are the only times they should be taken out). Some patients even get an extra benefit from wearing the Invisalign trays by putting teeth-whitening gel in them.

Of course, the best part of Invisalign trays is that nobody knows you're wearing them but you.