Invisalign® Clear Aligners
Eugene, OR
Your teeth play many important roles in your mouth. Along with biting and chewing, the teeth are important for proper speech and a beautiful smile. If your teeth are poorly aligned, however, the quality of your smile can be significantly affected. Crooked teeth can also impact chewing, digestion, and your oral health. Your risk for cavities, gum disease, and tooth damage increases, and you are at a greater risk for developing bruxism and issues with your temporomandibular joints. Traditionally, crooked teeth are treated with braces. Harmony Dental can provide an alternative treatment with Invisalign.
What are Braces?
It used to be your only option for correcting the alignment of crooked teeth was with metal braces. This treatment is highly effective, and still a common solution today. Braces use small metal brackets and metal wires to achieve straight teeth. Brackets are affixed to the front surfaces of your teeth using a special bonding agent. A wire spans the arch of teeth, attached to each bracket with an elastic O-ring. The wires work to realign and stabilize your teeth, helping you to achieve a healthier, more aesthetic smile.
While effective, braces do have their disadvantages. One of the biggest drawbacks is their visibility. The brackets and wires are a shiny silver. When you smile, they are very prominent, and can detract from your smile Metal braces make it difficult to eat certain foods, and your teeth can be difficult to clean effectively. They can also be uncomfortable. Brackets can rub your cheeks and lips, causing sores. Moreover, if the wires break, they can poke your intraoral tissues, causing pain.
 Alternative Orthodontic Treatment with Invisalign
Today, there is an alternative to traditional metal braces. Invisalign is a treatment that involves the use of clear plastic aligners to achieve straighter teeth. Resembling a sports mouth guard or retainer in appearance, Invisalign aligners are made from impressions of your mouth. Once set in place on your teeth, the aligners practically disappear from view. No one will be able to tell that you are wearing them. When you smile, the focus is completely on you.
In addition to being clear, Invisalign aligners are also removable. The aligners can be taken out and put back in with ease. However, to provide you with optimal results, they should be worn for 20 to 22 hours each day. They should only be removed to eat and to brush and floss your teeth.
How Does Invisalign Work?
Your aligners are made from impressions of your mouth. With digital impressions, we can see every step of your treatment on the computer, allowing us, and you, to see your new smile before treatment even begins. You go through a series of aligners during treatment. Each set of aligners is made to be worn for two weeks at a time before you move to the next set. Each set is just a little different than the one before it, which helps your teeth to gradually shift into proper alignment. Depending upon your needs, you may go through anywhere from 18 to 30 sets of aligners. Once your treatment is complete, you will receive a retainer to help maintain your beautiful, healthy new smile.
What Benefits Does Invisalign Offer?
Invisalign provides several significant benefits. These include:
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Clear treatment. Your aligners are clear, and practically disappear from view when they are set into place. No more metal mouth.
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Removable aligners. The aligners are not fixed to your teeth like traditional braces. Instead, you can take them out and put them back in with ease. They should only be removed to eat and to brush your teeth.
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Comfortable. The aligners are smooth, which avoids irritation for sensitive intraoral tissues.
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Fewer visits to the office. You receive several sets of aligners at once and do not need regular adjustments.
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Shorter treatment time. For many patients, treatment with Invisalign can be completed in less than a year. |
If you are interested in correcting the alignment of your teeth and do not want to do so with traditional metal braces, Invisalign may be the right treatment for you. Call Harmony Dental at (541) 246-3250 today to learn more and schedule your consultation.
Call Harmony Dental at (541) 246-3250
for more information.
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