Aligning teeth with Invisalign

Updated on April 17, 2022

Achieving the perfect smile with shiny and aligned teeth is something most people dream about. However, the road to said perfect smile often involves different procedures such as restorations, whitenings, and orthodontic treatment.

Although undergoing traditional orthodontic treatment is an excellent way to align your teeth, wearing braces can be a bit uncomfortable as they are visible and could hurt your gums.

However, contemporary technologies have made it possible to bypass these common issues with the development of Invisalign, a modern approach to orthodontic treatment using clear splints instead of braces.

At Bridgewater Family Dental, we offer you the best alternatives to help you achieve your desired smile without any discomfort in the process.

Thereby, we will explain in this article what Invisalign is, how it works, and why it could be your best option.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is the modern counterpart to traditional orthodontic treatment. This contemporary system was designed by Align Technologies, LTD in 1997.

It was the first orthodontic system that used digital CAD/CAM technology to replace analog methods to perform the movements.

Invisalign is a system that consists in using a series of clear splints, also known as aligners, made of thermoplastic material to progressively move the teeth into the correct position.

Unlike traditional braces, aligners can be freely removed by the patients at any given time. However, they are meant to be used at least 22 hours a day to achieve the desired results.

How does Invisalign work?    

Same as with traditional braces, they apply pressure to the teeth to move them in the opposite force direction. 

To make the aligners, the dentist needs to take a digital impression of the oral cavity using an intraoral scanner. Afterward, the scan is processed to design the case.

A series of digitally modified impressions are then created on the Invisalign software and are used to craft the aligners.

Each aligner of the series will have a different shape based on the modified impression, creating a series of splints that gradually change their shape from your current teeth position to the desired one.

Each aligner will slightly misfit your teeth position, applying pressure and moving them until your teeth match the position of the splint. Once this happens, the aligner is replaced with the next one on the series. Then again, this new aligner will be used until your teeth move and perfectly fit the aligner.

This process is repeated multiple times, replacing each aligner for a new one with a closer resemblance to the desired result, until every tooth is correctly aligned.

Benefits of Invisalign

Due to the nature of the aligners and the way they work, Invisalign possesses many benefits, such as:

  • Comfort: Every part of the aligner is smooth and rounded. Therefore, there are no sharp edges that could hurt your soft tissues, such as the gums and lips.
  • Aesthetics: The aligners are made of a clear thermoplastic material that is almost imperceptible. This helps the treatment to be discreet
  • Easy to remove: Aligners are not bonded and stay in place due to pressure. This allows you to easily remove them to eat or any other special occasion such as a photo.
  • Good oral hygiene: As they can be removed, you can continue doing your normal oral care routine without the need of using any special cleaning appliance. Moreover, it allows you to continue flossing as always, which can be more complicated with traditional treatment with braces.
  • Simple to clean: Aligners are easy to clean and sanitize, as all it takes is water, a soft bristles toothbrush, and liquid soap.

Although there are many benefits, Invisalign is not designed to treat severe cases of malocclusion. However, the latest updates of the system allow for the placement of attachments bonded to the teeth.

These attachments help guide the forces in different angles to make more complex teeth movements. Therefore, it is essential to check with your dentist if you are a good candidate for Invisalign.

Invisalign is a contemporary orthodontic alternative to traditional braces. With the help of modern CAD/CAM technologies, it is possible to quickly design and craft a complete set of aligners tailor-made for every case.

Moreover, not only are they efficient , but they also are comfortable and discreet. Its clear optic properties make them nearly invisible, allowing you to undergo the treatment without people noticing it.

Achieving the perfect smile is something that can now be easily done thanks to contemporary technologies.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.