Allen Dental Center’s orthodontic options provide long-term corrective services to help align mispositioned teeth and jaws. We have three main ways we correct crooked teeth and protect newly straightened ones: Invisalign, retainers, and mouthguards. Our dentists are open to serving patients with their orthodontic and cosmetic expertise in many cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, including Lewisville, McKinney, Garland, Richardson, Plano, Frisco, Carrollton, The Colony, and Rockwall. If you have teeth out of place, come in to talk to one of our dentists about solutions for creating a smile with Invisalign in Allen, TX, that will last a lifetime and boost your confidence!
What Can Invisalign Treat?
Invisalign is the best alternative to traditional metal braces because it consists of a series of clear aligners instead of noticeable brackets. Your aligners will be custom-fitted for the needs of your specific smile problem.
Invisalign can address various teeth types and correct a mixture of dental issues. A bad bite, or malocclusion, can make eating difficult, increase the risk of oral health problems, and even lead to TMJ disorders.
We recommend Invisalign for patients with mild to moderate orthodontic problems, including:
- Overbite: An overbite is an orthodontic problem when the top teeth protrude over the bottom teeth. Genetics, teeth grinding, and jaw development can cause an overbite.
- Underbite: An underbite is the opposite of an overbite. Underbites are marked by bottom teeth protruding over the top teeth. If you have an underbite, your lower jaw may stick out
- Crossbite: When the bottom and top teeth do not come together evenly, it creates a crossbite. Tooth and jaw development can create a crossbite.
- Open bites: An open bite occurs when the teeth do not touch when the mouth is closed. Thumb sucking increases the possibility of developing a crossbite, as continual pressure in the middle of the mouth impacts tooth formation.
- Crowded teeth: If you have crowded teeth, you do not have enough room in your mouth for your teeth to come together properly. Like other orthodontic problems, overcrowding can make it difficult to keep teeth and gums healthy.
- Gaps between teeth: Small or large gaps between teeth, or diastema, can impact adjacent teeth. Tooth gaps can also impact the appearance of your smile.
- Crooked teeth: Many patients choose Invisalign because they have crooked teeth. As with overcrowded teeth, crooked teeth can be difficult to clean, and straightening crooked teeth can potentially lessen the chance of developing gum disease and tooth decay.
Invisalign treatment can also address generally straight teeth and a mix of permanent and baby teeth.
Differences Between Metal Braces and Invisalign
Traditional metal braces and Invisalign differ in material, care, and treatment time. Metal braces use brackets and wires to place pressure on the teeth, and Invisalign uses a series of aligners. Metal braces are fixed on the teeth, while Invisalign aligners are removable. Patients who wear metal braces must carefully clean between their braces. With Invisalign, patients can remove aligners to clean their teeth and eat without dietary restrictions.
We will often recommend Invisalign over braces for patients who have mild to moderate problems and braces for patients with moderate to complex problems.
Invisalign in Allen, TX
Our Invisalign treatment is available for children, teens, and adults. If you are tired of your crooked teeth or uneven bite, Invisalign provides a perfect solution to fix your teeth while still being able to smile like you always have! Not to mention, our dentists are some of the most knowledgeable in the Dallas-Fort Worth area regarding Invisalign!
To begin Invisalign treatment, we take impressions of your teeth. We send these impressions to a dental lab, where technicians create aligners from SmartTrack™ material, a medical-grade plastic. The technicians will create many pairs of aligners for you to wear. When the aligners are complete, you will return to our office. We will fit the first pair on your teeth to ensure they fit properly.
You will wear each pair of aligners for about two weeks. After those two weeks, you will switch your aligners out for a new pair. Throughout your Invisalign treatment, you will visit our office so we can track your results.
Keeping Your Teeth Straight
Once your Invisalign treatment is over, provide you with retainers to wear at night to keep your teeth from shifting over time. Retainers prevent orthodontic relapse, a problem that occurs when patients do not wear their retainers enough or stop wearing their retainers altogether. Straight teeth can revert back to their previous crooked positions.
If you have problems with clenching or grinding, a mouthguard may be the perfect solution. Our dentists can provide you with a custom-fitted mouthguard to preserve and protect your teeth for a smile that will last a lifetime!
Caring for Invisalign Aligners
It will take time to get accustomed to each new pair of aligners as you place them over your teeth. You may feel pressure from the aligners on your teeth, which is normal. However, this pressure will fade as you continue to wear your aligners.
Wearing your Invisalign aligners for 20 to 23 hours daily will ensure that your aligners consistently place pressure to move your teeth. You can remove your Invisalign aligners to eat, drink, brush, and floss. We recommend only wearing your aligners to drink cool or room-temperature water. You can damage or stain your teeth if you eat or drink anything other than cool or room-temperature water. Drinking coffee, tea, or hot water can warp your aligners.
There are multiple methods of cleaning your aligners. You may use soap and cool water to clean your aligners, or you can soak them with Ivnsialign crystals. It’s important to clean your teeth and aligners before you place them back on your teeth.
Schedule a Dental Appointment
Do you want to start treatment with Invisalign? Call Allen Dental Center for Invisalign treatment in Allen, TX, today at 972.640.7564. Feel free to schedule a dental appointment with our team on our website. If you have any questions about Invisalign treatment, please let us know, and we can answer them at your next visit.