Whether you’re an adult who missed out on braces as a kid, or you have a child who needs a little straightening out (we’re talking about teeth), clear aligners are a wonderful alternative to cumbersome and unsightly metal braces.
At Sunrise Dental, we want to make sure that our patients in Spokane and Spokane Valley, Washington, have the tools they need for a lifetime of great dental health. When it comes to correcting the alignment of your teeth, we offer several solutions, but none that will make you smile like clear aligners. These corrective devices bring out the best in your smile both during and after your treatment.
Here’s everything you need to know about clear aligners so you can make an informed decision.
Heavy metal versus a clear path
We have nothing against metal braces — they do an admirable job of straightening out crooked teeth and correcting bite issues. But the aesthetic effect that comes with a mouthful of metal is an unfortunate, and necessary, evil. Flashing a grin just isn’t the same when your teeth are under obvious construction.
With our clear aligners, we can straighten your teeth using nearly invisible devices that correct most of the same problems that metal braces can correct, including:
- Overbite
- Underbite
- Crossbite
- Open bite
- Gaps between teeth
- Crooked teeth
- Crowded teeth
The best way to find out whether you’re a candidate for clear aligners is to come in so we can take a look at the problem and see if there’s a clear path to a solution.
No muss, no fuss
Besides being nearly invisible, clear aligners are removable, which is a huge advantage over more permanent metal braces. With metal braces, you can’t take a break at any time during your treatment. With clear aligners, you have the freedom to go “braceless” whenever you need to.
The benefits to this are manyfold. For starters, you won’t have to deal with a buildup of gunk on your teeth, which can only be removed after your metal braces come off. With clear aligners, you can pop out the devices to clean your teeth and eat, keeping your teeth sparkling while you straighten them out.
You also have the option to remove the aligners if you’re facing an important event — like a big meeting if you’re an adult or a big date if you’re a teenager.
We do recommend that you wear the aligners for 22 hours a day for maximum effect, but this small daily reprieve can turn your straightening journey into a more pleasurable experience.
For your comfort
Your aligners are custom designed to fit snugly over your teeth, and they have a smooth surface, which means you don’t have to deal with metal brackets that can damage the sensitive tissue inside your mouth.
Nor do you have to undergo the periodic tightening of the wires that come with metal braces. Every couple of weeks, you receive new aligners that continue to gently reposition your teeth, one comfortable aligner at a time.
The timeline
Clear aligners work as quickly, if not more quickly, than metal braces. Most of our patients need anywhere from 6-24 months in order to correct their misalignment problems. Of course, your timeline depends upon the degree of straightening that’s required, and we make sure you know what to expect ahead of time.
Every 6-10 weeks or so, we’ll have you come and check in with us so that we can make sure that everything’s on track. If we need to make any adjustments, we can create new scans of your teeth, which we send to the manufacturer. All you need to do is wait for your new aligners to arrive.
If you have any more questions about our clear aligners, we invite you to give us a call to set up a consultation.