Why Choose Invisalign for Clear Aligner Treatments?
It’s a common situation: a patient will wear corrective orthodontics as a child, and then wear his or her retainer for a number of years. At some point in adulthood however, they stop wearing the retainer because it seems like the teeth have stayed in their proper position permanently. But then, by age 30 or 40, we start to notice teeth shifting out of alignment again. Slowly, your smile shifts so that one tooth sticks out farther than the others, or the teeth appear crowded again. What can you do in this situation?
In many cases, mild to moderately misaligned teeth can be corrected with a course of Invisalign. In some cases, the treatment timeline may be as short as just six to 12 months. Today, adult orthodontics is on the rise, and the chief reason for this is Invisalign®. This treatment is an excellent option for patients who want to straighten their teeth without having to put metal brackets and wires on their smiles. The clear aligners are comfortable, discreet, and easy to maintain. You don’t even have to change your diet, as you do with metal braces. It turns out that you are never too old to fix your teeth. As long as your teeth and gums are in a good state of health, you may be a good candidate for Invisalign.
Why Choose Invisalign?
Many patients have noticed that there are more clear aligner competitors on the market today. Do an online search for Invisalign, and you’ll see a number of alternative clear aligner providers pop up. Some of these competitors will even send you aligners without going through a dentist or orthodontist. This is happening now because the patent rights for Invisalign technology expired in 2017, so now any number of new companies can use the same process to create their own aligners.
Invisalign is still the gold standard for clear aligner treatments, for two reasons:
- Invisalign has decades of research and case reviews under their belt. They have been refining their process and services for many years and have over 5 million satisfied patients backing them up.
- Invisalign is not a product, as much as a service. Your treatment doesn’t end until you are happy with your smile. Many of these newer companies do not offer this same guarantee, and may charge you extra if your treatment plan requires corrections or becomes delayed by their inefficiency.
You should be especially wary of direct-to-consumer aligners that claim to save you money by avoiding the “middle man” (a dentist). They have customers send in a dental impression they create at home, which is used to create their aligners. This is not a good idea because you need a dentist to diagnose your misalignment issues and assess your candidacy before you start orthodontic treatments. A simple bite impression is not the whole picture. At the very minimum, we also need to see x-rays to assess oral health and underlying bone structure. Some patients are not ideal candidates for orthodontic treatment, and we can’t always see that with just a bite.
You also need a dentist to monitor your treatment every six weeks and make sure your teeth are moving correctly. There are too many negative reviews from “smile club” patients whose teeth shifted inappropriately to ignore this possibility! In fact, if you read all the reviews out there, you will find plenty of unhappy customers who felt abandoned and neglected by an unsatisfactory customer service process. Having a dentist or orthodontist to guide and monitor your treatment is not a “middle man,” but is absolutely necessary for proper care.
Contact San Diego Cosmetic Dentist Dr. David Eshom to Learn More
If you’ve been thinking about correcting your crooked or crowded-looking smile, ask Dr. David Eshom about Invisalign. We will examine your teeth and diagnose your orthodontic issues. If Invisalign is an option, we will help you understand your candidacy and explain what results you could expect from the treatment. Call San Diego cosmetic dentist Dr. David Eshom today at (858) 455-9151 to schedule an appointment.
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