What happens at the first consultation?

When you arrive for your consultation you will have to go through several procedures to gather all the relevant information to help the dentist decide what sort of brace would be best for you; this means photographs, x-rays, and dental impressions have to be taken. All these processes help the dentist to build an overall picture of your dental condition – including a 3D model of your teeth that shows how the jaws come together. You will also have a chance to discuss what you don’t like about your teeth and how you would like to improve them. The first consultation is usually split into two separate appointments, which allows the dentist to consider a treatment plan and the possible orthodontic options that might be suitable for you. There is normally two to three weeks between the appointments.

At the second half of the consultation, your dentist will discuss the appliances that might work in your case, given the position of your teeth. You will be shown examples of the braces that could be effective and the price should also be mentioned at the earliest opportunity so that you are aware of the financial implications of orthodontic treatment. Although consultations are not always free to attend, it might be an idea to arrange more than one at several clinics around your local area; this could help you get a feel for the process and then you can decide what you would like to do, based on several professional opinions.

Both halves of the consultation will typically be around half an hour each, which is ample time to provide all the information and talk through your case in detail. Your dentist should not pressure you into going ahead with any treatment and it is often advisable to take some time out to think about your options before making your final decision. This is usually a costly treatment, so it’s not a good idea to make snap decisions when you do not have all the relevant information to hand – you might also wish to take a look at your finances to be sure that you can afford to pay for your dental work.

What about the fitting appointment?

After the first consultation has been completed, you will be called back to the surgery to have the first aligner fitted. The dentist may have to attach small metal ‘buttons’ to the teeth that are extremely crooked, which should be matched to the shade of the enamel so that they are not obvious when the teeth are on show. You will be shown how to fit the aligner and then remove it so that you can take it out to eat and clean your teeth properly. It may be slightly difficult to take the aligner out to begin with because it will be tighter around the teeth but as the treatment progresses you will get used to removing and replacing it regularly during the day.

The fitting appointment should not be a complicated process and should take no longer than fifteen or twenty minutes to complete, depending on how many metal buttons have to be attached to the teeth. Your dentist should also provide you with all the right information to help you look after your teeth and your braces properly; a storage box will be included in your aftercare package so that you can take care of the aligners and avoid problems with loss or breakage. It might seem like a small aspect of the process but if you lose or break one of your braces you will have to wait a couple of weeks for a new one to be manufactured, which would certainly slow the treatment down.

How often will I be expected to attend follow-up appointments?

This can vary from clinic to clinic but generally speaking, you will be expected to attend check-ups every six to eight weeks to give the dentist a chance to check that everything is going to plan and to look for any signs of decay or disease that might be affecting the teeth. This will also give you the opportunity to voice any concerns you may have about your treatment; if you require another appointment between scheduled check-ups you can always arrange another booking to get your teeth assessed. It is vital that you stay in contact with your dentist during the orthodontic treatment process, if you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment you should let your dentist know as soon as possible so that the booking can be rearranged for a more convenient time. It’s not a good idea to simply skip check-ups because your dentist needs to regularly monitor your progress to make sure that everything is going smoothly.

You will also be provided with several sets of aligners so that you swap the braces at home when each appliance has performed to capacity, but this doesn’t mean you can avoid speaking to your dentist on a regular basis. Although this might seem like an inconvenience to begin with you have to be prepared to put in the effort if you want to get the best out of your braces for the duration of your treatment. If you have some problems with your braces, such as damage or loss, you should get in touch with your dentist as soon as you can because you need to have another aligner created to continue the movement. It could take two to three weeks for another brace to be manufactured, during which time you will probably have to wear the previous device to make sure that the teeth do not relapse too substantially.

If you are interested in getting orthodontic treatment using clear braces, you should make an appointment with our Dental Clinic; this surgery can provide all types of brace systems to improve your teeth and give you a smile you can be proud of. Contact the Cochran clinic today to make a booking and start the treatment process soon.

What are Invisalign braces?

Invisalign reviews and answers to the question “does Invisalign work?”

Invisalign (by Align Technology, Inc.) are not braces at all! Instead of braces, Invisalign is a series of clear trays that are worn on crooked teeth to gradually straighten them. When worn, Invisalign trays are practically “invisible,” unlike metal braces or even clear braces. Besides being more cosmetically pleasing than traditional orthodontic braces, Invisalign is also popular because they are generally more comfortable than braces. The trays are smooth and will not irritate your lips and cheeks like traditional braces can.

When eating with braces, food gets stuck easily in the braces and often takes some careful brushing to clean out the food particles. Because Invisalign trays are removable, you can remove the trays when eating and do not have to worry about large food particles being stuck in front of your teeth. The trays may also be removed for brushing, flossing, and for special occasions.

Each Invisalign tray needs to be worn for 20-22 hours per day. Each set of trays moves the teeth a small amount until they are straight. Invisalign orthodontics invisible clear trays straighten teeth without braces. Typically there are 10-48 sets of upper and lower Invisalign trays, and each set is worn for two weeks before proceeding to the next set. Treatment therefore can take anywhere from 5 to 24 months, depending on the complexity of the case, and how well the trays are worn. Invisalign can be used to correct many, but not all, orthodontic problems. Your orthodontist can advise you on whether or not Invisalign would be a good choice to straighten your teeth.

How Invisalign trays are made

Once you have decided to use Invisalign to straighten your teeth, your Invisalign dentist or orthodontist will take special impressions (“molds”) of your teeth to send to the Invisalign lab. These Invisalign dentist or orthodontist takes teeth impressions for Invisalign clear tray impressions are scanned and a 3-D computer model of you teeth is created. Technicians move the individual teeth into alignment on the computer and send this “mock-up” back to the Invisalign dentist or orthodontist. The doctor will often modify this “mock-up” and send it back and forth to the Invisalign lab several times until the best computer version of the straight teeth is created. Your Invisalign dentist or orthodontist can show you this virtual treatment so you will be able to see the 3-D representations of your teeth before, during, and after completion of your Invisalign treatment.

After the Invisalign virtual treatment has been approved by your dentist or orthodontist, the Invisalign lab creates a series of clear plastic trays and sends them back to be provided to you. Several trays are given to you at a time and you are asked to wear the aligners at all times, with the exception of eating and drinking. You are asked to come back to the office every 4-8 weeks to pick up the new aligners and have the doctor monitor your progress and success of each stage of Invisalign treatment.

Invisalign Vs Braces

What you should know, when it comes to Invisalign vs braces

For a while, braces were the only way to correct and straight teeth. But now you have a choice. There is appeared such a wonderful thing as Invisalign in orthodontics. And you really should think about wearing Invisalign instead of braces, because it could be more convenient to you. Making a choice is quite hard. But try to figure it out. Well, let’s determine the pros and cons of each of them?

Appearance and style

The main difference between Invisalign and braces, which probably caused you to think about Invisalign is almost invisible appearance as you can see it from their name. Invisalign is made out of a very strong transparent plastic of high quality. Invisalign is usually worn directly over your teeth and it is very hard to be noticed in everyday life. However, someone can tell you that you are wearing Invisalign. But from the other side compared to braces, the difference is enormous, especially because braces are fully visible and obvious. Braces are made of metal wires and ceramics. Recent improvements have made them less noticeable, but they still are visible. The advantage of the appearance and style is on the side of Invisalign.

Cost of invisalign

Invisalign is more expensive than ceramic braces on 50%. So in most cases, it will be easier and less expensive to get the usual traditional orthodontic braces.

Convenience

Invisalign can be removed during eating, so food does not get under the braces. So you can eat whatever you want. With traditional braces, you should avoid certain foods and snacks that can break the metal wires or loosen it.

Using

There are some certain issues according to teeth, which Invisalign cannot help with. For example, it can be vertical alignment or the alignment of rotating teeth.

No risk

Choosing between Invisalign vs braces you should pay attention to the risk of damaging the mouth or other problems with teeth. There is a small risk that the braces can lead to cracks or other issues. At the present moment, people using Invisalign do not complain on the problems fixed before.

Comfort

Invisalign is much more comfortable than braces. People wearing braces constantly complain on soreness of gums and discomfort during eating. Many people suffer from annoying pain which appears in certain periods of time when braces are tightened. If you are wearing invisalign, this is not a problem. During treatment, you get a new set of trays every two weeks, which neatly cover your teeth and move them in the right way.

Length of treatment

Treatment with Invisalign usually takes about 8 – 15 months, while wearing the traditional braces takes about two years or maybe more. However, due to invisalign can be removed, treatment with them may increase because many patients do not wear them the required amount of hours a day.

So choosing between Invisalign vs braces you have to think about all the pros and cons and make the right decision, which is most convenient to you. Discuss this with your dentist. If you know all advantages and disadvantages, you can better understand the situation.