Invisible
braces patient
information
When a dentist says "invisible
braces," he or she can mean one of two procedures. The newest meaning of
invisible braces refers to a system such as Invisalign®. With the
Invisalign® system, a set of clear plastic aligners is made. These aligners
are thin, much like the type of clear splint that is used for bleaching your
teeth, only they are a little stiffer, and each aligners will move your
teeth a little. The older meaning of the term invisible braces refers to
more traditional brackets or braces that are mounted on your teeth, but they
are mounted on the inside of the teeth where people can't see them. They are
otherwise called lingual braces.
Lingual braces are hard for the dentist to
place, they are subject to breaking, and they are very comfortable. The
brackets, instead of pointing outward toward your cheek, point inward toward
your tongue. When you talk, eat, or just sit and do nothing, your tongue is
often in motion. With these lingual braces your tongue can become extremely
irritated. Lingual braces, while they look nice from the outside, aren't
very common at all because of this drawback. They're also very hard for the
dentist to place and adjust.
|
|
|
Invisalign® Invisible Braces
Invisalign®
invisible braces were developed in the late 1990's. The Invisalign® system
uses clear plastic “aligners”, manufactured with sophisticated computer
technology, to straighten your teeth. They are becoming very popular because
not only are they not visible to others, but they are very comfortable and
convenient, and they are easy for the dentist to work with.
Advantages of Invisalign® invisible braces:
 |
In many cases they produce the
same result as traditional wire and bracket braces. |
|
|
Invisalign® moves your teeth much faster than
regular braces. Typical cases take from nine to fifteen months instead of
two or three years. Appointments are generally two weeks apart instead of
one month apart. |
|
|
They are really practically
invisible to people who see you. |
Disadvantages of Invisalign® invisible braces:
|
|
They are more expensive than
regular wire and bracket braces. |
|
|
Invisible braces can't be used
for every case. They don't work well for patients in their early teens. They
work best for simple orthodontic cases—not
for cases with severe crowding. |
|
|
Since they can be taken out,
they can be lost, or patients can forget to wear them or simply refuse. For
this reason, they often aren't suggested for certain teenagers. |
|
