Having a beautiful and healthy smile is a must in the modern world, and yet modern society also places excessive significance on external appearances. As a result, many people above the age of twelve would likely choose to live their life with imperfect teeth rather than wear metal braces for several years.
In 1999, however, Align Technology – a global medical device company – created a solution to the given problem by introducing Invisalign and revolutionizing the way the world’s orthodontists straighten patients’ teeth.
About Invisalign
Similar to metal braces, Invisalign is a system that corrects the position of the teeth, thus improving their overall appearance and promoting a healthy function. It is also designed to correct various bite defects as well as most other issues relating to the alignment of the teeth.
Overall, Invisalign is an effective method for mild to moderate cases, as well as aesthetic purposes. For extreme cases, however, orthodontists recommend the use of metal braces.
Better Than Metal Braces?
Unlike metal braces, on the other hand, Invisalign uses clear plastic trays, which are designed to fit precisely over the patient’s teeth and hold them in place. These trays are recommended to be worn 24 hours a day for two weeks. Every two weeks a new set of trays is worn in order to gradually shift the teeth to their ideal position.
Some trays can be worn for six months to one year, which greatly depends on the patient and the specific treatment plan created by their orthodontist. The overall treatment generally takes between six and eighteen months, depending on the difficulty of each individual case.
At the end of the treatment, a metal wire is usually inserted behind the teeth as a form of retention, and the final plastic tray – designed in the shape of the patient’s newly perfected teeth – is recommended to be worn at night for the same purpose.
Healthier Teeth
Invisalign plastic trays are virtually invisible and allow for proper daily care of one’s teeth.
The other benefit of Invisalign is that the plastic trays are virtually invisible, preventing patients from feeling any form of discomfort in social situations. The trays are also easily removable, which allows for proper daily care of one’s teeth as well as eating anything one normally would.
Braces, on the other hand, are often physically irritating to wear and prevent one from eating much of their regular food. They also cause difficulties with brushing and flossing, which – after the years of wearing braces – often results in cavities and other dental issues.
All of these reasons contribute to orthodontics patients’ inclination to choose the Invisalign system over metal braces to obtain beautiful and healthy smiles.