Invisalign – Westfield, MA

How Invisalign Works

Technically, Invisalign can accomplish the same tasks as traditional metal braces; the aligners facilitate tooth movement over time through a series of gradual, undetectable micromovements. The aligners need to be worn for around 22 hours every day, 7 days a week – they should only be removed whenever it’s time to eat meals or perform oral hygiene. Eating or drinking anything (aside from clear water) can harm the aligners, impacting their performance. You’ll continue to advance through each set of trays, swapping to a new set every few weeks to match your tooth movement.

Who Invisalign Can Help

Invisalign is capable of correcting a very wide range of problems, including but not limited to:

Crowded Teeth

Overcrowding can impact your smile’s appearance and functionality. What’s worse is that it also makes your teeth simply harder to care for! However, it’s also an issue that Invisalign is very well-suited to treat.

Gaps Between Teeth

Invisalign is more than capable of closing gaps between teeth, whether they’re affecting the front teeth or the back teeth. These gaps can also easily trap cavity-causing bacteria, so it’s in your best interest to have them corrected.

Bite Alignment

Invisalign doesn’t just straighten and move teeth – it can also correct the jaw’s positioning! Overbites, underbites, crossbites, and open bites are some of the most common bite issues that Invisalign is capable of correcting.

The Benefits of Invisalign

When you begin Invisalign treatment, you aren’t just kicking off your journey to a straighter smile – you’re gaining access to numerous benefits! These include:

• The aligners are completely removable, meaning that you can eat all of your favorite foods with ease. Better yet, this also means that brushing and flossing your teeth is more or less unchanged.
• Thanks to their clear plastic material, the aligners are virtually undetectable while being worn, which is drastically different from gleaming metal brackets and wires.
• On average, Invisalign timelines tend to be shorter than those of traditional metal braces.

Living with Invisalign Aligners

Since the clear aligners are removable, Invisalign has a reputation for being hassle-free. Since it doesn’t come with the same dietary restrictions and cumbersome oral hygiene regimens that traditional braces do, it’s easy to see why. However, there are some slight adjustments you need to make to your routine to stay on track with your treatment plan. To learn more, read on!

Wearing Your Trays

Of course, one of the biggest differences to your day-to-day routine will be actually wearing your aligners. In order to stay on track with your treatment plan, you need to wear them for a minimum of 20 hours a day. While having four hours of aligner-free time might seem like a lot, that really only leaves enough time to eat three meals, enjoy a few snacks, and complete your oral hygiene regimen. So, it’s important to get in the habit of taking them off only when it’s absolutely necessary.

Cleaning Your Aligners

In addition to brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash consistently, you need to take good care of your aligners. Otherwise, they will stain, warp, or break. The good news is that you don’t need any expensive cleaning products to keep them in pristine condition. Just use a damp, soft-bristled toothbrush and clear, mild dishwashing liquid to remove saliva, food particles, and other debris from the surface after each meal. When you’re done, rinse them gently with clean, cool water and put them back on.

Eating & Drinking

Fortunately, there’s just one easy rule: you need to remove your aligners before eating or drinking anything other than Invisalign. Outside of that, just do your best to limit your intake of added sugar. After all, the development of a cavity will bring your treatment plan to a temporary stop and potentially lead to significant delays.

Losing or Damaging a Tray

As you can imagine, wearing your aligners for the recommended 20+ hours a day is difficult if your trays are lost or damaged. That’s why it’s so important that you act fast! Call us right away so we can learn more about what happened and take a look at where you are in the teeth-straightening process. Once we have all of the information we need, we can determine if you should move on to the next set in the series a bit early or if it’s better to have you wear the previous set while a replacement is made.

Attending Progress Visits

Last, but certainly not least, you need to come to our Westfield dental office every 6-8 weeks. During these visits, we will take new scans of your teeth to make sure they are moving as anticipated. If they aren’t, don’t worry – we can determine why that is and make any necessary adjustments to your treatment plan.

How Much Does Invisalign Cost?

Remember, no two smiles are truly the same, and Invisalign isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment. The aligners are custom-made for your smile and unique circumstances, and what works for one patient might not work for another patient. This means that there is no “set cost” for this treatment. During your consultation, our team will carefully review your dental history, examine your teeth, gums, and jaw, and come up with a custom treatment plan that accomplishes your goals. Once we’ve gone over everything, we’ll be able to let you know what you can expect to pay, as well as how insurance and financing will fit into the picture.