Category: Invisalign

When most people think of orthodontic treatment, they immediately think of a standard or stereotypical metal brace which is composed of metal brackets affixed to the teeth using an archwire as the connector.

In recent times, however, there has been a shift in the use of metal braces towards treating more extreme cases of dental misalignment. And for most people who have mild to moderate dental alignment issues, the use of clear or invisible aligners has become the standard practice.

But what are the differences between clear aligners and fitted orthodontic tools?

At Clear Braces Direct, our team (as our name suggests) specialises in clear or invisible treatment options to correct dental misalignments. One of our most prevailing methods which are proving exceedingly popular is Invisalign London. So if you want to have your teeth straightened without drawing attention to your smile, contact our team for more information about this treatment option.

So, back to the initial question that this article is aiming to answer: what are the differences between braces and Invisalign London? Read on to find out!

Fitting

Fitting a traditional brace will require your dentist to place dental cement onto your teeth, fix the brackets and then the archwire. With Invisalign London, all we need to do to properly fit the aligner is to take a 3D scan of your teeth using an intraoral scanner. This will then be used to create the aligners, and when they are sent either to your home or to the surgery, you can pop them right into your mouth.

And the fitting is done!

Treatment time

There is a wide range of differences between the treatment time for both aligners and traditional braces.

With adults using traditional braces, it can take up to 36 months to straighten your teeth. However, with an aligner, the average treatment time is between 3 to 6 months depending on the severity of the dental misalignment and the patients’ adherence to the treatment schedule.

Speciality

There is no way around it; traditional braces are certainly more versatile and can fix a wider range of dental issues, from issues with molar alignment and severe protrusions. Invisible aligners are better suited to issues occurring with the six teeth at the front of the mouth on the upper and lower jaw and providing they are mild to moderate issues, they can easily correct them.

Cleaning

The cleaning of a standard brace typically requires a hygienist, interdental brushes at home and a high-intensity electric toothbrush to remove the debris from under the wires and around brackets.

Aligners, however, are removable and simply require you to rinse them under a cold water tap and use a soft bristle toothbrush to remove debris.

Discretion

Many people now do not have an issue with wearing a standard fitted brace, as it has almost become a hipster icon among adult patients, but there is no way to avoid the fact that they are visually obvious.

Invisible aligners, however, are visually discreet and made from a clear plastic that can be slotted over your teeth without the use of an archwire or brackets, making them easier to conceal in daily life.

You may have heard that when it comes to dental realignment, using either an aligner or brace, each case is unique, and a dentist is the only person who will be able to choose the correct treatment option for you.

However, in recent years as technologies have advanced, more and more people have been given the green light to use a less invasive treatment known as an invisible aligner.

When you come to Clear Braces Direct, our team will be able to advise you on your suitability for clear aligners, especially Invisalign London as this is our speciality, alongside home-based treatment options, which has been more beneficial than ever to many people in recent times.

In this short guide, you will be walked through what Invisalign London is, what it can treat and when you may not be suitable for treatment with it.

What invisible aligners do

By now, you should have an idea of what an invisible aligner looks like visually; think of a sports guard made from clear plastic.

Invisalign London is made to fit over your teeth snuggly and, using a set of between 12 and 14 aligners, your teeth will gently be pushed into alignment to correct any issues that you may have in this area. Typically, treatment with an aligner lasts between 3 to 6 months.

What they can treat

As the technology surrounding invisible aligners has advanced, it has been possible for our team to treat more issues using this method.

Bite issues- if you have an overbite, an underbite or a crossbite, then you may be suitable to use an invisible aligner assuming that it is not deemed to be a severe bite issue.

Protrusions- protruding teeth are common and if you have one tooth that is poking out at an unusual angle, our team may be able to correct this using invisible aligners.

Crowding- are your teeth overcrowded and pushing against each other? If they are located at the front, then our team may be able to use invisible aligners to alleviate this issue and get your teeth straightened.

Spacing- large gaps in between your teeth can cause issues with confidence and can be resolved using an aligner if they are not too excessive.

What they cannot treat

Unfortunately, as you may have gathered by now, the word mild and moderate keeps appearing and when it comes to using invisible aligners, there are a few conditions that they can treat.

Jaw alignment issues: if your upper and lower jaws do not sit together correctly, creating an issue with an extreme over or underbite, then this cannot be corrected using an invisible aligner and will require something akin to a fitted brace.

Molar misalignment: if your molars on the upper and lower jaw do not fit together when you close your mouth, this cannot be corrected with an invisible aligner and will likely need a fitted brace.

Extreme misalignments: if you have a more complex set of misalignments, which may include a pick and mix of an overbite issue, crowding or spacing, then it is unlikely that you will be suitable for invisible aligners.

When it comes to using any kind of new dental device, it is important to get as much help as possible if required.

And nowhere is this truer than in the field of adult orthodontics, especially when it comes to using invisible aligners. As these are somewhat new to this area, many people have concerns about using them effectively in their own homes and want as much guidance and help as they can get to ensure that their teeth are straightened and that they get the smile that they want.

Our team at Clear Braces Direct will always aim to offer our patients as much help as possible, especially relating to the use of Invisalign London. If during your time with us you have any queries or concerns about using this aligner, simply give our team a bell, and we will ensure that we get back to you promptly.

With the idea of using additional tools to enhance the effectiveness of using Invisalign London, in this article, we will be looking at and exploring the use of chewies; what are they, how are they used and how can they benefit the use of invisible aligners? Read on to find out!

What is tracking?

The use of chewies when it comes to Invisalign London revolves around tracking. Tracking is simply how well the aligners fit your teeth, and if they are tracking correctly, your teeth should move on schedule without issue.

But many people, especially those new to using invisible aligners, have concerns about placing their aligners correctly over their teeth, and this is where chewies come into play and can be a useful tool.

What are chewies?

Have you ever seen somebody wearing a dental retainer chewing on a pencil to get the retainer to fit better? In essence, chewies are the professional version of the pencil. They are made from a soft foam material, very similar to the materials used to make earbuds and are reusable.

They are designed to ensure that your aligners fit correctly and that there are no air bubbles between the aligner and your teeth, which can otherwise cause issues with tracking and may slow down the treatment.

Using chewies

Using chewies is a relatively straightforward procedure. You simply place the chewies between your jaws and bite down hard on them when you are putting an aligner in your mouth. Aim to use one chewy per day when fitting your aligners. Chewies are the most reliable when you have finished using one aligner and are moving on to the next one to ensure that it fits over your teeth correctly.

Aim to chew the chewie for several minutes until you feel confident that the aligner is fitted correctly.

When to contact our team

Unfortunately, there are some instances in which even using chewies cannot help with tracking, and this can be caused by poorly made aligners or issues with the wearing of aligners for the required time each day.

If you have issues with fitting your aligners correctly and you have tried this method to resolve it but it has not worked, please contact our team for an assessment.

When you have invested a lot of time and money into a new treatment, whether it is designed to remove wrinkles or straighten your teeth, it can be nothing short of a nightmare scenario when you realise that it is not working as predicted.

And unfortunately, there are many reasons why this can occur and in dental care, this is no exception; some people simply have issues when it comes to realigning their teeth.

It is also not a new phenomenon, as many people who have worn fitted braces have reported slowness relating to the teeth moving and with the use of invisible aligners becoming more common, this trend seems to be continuing.

At Clear Braces Direct, we will always aim to ensure that the treatments we provide to our patients get the results that they want; however, if when using Invisalign London, you notice that there is a problem with the aligner, please contact our team urgently, and we will seek to resolve the underlying issue.

But what are some of the signs that your invisible aligner treatment simply isn’t working? Here, our team discusses signs to look out for when using Invisalign London.

How invisible aligners work

Before we get into the science of why Invisalign London may not be working, it is important to have a brief rundown of how these aligners work.

They are designed to fit your mouth and this is done using an intraoral scan during the assessment with our team. Then a set of 3D printed aligners are created from this scan and are sent to either your home or our practice for you to begin wearing, for two weeks at a time. Each aligner has a slightly different shape and is designed to push your teeth into a different direction each time you place a newer aligner in your mouth, to get the straighter smile that you want.

 So, what are some of the key signs that this simply isn’t working in practice?

The aligner is loose

When you place a new aligner in your mouth, a sign that there may be an issue is that it does not fit or is not tracking correctly is that it feels loose.

A newly fitted aligner should feel slightly tight over your teeth, as it is required to move them and a loose-fitting aligner is unlikely to be able to move anything. If your aligner feels loose when you place it in your mouth, please contact our team.

The aligner is unusually uncomfortable

In a similar vein, if you place an aligner in your mouth and it causes excessive levels of discomfort you should also seek guidance from our team. An aligner that is unusually tight is unlikely to move your teeth in any meaningful way and a remeasurement may need to be done.

Your teeth aren’t moving

It can be hard to determine if your teeth are moving when you are wearing a clear aligner. However, if you think after a few weeks of using your aligners that your teeth are not moving at all, then please contact our team for an assessment.

Misalignment is worsening

It is not unheard of in orthodontics for a misalignment to become worse before it gets better, but if you have concerns that a gap is growing or your teeth are becoming more misaligned, then we advise you to call our team for a check-up.

When you are looking for a way to straighten your teeth as an adult, you will undoubtedly go online to research all of your treatment options.

And while the internet is a great source of information, it can also be slightly unreliable, especially when it comes to information surrounding dental care and particularly orthodontic treatments!

If you have ever researched clear or invisible aligners online, you have likely come across articles seemingly scaremongering people into not using this treatment option and this can be slightly off-putting.

When it comes to debunking myths that surround Invisalign London, our team at Clear Braces Direct has heard them all before and more! We know the truth about this aligner and can help you understand the real-world benefits of using it to get the straighter smile you want. Great!

So, what are some of the most prevalent myths that we have heard about Invisalign London in our clinic? Read on to find out and to have a bit of a laugh, as some of them are exceedingly comical!

They don’t work

Of course, clear aligners work!

But this is a myth that we hear daily at our surgery relating to Invisalign London. Granted, invisible aligners do not work in the same way as traditional braces but they operate using custom-fitted trays, which gently move your teeth into the desired position via pushing. If you have a complicated case of dental misalignment, then it is unlikely that this option will work for you, but our team will be able to assess your suitability for these aligners before beginning them.

They are completely comfortable

As they are not fitted directly to your teeth, you may have heard people stating that invisible aligners are completely comfortable to wear and will not cause any soreness or pressure in your daily life. As much as we wish this myth were true, it isn’t, and it is worth remembering that any orthodontic tool has the task of moving your teeth, which can be complicated and a bit sore.

Luckily, this aligner has been deemed exceedingly comfortable to wear, and any discomfort you may feel should be mitigated using over-the-counter pain relievers.

They are too expensive

As they are clear and as they are new, you may have concerns that you will not be able to afford treatment using invisible aligners.

But our team at Clear Braces Direct can offer you financing options to help you spread the cost of this treatment, so you can get the straighter smile you want without concerns for your income or monthly budget.

DIY aligners are just as good

There has been a storm relating to the use of DIY aligners available via the internet and dental moulds being sent to your home. However, in our experience, these are not as good as using invisible aligners under the care of a member of our team and can worsen dental misalignment due to inaccuracies during the measurement and moulding stage.

The aligners take longer than standard braces

On average, invisible aligners take between 3 to 6 months to straighten your teeth and when compared to the 36 months of a standard brace, it is easy to see that they are fast working appliances!

When you begin using an invisible aligner to straighten your teeth, it can feel like a bit of an adjustment at first.

Luckily, as many dental teams have been using invisible aligners for a while now, they can offer advice on how best to use them. But few dental surgeries specialise in the use of invisible aligners and that is where our team is different and can help clear up any worries you may have.

At Clear Braces Direct, we know all there is to know about clear aligners, especially Invisalign London and we can offer you advice on how to manage this aligner in your daily life to ensure you get the most out of wearing it. Great stuff!

In the following guide, we break down some of our top care tips on how to use and care for Invisalign London, so you can go about your day knowing exactly what is needed for you to get the straighter smile you want using this aligner.

Carry the case!

When you begin using Invisalign London, you will be sent a plastic carry case that takes the shape of the letter ‘c’. We advise you to use this when you are not wearing your aligner as it is designed to keep the aligner at the right temperature and safe from any external damage. We do not advise simply tossing your aligner into your pocket or your bag, as this can cause it to warp out of shape and then require you to invest in a replacement aligner.

Cold water only!

The aligners themselves are made from clear plastic, which is both malleable and hardy. But it is worth noting that these aligners are not Indestructible and when you are cleaning them, it is advised that you use cold water only to remove debris. Do not use hot water or even slightly warm water, as this can cause the aligners to warp out of shape.

If you have any stubborn debris on your aligners, we will advise you to use a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove it. Do not under any circumstances apply a heavy-handed approach to cleaning your aligners as this can cause irreparable damage.

Cleaning crystals

Alternatively, you can use cleaning crystals to keep your aligners fresh and clear. Just be sure that the cleaning crystals you choose are suitable for use with aligners. You can even use denture cleaning products, as these are designed to not be harsh on the gums and will keep your aligners minty fresh. Just use them twice a day!

Time yourself

To get the most out of your invisible aligners, you will need to keep them in your mouth for a minimum of 22 hours per day. And while this may sound easy, our team advises you to time yourself to get an idea of how long it takes you to eat, clean your teeth or engage in other activities that require you to remove the aligner.

Replacing aligners

If you lose or damage an aligner, you will need a replacement and our team at Clear Braces Direct will be happy to send you one. But we advise that you do not move on to the next aligner in the series if you lose an aligner, as this can cause the misalignment to worsen, or for your teeth to move out of sync.

It is fair to say that almost everybody has known one person in their life who has worn the traditional orthodontic metal brace.

And as such, most people are aware of what goes into the fitting of an orthodontic brace and how this tool is used to move teeth. Regular trips to the dentist, the occasional hygienist appointment and, of course, the initial fitting, which if you are waiting for your friend or family member to finish, can seem to take a very long time.

With the invention of invisible aligners, many people have questions as to how these tools are fitted and if the same steps are required for them to move your teeth. In this article, we aim to shed some light on these queries.

At Clear Braces Direct, we have been using Invisalign London with our patients for over 5 years and can speak to you through each step of the process, so you can assess if this is the treatment option that you want to undertake to straighten your teeth.

So what exactly is involved in the fitting of Invisalign London? Read on to find out.

Assessment

First thing’s first, at Clear Braces Direct, before you undertake any kind of orthodontic treatment, we will need to call you in for an assessment. This is so we can ascertain if your misalignment can be corrected using Invisalign London and if your teeth and gums are healthy enough to undertake this treatment. If you have any tooth decay or gum disease, then this will need to be remedied before this treatment option can begin.

If we determine that you are suitable for this aligner, we will use an intraoral scanner to take a picture of your teeth. This takes only a few seconds and is a more accurate way of recording the position of your teeth.

Printing

Using the images from the intraoral scan, a dental team will then use computer technology to move your teeth digitally into the desired location. This will determine how many aligners are needed for your teeth to become straightened and which areas of your teeth will need to have pressure applied by the aligners to straighten them.

Once this has all been hammered out, the aligners will be printed using a 3D printer; usually between 12 and 14 aligners are created at the stage.

Fitting

The fitting is quite simple. You simply place the first aligner in the series over your teeth and this is done. It is worth noting that each aligner will feel tight when you first place it over your teeth and when it starts to feel loose, it may be time to switch to the next aligner in the treatment process. But there is no awkward fitting required!

Daily wear

The daily wear of your invisible aligner will require you to clean it using cold water and a toothbrush, to ensure that no debris is pressed against your teeth and gums. You will also need to wear the aligner for 22 hours a day and when the aligner is not in your mouth, we advise you to place it in the carry case provided to prevent it from becoming damaged.

Retainers!

Once your teeth are straightened, you will need to wear a retainer to prevent them from moving back to their previous positions. Keep these in as not wearing them can undo months of work!

If you have misaligned teeth, you may think that it would be a fairytale come true to have your teeth realigned. At our practice, however, you won’t need to worry about meeting a fairy prince or overcoming evil, you may just need to have Invisalign in Newcastle for 4 to 6 months! Invisalign is used to treat alignment issues such as crossbite, over or underbites, crowded teeth and gapped teeth. At Clear Braces Direct, we can advise you about the suitability of Invisalign in Newcastle and we have the experience and expertise to do so, being accredited by Invisalign as Diamond Apex providers. Invisalign offers a convenient, efficient and discreet method of realigning your teeth, without even the slightest scintilla of fairy dust in sight!

What Invisalign is

You may have heard of Invisalign before and wondered how it works. There are many providers of Invisalign, but at our establishment we like to do things a little differently. Invisalign consists of plastic aligners that are transparent and so when they are worn, only your teeth should be visible. You will need to change aligners on a regular basis and each one applies a certain amount of force on your teeth to gradually move them to where they need to be. Ordinarily, many dentists will ask you to come in for 6 weekly check-ups to receive your next batch of aligners, but we like to save you time and money and only see you if you really need to be seen – that’s why we have a bespoke remote monitoring system, so we can monitor your progress without you having to come and see us, unless we feel we really need you to and ask you to pop in. The app we provide you with will also allow you to see your own progress on a weekly basis and we will send you your batches of aligners for free. It couldn’t be easier!

What else do I need to know about Invisalign?

Invisalign in Newcastle also offers many benefits such as the convenience of being able to take your aligners out for up to 2 hours a day. This will enable you to remove them when you consume food, so you won’t have to clean food off them at any point. It also means you won’t have to worry about breaking them if you eat something hard or chewy – they won’t be in your mouth, so go for the steak! In fact, there is very little that can break with your aligners as they are made of a durable plastic material, so you can relax knowing that it is highly unlikely that you will need to miss time from school or work for an emergency appointment.

Another benefit of wearing Invisalign’s aligners is the fact that they are made bespoke for your mouth. Using iTero technology, we use this digital scan to get the measurements of your mouth and these are what are then used to have your aligners manufactured. From this scan, we will also generate a 3D animation of what your teeth will look like at the end of treatment to give you something to get really excited about and keep you motivated, knowing that your smile really will come true.

Find out more

If you would are keen to find out more about Invisalign, why not contact us for a free consultation? We will be able to examine you and discuss how we can help you. If Invisalign is the way forward, we look forward to making your great smile a reality.

When you are an adult looking for a realignment option, you may believe that it is simply better to adapt to your dental misalignment rather than undertake any kind of orthodontic treatment.

However, if you have been keeping up-to-date with recent dental orthodontic news, then you will undoubtedly be aware of the rise in the use of clear aligners. And it is fair to say that clear aligners have changed the landscape of dental realignment in adults forever.

At Clear Braces Direct, we are proud to be able to offer patients a myriad of different clear aligner treatments including Invisalign London. This is one of the most popular aligners and also one of the easiest to use and fit into daily life.

But, understandably, you may still have some doubts about undertaking any kind of orthodontic treatment in your adult years. In this article, our team discusses some of the best advantages of using Invisalign London to straighten your teeth.

Better fit

When most people think of orthodontic realignments, they envision brackets being attached to the teeth at unusual angles and an awkward archwire being placed between these brackets. However, with Invisalign London, our team will ensure that the aligner is fitted to your unique dental specifications using an intraoral as a starting point. Each aligner created is designed to move your teeth in a slightly different way to the previous aligner without causing undue pressure or discomfort on your teeth.

Removable

Many people are surprised to learn that this invisible aligner is removable. And yes, that is where the responsibility of the patient comes in to keep the aligner in their mouth so that it can complete its job!

But it is undoubtedly a great way to fit this treatment into your daily life, as having a removable aligner makes it easier to clean, easier to manage and, of course, does not place restraints on your diet in the same way as traditional orthodontic tools do. And it will unlikely have an impact on your dental health.

Accelerated realignment

When most people think of orthodontic treatment in their adult years, they picture needing to wear a brace for many many months at a time, but when it comes to using an invisible aligner, the treatment time is accelerated. On average, you will likely have to wear the aligner for between 3 to 6 months at a time, which, when compared to the standard 36 months required for an orthodontic brace, is definitely a timesaver.

Clear!

It cannot be overlooked how important it is for many adult patients to have a discreet treatment option. After all, many adults have jobs that require them to speak publicly and do not want attention drawn to their teeth. And as long as you keep your invisible aligners clean, it is unlikely that even your closest friends will notice that you are wearing them.

Exceptional results

And finally, another advantage of undertaking treatment with invisible aligners is the results that this treatment can offer. Many people believe that they may be slightly less aesthetically pleasing than those achieved with a metal brace; however, research has shown that patients are on average just as happy with the results obtained using invisible aligners as those obtained using traditional metal braces.

Having misaligned teeth doesn’t need to be the story of your life. If you’re feeling fed up, frustrated and are finding it hard to put up with mild to moderate alignment issues anymore, then Invisalign in Newcastle could be just what you need. At Clear Braces Direct, we are accredited by Invisalign as Diamond Apex providers and we aim to get your smile aligned in a timely and affordable manner. The beauty of choosing us instead of other Invisalign providers is the fact that we have a remote monitoring system, which means you only have to come in for check-ups when it is absolutely necessary, saving you both time and money on the cost of appointments. We also send you the aligners for your treatment to your home, so you won’t have to worry about coming in every time you need a new aligner. When aligners are changed on a regular basis, it makes sense to send sets of them to you instead!

How does Invisalign work?

Invisalign in Newcastle comprises plastic aligners that are transparent when worn, so only your teeth should be seen by other people. The aligners apply a little pressure to your teeth to gradually push them into the desired position and you could see the results in just 4 to 6 months. At our practice, we get your aligners made bespoke to fit your mouth using iTero technology – a digital scan that can also be used to generate a 3D animation of what your teeth will look like after treatment. From this scan, we also use a weekly app to monitor your progress and allow you to see what is happening inside your mouth.

Why should I choose this treatment?

For Invisalign in Newcastle, the biggest benefit is arguably the discreet way in which your aligners will improve your smile in just a few months. However, there are other benefits too! By choosing Invisalign, you are opting for a removable appliance, which means that you may remove the aligners for up to 2 hours a day. By removing your aligners when you eat and drink, brush and floss, you won’t need to worry about altering your diet in any way, and you won’t have anything in your mouth to prevent you from cleaning your teeth and gums properly. Moreover, you should still have time to take them out for other reasons such as playing sports, meeting friends or doing the conga – the choice is yours! Finally, the aligners should be extremely difficult to break, because the plastic is highly durable. Therefore, you shouldn’t need to take time off work or school to come and see us for emergency appointments, enabling you to continue with your busy lifestyle!

Consultation time!

If you would like to find out more about Invisalign, why not book in for a free consultation to find out if this would be the treatment for you? We will examine your mouth thoroughly and assess what the best treatment option is for your specific needs. If Invisalign is deemed appropriate for your requirements, then our experienced and friendly team is ready to get you on the road to a fabulous smile of the Diamond Apex Invisalign standard!