Compared to braces, Invisalign is more subtle due to its invisible appearance. It won’t affect your speech or appearance while you straighten your teeth. It’s also more comfortable, since there are no metal components to irritate your mouth, and it’s more convenient too.
That’s because you can remove your aligners to eat and drink and to brush and floss, so there are no restrictions on your diet, and it’s easy to care for your teeth with proper oral hygiene. Contact Skylyn Dental Associates now to schedule an appointment in Spartanburg and see if Invisalign is right for you.
At your Invisalign appointment, Dr. Gibas, Dr. Dunbar, or Dr. Brantley will need to examine your mouth and the extent of your orthodontic issues to determine if you’re a good candidate for Invisalign. This is important because while Invisalign is a versatile and powerful orthodontic treatment, it’s not quite as versatile as traditional braces.
If you have very serious orthodontic issues, braces may be a better option, because they can correct almost any problem with your jaw and tooth alignment, no matter how severe. After your appointment is over, Dr. Paul Gibas, Dr. John Dunbar, or Dr. Adam Brantley will discuss your options and whether or not you’re a good candidate for Invisalign.
If you’re a good candidate and want to get started with Invisalign, your dentist will begin developing your treatment plan right away, and you’ll come into our Spartanburg office in a few weeks to pick up your first several sets of Invisalign aligners and begin your treatment process.
In an overbite, the upper teeth and jaw overlap the lower teeth and jaw, which can lead to an imbalanced facial appearance, as well as serious oral health issues like premature enamel wear & tear, jaw and tooth pain, and headaches.
An underbite occurs when your lower jaw and teeth extend much further than your upper jaw and teeth. This can cause oral health issues, and also affects your appearance, since your jaw will be protruding further than it normally would.
A crossbite happens when your upper teeth fit behind your lower teeth when your mouth is closed. This can happen to both rear and front teeth, and can contribute to oral health issues like tooth decay and TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder).
An open bite occurs when your rear teeth meet but your front teeth do not meet completely, resulting in an “open” appearance even when your teeth are fully closed and clenched. Invisalign can treat most open bites.
Invisalign can treat most tooth gaps. For example, if you have a large gap between your front teeth (known as a diastema), Invisalign may be a good option for closing this gap, re-aligning your teeth, and improving your smile.
If you have teeth that are crowded in your mouth due to a narrow palate or other similar orthodontic issues, Invisalign from our Spartanburg practice may be a good solution for you. However, this depends on the extent of your orthodontic problems. In some cases, treatment with traditional braces may be a better option.
The average treatment time for Invisalign is about 12 months. Most patients require somewhere between 20 and 30 pairs of aligners, which are switched out every two weeks. However, the actual treatment time that will be necessary varies for every patient.
The extent of your orthodontic issues, your diligence in wearing your aligners, and many other factors can affect the overall treatment time that Invisalign will require. For example, a person who wears their aligners 20-22 hours per day and has minor orthodontic issues may only need six months of treatment. In contrast, someone who doesn’t wear their aligners enough or has complex orthodontic issues may require 12-18 months of treatment.
Wondering how long your treatment might take? Dr. Paul Gibas will give you a personalized estimate for your treatment time after your appointment at Skylyn Dental Associates.
The short answer is “yes.” Just like braces, Invisalign can cause some pain and discomfort while your teeth are shifting. However, there’s good news! Compared to braces, Invisalign tends to shift your teeth more gently, and causes less overall discomfort. And unlike braces, Invisalign is made of smooth plastic, so there are no metal components that can irritate your mouth and cause pain, discomfort, or even sores and bleeding.
The discomfort of Invisalign also only lasts a couple of days. When you switch to a new pair of aligners, you can expect to feel some minor pain and discomfort. As your teeth get used to your new aligners, this discomfort will begin to go away.
There are also some steps you can take to reduce your discomfort during treatment, such as chewing on Invisalign “chewies,” and taking over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. During your treatment in Spartanburg, Dr. Gibas can give you more tips and strategies on how to deal with discomfort.
Invisalign attachments are very small dots made of composite material. These tooth-colored dots can be circular, square, rectangular, or even triangular in shape. They are designed to help your Invisalign aligners grab onto your teeth more effectively, and move them into place properly.
Basically, Invisalign attachments serve as anchor points for your aligners. Your teeth are very smooth. Normally, that’s a good thing! But this also can make it hard for your Invisalign aligners to hold onto your teeth, put pressure onto them, and move them into the proper position.
That’s where attachments come in. By placing multiple attachments on your teeth, Dr. Gibas can make sure that your aligners grab onto your teeth tightly, and move your teeth into the proper positions. Not everyone needs Invisalign attachments, but most people will get at least a few of them during treatment. Attachments speed up treatment significantly, and also help move teeth that otherwise would not be possible to reposition properly.
Don’t worry, though. Attachments are very small, and Dr. Gibas will choose a composite material that matches the color of your teeth perfectly. Even if you get attachments on your front teeth, they’ll be really hard for anyone to notice.
