The Ultimate Guide to Invisalign

If you’ve always dreamed of having a million-dollar style, or if you have children need braces in the Leatherhead area, you’ll be happy to know that a straighter, more confident smile is within reach.

Invisalign offers all the benefits of traditional braces without all of the extra hassles. The concept of braces can be difficult, especially for younger children in the tween to teen stages of life.

Your child will be happy to know that Invisalign in Leatherhead offers your child the opportunity of straight teeth without the teasing that can come with traditional braces.

Read on for the ultimate guide to Invisalign in Leatherhead. 

What Is Invisalign? 

Invisalign is a type of clear orthodontics care that corrects your smile like braces, except without all the messy wires. Invisalign is virtually invisible when worn and is custom-made for your teeth.

Unlike braces, they are removable, which makes it convenient when eating or snacking. No more worries about sticky food getting in your braces! Simply remove the tray from your mouth, eat, brush and floss your teeth, and then replace your aligners.

Your transparent aligners, also called trays, are custom-made for your teeth and changed every couple of weeks. Each tray works in tandem to gradually correct your smile.

Trusted by over 8 million users, including 1.4 million teens, Invisalign clear aligners create a beautiful smile. 

Does Invisalign Work? 

The short answer is YES. Not only that, depending on your unique situation, Invisalign may work better than traditional metal braces! 

Invisalign’s aligners are virtually invisible. You can remove the aligner for eating, drinking, and oral care. It’s a game-changer. 

Invisalign is scientifically proven to help clients fix the following orthodontic issues: 

• Gappy teeth
• Underbite
• Crossbite
• Open bite
• crowded teeth

When someone gets braces and chooses Invisalign, they’ll go through a standard process.

Step 1

First, they will meet with an orthodontist. During the initial visit, a course of treatment will be set, and bite impressions will be taken. The orthodontist will send the bite impressions to Invisalign, who will design custom trays or aligners specific to your needs. 

Step 2

3D imaging technology will transform your bite impressions into custom-made aligners for your treatment. Depending on your individual needs, between twelve and forty-eight aligners will be made to straighten your teeth, like traditional braces. 

Step 3

You’ll receive your Invisalign aligners or trays. You’ll most likely pick these up through your dentist or orthodontist. You’ll most likely receive a few aligners to hold you over until your next visit. If there are concerns with your aligners for any reason, you’ll want to reach out to your orthodontist with questions. 

Step 4

After your initial appointment, you’ll wear your Invisalign aligners. Invisalign aligners are worn at all times, except when you eat, drink, or perform oral care. Each tray is worn for a period of two weeks. You’ll most likely meet with your orthodontist or dentist every six weeks to ensure your treatment is on track, and your aligners are doing their job as assessed. 

This is a great time to ask any questions that you may have or clarify how your treatment is progressing with your Invisalign aligners. 

The total time of treatment with Invisalign aligners is anywhere between twelve to eighteen months. Depending on your unique institution, some people may complete their treatment earlier. 

Does Invisalign Hurt? 

Most patients will experience some pain at the beginning of the treatment when the teeth are shifting into place. Additionally, patients may feel discomfort every two weeks for a few days as they get used to their new aligner, and shifting is occurring. 

Because it is recommended that you wear Invisalign aligners for a period of twenty-two hours a day, some people may feel some discomfort throughout the day. 

Other patients have reported frequent pain throughout the duration of treatment with Invisalign aligners. It should be noted, though, that this pain is no worse than traditional braces. 

Most patients will only feel a slight discomfort with the adjustment period of a few days when each new tray is used. 

Is Invisalign Worth it? 

Absolutely! Invisalign has a whole host of advantages when it comes to cost, effectiveness, and care. Let’s dive in and take a look at each of these factors to discover if Invisalign is worth it. 

Cost

According to online reports, depending on the severity of your unique issue and course of treatment, Invisalign aligners can cost anywhere from £1,500 to £5,500. 

For a price comparison, here’s what you can expect to pay for other treatment options (this assumes you are paying privately and not going through NHS): 

• Traditional metal braces = £1,500 to £3,000, without NHS
• Ceramic braces = £2,000 to £6,000
• Lingual braces = £2,000 to £10,000
• Smart braces = £2,000 to £3,000
• Clear braces = £3,500 to £4,500 

One important thing to mention is that the NHS will cover children under the age of 18 for free orthodontic care. Treatment options are based on a score of 1 to 5. Patients who receive a score of 4 or 5 will receive treatment for free from NHS, but it will be traditional metal braces. Patients with a score of 3 will be covered on a case-by-case basis. Scores of 1 or 2 are not eligible and must pay privately. 

As you can see, for private fees, Invisalign aligners fall right within the range of other traditional braces. More importantly, for some braces that seek to hide the treatment, like Invisalign, you’ll notice the starting costs are much higher than Invisalign. This should not be overlooked. 

While Invisalign’s actual cost will be different for each patient depending on their unique needs, we hope this gives you some sense from a cost perspective if Invisalign is worth it. 

Effectiveness

As far as the effectiveness of treatment, Invisalign compares with traditional braces except for very extreme cases. Both traditional braces and Invisalign aligners are effective in shifting teeth into a straighter position.

Additionally, traditional braces have a treatment timeline of eighteen months to two years, while Invisalign has an average treatment time of just one year. 

This would certainly indicate that Invisalign is as effective, if not more effective, in straightening teeth compared to traditional metal braces. 

Care

When it comes to personal care, Invisalign is the clear winner. Not only are the clear aligners invisible, they don’t have messy wiring and can also be removed for greater ease for oral care. 

While both traditional braces and Invisalign can cause pain, only Invisalign can be removed from your mouth to give yourself a respite, if only for a short time. 

While traditional braces require twenty-four-hour wear as part of treatment, Invisalign can have the same relative effectiveness of straightening teeth in twenty-two hours.

With Invisalign, your mouth has a chance to rest from the strain of treatment. Over the course of treatment, that’s at least 104 hours more relief for your mouth than traditional braces.

Traditional braces make eating complicated. You must keep away from certain foods and be careful while eating. In contrast, Invisalign aligners are meant to be removed during eating and drinking. 

As you care for your teeth, you can remove your aligners to brush and floss. Traditional braces require you to brush with them on. It appears Invisalign has a clear advantage when it comes to oral care compared to traditional braces. 

One disadvantage with the clear aligners is that they can stain very easily, so you must be careful to brush and floss after each meal as to not stain your clear aligners. 

How to Clean Invisalign? 

Invisalign are clear aligners that will be in your mouth most of the day, so it’s important that when they are out of your mouth that they are cleaned properly. Here are four ways to clean your Invisalign aligners:

1. Use a Toothbrush

After a meal, it’s important to brush and floss your teeth. Additionally, this is the perfect time to clean your aligners. The go-to method is to use cold or warm soapy water and your toothbrush. Gently brush with your toothbrush to remove any residual residue that may be leftover in the aligner. 

2. Soaking the Aligners

The second method is to soak your aligners with cleaning crystals or a tablet. There are several products on the market to help keep your aligners clean. In a clean cup, place tablet or cleaning crystals in water and then place your aligners in the solution. Leave them in for 3-5 minutes. Make sure to rinse the aligners with water before placing them back into your mouth. 

3. Use EverSmile Foam

Using the EverSmile foam, you let the aligners sit for 3-5 minutes until they are clean. Make sure to rinse off your aligner before placing them back in your mouth. 

4. Use a Mini Ultrasonic Cleaner

Fill the device with either water or mouthwash, then place the aligner on top. After that, simply close the lid and push the button to run through a cycle. Once it is complete, take out the aligner and rinse it off before placing it back in your mouth 

Looking for Invisalign in Letherhead? 

If you’re looking for Invisalign in Leatherhead, consider Horsley Dental. As a verified Invisalign partner, we can meet your needs for orthodontic care. 

Whether you’re looking for traditional braces, Invisalign, or something in between, Horsley Dental is here and ready to serve you. Call us today at 01483 281 414, or schedule a free consultation.