Are You A Good Candidate For Clear Aligners?

August 15, 2023

Are you thinking about straightening your teeth for more smile confidence, but hesitate because you’re afraid of having metal in your mouth? Teeth straightening options have gone beyond metal and clear braces (ceramic brackets attached to the tooth), and modern practice is to look at are clear teeth straightening aligners as a primary option first. The tooth straightening process is now virtually invisible, and can be taken out while eating, drinking, during interviews, on first dates, etc.

How they worked before.

Clear aligners work by straightening your teeth in different steps. Each step of aligners are individually packed, and meant to be worn for two to three weeks each. They work best when worn for 22 hours a day (including while sleeping), and removed only while eating or drinking (anything but plain water). At the end of each two week period, you’ll move to the next aligner in your series. Of course, it depends on how your treatment plan was created, to see how fast your teeth will move and respond to the aligners. 

Traditional treatment for teens and adults are between 18 months and 2 years, which is similar to traditional braces. You’ll also see a dentist or orthodontist usually about every four weeks in order to check on your progress. This can be a financially and time heavy investment for a lot of people living busy times, and being worried about attending appointments amid COVID-19 warnings.

There's an online option now for clear aligners.

Clear aligners online now have two options; day aligners and nighttime aligners. Day time only clear aligners are worn 22 hours per day, and each step is changed every 2-3 weeks. In contrast, nighttime only aligners are worn for 10 consecutive hours, and removed for the remaining 14 hours, while also changing steps every 2-3 weeks.  In general, online clear aligners are focused on mild to moderate corrections for crooked teeth, crowded teeth, inconsistently gapped teeth, underbites, and overbites that are being caused by teeth that slant inward or outward (and not from jaw misalignment). You can see if you’re suitable with an online Smile Assessment quiz. While everyone may not be a good candidate, the question is if you are a good candidate for clear aligners? The following people are:

You had braces before, and your teeth have moved.

If you had braces earlier in life, but your teeth are starting to shift and move from not wearing your retainer, you are a good candidate for clear aligners. In many instances, individuals had metal or clear braces during high school, wore their retainers for a few years, and then stopped wearing them because everything looked great. More often than not, teeth will start shifting gradually and back to previous positions. Clear aligners can help fix and re-align those teeth that moved.

What about an overbite, underbite, or crossbite caused by slanted teeth?

Teeth that protrude can create what appears to be an underbite, overbites, or crossbites. This may affect your ability to chew food, and it’s possible to have this corrected by clear aligners since many cases are from teeth misalignment and not jaw misalignment. Clear aligners can help shift teeth so that they are completely vertical and beautiful.

Crowded, gapped or crooked teeth.

Invisible teeth aligners work to correct and straighten teeth that are crowded, have spaces, and/or are crooked. Many times, teeth that are in one of these categories can experience difficulty with brushing and cleaning, leading to cavities and sometimes gum disease. Clear aligners slowly shift your teeth to proper locations for healthier teeth, gums and better oral hygiene overall.

See if you’re a suitable for clear aligners.

Before starting with clear dental aligners, take our complimentary Smile Assessment online. We’ll ask some basic questions about your smile, and will may be contact with options afterwards.

Click below to take our Smile Assessment online:

Are You A Good Candidate For Clear Aligners?

If you are a good candidate, you can start your plan by having your Impression Kit delivered to your door, getting a 3D Treatment Preview (a computer generated image) showing your straighter smile, and lastly, have all your aligners delivered to your door.

 

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