How to Tell If Your Child Needs Orthodontic Treatment
Mild orthodontic issues often resolve themselves as your child’s jaw grows to accommodate their teeth, but some children require orthodontic treatment to resolve bite or spacing issues.
Why Invisalign Might Be the Right Choice for You
If you dream of showing off your smile but crooked or oddly spaced teeth keep your mouth closed, Invisalign® may help you open up. Patients enjoy the comfort, convenience and appearance (or, more accurately, disappearance) of Invisalign. Plus, treatment wraps up an average of 30% sooner than treatment with traditional braces. That’s almost six months faster!
Dr. Padmaja Yalamanchili of Fairfax Family Dentist in Virginia has helped many patients achieve the smile of their dreams with Invisalign tooth aligners. Find out if they could be right for you!
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign has been helping people find their smiles for more than two decades. Made from a patented, BPA-free plastic known as SmartTrack, Invisalign is an aligner system that offers an additional option to traditional braces.
The clear, custom-fit aligner gives you straighter teeth without the silver shine of a mouth full of metal. When you choose Invisalign, it will be your secret — unless you want to brag about how convenient and effective it is.
How Invisalign works
Dr. Yalamanchili will carefully discuss the requirements of Invisalign with you before your treatment begins. Then you’ll schedule an appointment for a detailed 3D scan of your teeth to create a series of clear aligners tailored for your needs. When your customized Invisalign aligners arrive, you’ll visit Dr. Yalamanchili again to ensure a proper fit.
Once your treatment begins, you’ll have to wear your Invisalign for 20 to 22 hours each day to gently move your teeth into alignment. You’ll switch to a new aligner every week or two for continued straightening, and visit our office regularly so we can monitor your progress.
With Invisalign, you can go about your day, removing the device to eat, drink and complete your dental hygiene routine. You’ll wear your aligners for a total of anywhere from six months to two years. After that, you may maintain your spectacular results with a Vivera® retainer.
Good candidates for Invisalign
Since each patient has unique needs and goals, your dentist can help you decide if Invisalign is the right choice. In general, if you’re an adult or teenager with minor to moderate spacing problems, Invisalign may be a better option than traditional braces.
Invisalign can help treat common conditions including misaligned teeth, slight overbites or underbites, and crowded or gapped smiles. If you have more significant straightening needs, Dr. Yalamanchili will discuss your best course of action with you.
Alternatives to Invisalign
When you’re planning to straighten your teeth so you can flash a perfect smile, you have a few options.
- Traditional braces are a common choice. They are more noticeable, take longer to work, and tend to be uncomfortable.
- Lingual braces offer another alternative. These use brackets like traditional braces, but the brackets go behind the teeth.
- Some companies also sell variations on clear aligners “by mail.” Unlike Invisalign, this option doesn’t give you the benefit of support from your dentist.
Consider the clear treatment system that aligns with your smile goals — Invisalign. To learn more, call 703-213-5313, or visit our contact page for more information.
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