Invisalign Clear Aligners – Naperville, IL
Say Goodbye to a Crooked Smile
If you didn’t get braces when you were younger, you may think that you’ve missed the boat on straightening your teeth. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth! At Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we offer Invisalign in Naperville to help you achieve your best smile. The clear aligners are a more aesthetically pleasing option that’s perfect for young adults. Continue reading or give our office a call today to learn more about this modern orthodontic treatment! today to schedule your initial consultation for traditional braces in Naperville!
How Invisalign Works
Unlike traditional metal braces, Invisalign works by using a series of clear aligners to make gradual improvements to your smile. We’ll use impressions of your mouth to custom-make these plastic trays, with each one representing a different stage of your teeth as they’re slowly shifted toward the desired position. You’ll be instructed to wear each aligner for a predetermined amount of time, which is usually two weeks. In addition, you’ll have to visit our office regularly to ensure things are moving according to plan!
Who Can Invisalign Help?
Invisalign continues to gain popularity as a clear alternative to traditional braces due to its unique advantages. Unlike metallic brackets and wires, the transparent trays are generally considered more comfortable and discreet.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean this is the best method for meeting everyone’s individual needs. Continue reading to learn more about who might benefit from this service so you can make an informed decision about the future of your or your child’s smile!
Crowded Teeth
If your teeth overlap in areas, it can be much harder to brush and floss them thoroughly enough to prevent common oral issues. Unfortunately, this increases the likelihood that you’ll develop cavities, gum disease, or other concerns.
Shifting them to their ideal places with Invisalign can help you maintain beautiful, healthy teeth and gums.
Gaps Between Teeth
Some patients’ teeth grow farther apart than most, leaving a wider open space in their gums. Such gaps can trap bits of food or germs that emit acids, which erode their enamel and contribute to tooth decay. You are also more likely to sustain cuts or other injuries to your unprotected connective tissues.
Invisalign can help bring your teeth together to provide a more even appearance while preventing potential problems.
Overbite
It’s normal and expected for a person’s upper teeth to rest gently over the lower ones when they bite down. However, if your top arch sticks out excessively, it can lead to oral issues. For example, you might wear down the backs of your teeth prematurely or struggle to eat and speak normally.
Transparent trays can help bring your arches into proper alignment and provide an added layer of protection over the enamel.
Underbite
If you or your child over-indulges in non-nutritive habits, like thumb or pacifier-sucking, or if you’ve sustained an injury to their jaw or mouth, you might develop an underbite. This condition occurs when the bottom teeth protrude farther than the top ones when the mouth is closed. Leaving it untreated might contribute to sleep apnea and difficulty breathing, speaking, or chewing.
Thankfully, Invisalign can often be used to address this condition with the help of clear attachments and bands.
Crossbite
Do your top teeth fall behind the lower ones in certain places but in front of them in others? If so, you may have a crossbite. Whether it’s due to genetics, premature loss of baby teeth, or poor oral habits, it can detract from your dental health and appearance.
Improving your bite alignment allows you to bite and chew food more easily, as well as prevents jaw pain, speech impediments, and lowered self-esteem.
Open Bite
If your upper and lower teeth don’t touch in areas when you chomp down, then you could have an open bite. This often happens because of poor bone development or thumb-sucking habits, and can hinder your ability to enunciate certain words and sounds. It also increases your vulnerability to chips, cracks, and other types of damage to the back of your enamel.
Invisalign helps bring the arches together correctly to improve your abilities and boost your confidence in your appearance.
Benefits of Invisalign
Over the last two decades, Invisalign has helped millions of patients achieve their smile goals (more than 12 million, to be more exact). It’s an incredibly popular treatment thanks to the following benefits:
Shorter Average Treatment Timeline
No one wants to wait longer than they have to for their dream smile. The good news is that the average treatment timeline with Invisalign is significantly shorter than traditional braces (between 12-18 months). While the exact length of your teeth-straightening journey will depend on factors like the complexity of your case, the key to staying on-track for each patient is the same: follow the guidelines we provide, like making an active effort to wear your trays for 20-22 hours a day.
Discreet Appearance
Since traditional braces use noticeable brackets and wires to address orthodontic problems like overcrowding and crossbites, it’s common for patients to develop a habit of covering their mouth when they laugh or keeping their lips closed when they smile. With Invisalign, you won’t feel self-conscious about your braces because they are completely see-through! As a result, the people around you – including those in your inner circle – will have a hard time telling when you’re wearing them.
No Dietary Restrictions
For many patients, the hardest part about having traditional braces is adjusting their diet. If this is a concern for you as well, then you’ll be happy to hear that there aren’t any dietary restrictions with Invisalign because the trays are removable! The only thing that you need to do is take them out first. Of course, we always recommend doing your best to not overindulge on foods and drinks with added sugar too since they can negatively impact the health of your smile.
Fewer Check-In Appointments
In short, patients with traditional braces need to commit to coming in every four weeks. Patients with Invisalign, on the other hand, usually need to come in every six to eight weeks. This is a huge perk for those with busy and demanding schedules, especially since the appointments are usually only 15 minutes or so if everything looks good and your teeth are tracking as anticipated.
Better Dental Hygiene
If you already have a hard time mustering up the motivation to brush and floss your teeth, then you probably aren’t thrilled about the idea of using interproximal toothbrushes, pre-threaded floss, and other special dental care products. The good news is that Invisalign makes completing your oral hygiene regimen a breeze – all you have to do is take your aligners out first!
Improved Comfort
Although effective, reliable, and versatile, traditional braces aren’t the most comfortable. Instead of using metal brackets and wires to guide your teeth into proper alignment, Invisalign takes a different approach: clear, low-profile, and custom-made aligners. That means that you won’t have to worry about soft tissue irritation, mouth sores, and the like!
How Much Does Invisalign Cost?
Because every case is unique, it’s hard to say how much your Invisalign treatment will cost. The only way to know for sure is by scheduling a consultation with our office. Many factors can affect the price, including the severity of your misalignment and the number of aligners you’ll need. During your appointment, we’ll assess your situation and determine the best steps to achieve your desired results.
Invisalign FAQs
Our team understands that you might have a few questions about Invisalign that you’d like answered before you feel comfortable committing to the treatment—and we’re more than happy to help! We’ve gathered a few of the most frequently asked questions that we receive about Invisalign, along with their respective answers, so that you can get the information you need to confidently embark on your orthodontic journey. If you have any other questions about Invisalign that aren’t listed below, or if you’d like to schedule a consultation to see how the aligners can benefit your pearly whites, don’t hesitate to contact us today!
Does Invisalign Hurt?
The short answer here is no, Invisalign is not painful! In fact, the smooth plastic used to construct the aligners is very comfortable to wear, especially considering the aligners are also customized to fit specifically inside your mouth. When you first get Invisalign, there is an adjustment period that’s sometimes accompanied by soreness as you become accustomed to wearing the aligners, and you might also feel some discomfort as you advance to subsequent sets of trays. But in any case, this pain is quite minor and can usually be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers, cold compresses, or even drinking ice-cold water.
How Long Does Invisalign Take?
There are several factors that influence the Invisalign timeline, including things like the severity of your misalignment, along with your commitment to your treatment plan. Generally speaking, it takes most patients anywhere from 12 to 18 months to complete their treatment, though this can greatly vary. That said, on average the process is still roughly 4 months shorter than the traditional braces route. Regular dental checkups during this process, combined with your willingness to wear your trays as instructed (about 22 hours a day) will ensure you complete your treatment on time and with the intended results.
Can You Eat with Invisalign?
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of Invisalign is that since the aligners are totally removable, you don’t have to adhere to the same dietary restrictions that patients with braces must endure. However, you must remove your aligners before eating anything, as the aligners aren’t designed to withstand the forces of biting and chewing. Failure to do so can result in damaged aligners that ultimately set back your treatment! The only thing you should consume while wearing your Invisalign is water; in all other cases, remove your aligners before eating or drinking (and store them in their carrying case).
Does Invisalign Give You a Lisp?
With any type of addition to your mouth, there’s going to be an initial adjustment period when it comes to your speech. This is because your mouth relies on your tongue, lips, and teeth all working in unison to enunciate certain sounds. In some cases, patients can develop a minor lisp from wearing their Invisalign aligners since they slightly alter the space within the mouth; however, many patients aren’t affected by this issue. If a lisp does occur, it usually doesn’t last for more than a few weeks as patients adjust to wearing their trays. In any case, the easiest way to prevent a lisp from developing or progressing is to practice speaking normally while wearing your trays!
