What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is one of the coolest things in dentistry, in my opinion, since implants. I've said that for years and I'll probably still say it until something else cooler comes along, which I can't imagine. Invisalign can straighten teeth and get them into a perfect position in such a conservative, passive way. We basically have a set of aligners, and you put those aligners on for a couple of weeks, get another set of aligners, put those on, and your teeth just move real slowly, incrementally, to the position they need to be. We could do anywhere from five to 25 sets of aligners. For certain cases, it's pretty simple. Most of our cases are done in less than eight or nine months, and I would say most of them are six months. A lot of those cases are ones that have crowding from when you had ortho when you were a kid and lost a retainer. We just fix that and straighten them up and lock them in position so they're beautiful and functional forever. If your teeth are straight, you're going to have them forever. If they start crossing over each other, decay gets in there, and it's harder to fix. You do fillings in there, and they're hard to clean. Having straight teeth helps ensure that you're going to have them forever.
How does Invisalign compare to traditional braces?
Traditional braces basically involve brackets on your teeth, bands, and then wires across, which we all are aware of and are familiar with. That's a great way to straighten teeth for a more comprehensive, long-term, or more aggressive approach. Certain cases I probably won't do with Invisalign, so I refer them to my orthodontist. I would say most cases are great candidates for Invisalign if it's just a little bit of crowding. We're looking to improve both beauty and function, because I'm going to make sure that everything functions perfectly when we're done. Then they'll last long, they'll be beautiful, and they're going to be preserved. Those are basically the two ways: Invisalign and orthodontics with braces. There is definitely a need for both, and we will definitely be able to diagnose that.
Is Invisalign faster and more comfortable than braces?
Invisalign can definitely be faster than conventional braces in certain cases. A lot of the rebound cases, like if you didn't wear your retainer as a youngster, are real easy, fairly quick, and so much more comfortable. People cannot tell that you have Invisalign unless they're about two feet away from you. Most of the time, people don't know you're even wearing anything. With that said, the hygienic aspect of being able to take those things off to floss and brush is worth their weight in gold. So many kids get braces, they never floss or brush properly, and they get those braces off in two or three years, and all we have to do now is 25 cavities, and it's terrible. They have a whole lifetime of redoing those. Invisalign allows you to floss and keep things clean, especially for younger patients who aren't really doing that yet. We find it so awesome to do, so it's an amazing thing and an amazing service.
How long does Invisalign usually take to straighten teeth in a normal case?
There's not really a set length of time for Invisalign; it's different for everyone. Obviously, it has to be anywhere from three to nine months for a conservative case and over a year for more complex cases. We will decide that, and you'll know that too when we look at it. Just initially, I'll know. We do so many of these that it's pretty easy to tell how long it will take. But yeah, it's pretty fun, and like I said, very conservative, passive, and friendly.
What is the process involved with getting Invisalign, like do they come in for an x-ray or mold?
Having Invisalign performed is really simple. It's so simple, it's hard to imagine. We take some photographs of you—open, close, sideways, all kinds of photographs. Then we do a 3D digital scan, which is kind of like a little camera that we just kind of scan all your teeth—top, bottom, all around. You know, two minutes of that, and it takes a 3D digital scan of your teeth, and then that's it. It is so easy. It's a 15 to 20-minute appointment. We get the aligner fabricated and in anywhere from two to four weeks, maybe five weeks depending on holidays and all that, we'll have the aligners back. We may have to put a few attachments on your teeth—little bumps to help the aligners work—and happy aligning from there.
Do I sleep with Invisalign?
With Invisalign, the goal is to keep those aligners in all the time, other than when you're eating or drinking anything other than water, and brushing and flossing. Those are the rules. The goal is 22 hours a day. You might think, "Oh my gosh, how can I do that?" After a while, it's not hard. After the first couple of days, you'll realize, "I can do this." You get the best result when you wear them all the time. So if you want to get a great return on your investment, wear the aligners. It's only for a few months. We can do this, and we have a lot of encouragement. We're a great team, and we'll keep you going at it.
Is Invisalign painful?
Some patients ask me if Invisalign is painful or if it's miserable or sore, and I have to say not at all. It's pretty amazing. Like I said, we might put a couple of attachments on your teeth, but that doesn't hurt. Sometimes we may have to do what we call interproximal reduction, which involves polishing in between some of the teeth if they're really crowded. Is that painful? Nah, it's not painful. It's kind of annoying for a couple of seconds or a minute or so, but other than that, it is not painful. When you put a brand new aligner in after two weeks, there's a little tension, a little soreness, but that's a good sign. That means you're moving and actually doing something. I've had hundreds, not thousands, but hundreds of patients do this, and I've never heard anyone say this is painful or miserable. It's pretty cool and amazing.
Is Invisalign covered by insurance, and if not, do you have financing options?
A lot of patients want to know if this is covered. Most of the time, it is, so it depends on your insurance coverage. Do you have orthodontic coverage? More than half of insurance companies have that, and they give you like 50% up to a certain amount, and then they'll cover some of it. Never plan on it all being covered; that's a dream that'll never happen. There's always going to be some coverage. If they don't cover it, like I said before, we have financing options available. We work with financial lending institutions that are so smooth and streamlined, and they give you free money for six to nine months. Just pay it back on time, and you won't get hit. It's awesome, it's a great thing, and once everything's in position, we're going to make sure it's preserved so things never move, and everything is safe so they don't wear. Twenty years later, your teeth should still be beautiful.