What Issues Can Invisalign® Treatment Fix?
Enhance Your Smile with Invisalign® Treatment: A Comprehensive Guide
Invisalign® has transformed the landscape of orthodontic treatment, providing a discreet and comfortable alternative to traditional braces. The clear aligner system enables individuals to improve their smiles without the discomfort often associated with braces. While Invisalign® treatment offers an aesthetically pleasing solution, it’s crucial to consider various factors when choosing orthodontic treatment. Our dentists at Horizon Dental recommend evaluating your individual situation before making a decision. In this guide, we’ll explore the effectiveness of Invisalign® in addressing specific orthodontic issues.
Invisalign® Treatment for Common Concerns
1. Crooked Teeth
Invisalign® excels in treating crooked teeth, offering a practical solution to align teeth and enhance your smile discreetly.
2. Overbite & Underbite
Addressing both overbites and underbites, Invisalign® can reposition either the top or bottom teeth to achieve proper alignment with the mouth closed.
3. Crossbite
Invisalign® effectively corrects crossbites, ensuring that teeth align correctly when the mouth is closed, preventing misalignments in the back or front teeth.
4. Gaps in Teeth & Crowded Teeth
Whether you have gaps between your teeth or experience crowding, Invisalign® is a versatile solution. It resolves gaps and overcrowding, promoting optimal oral health.
Considerations and Limitations
While Invisalign® is an excellent option for various orthodontic issues, it’s essential to acknowledge its limitations. In some cases, traditional braces may be more suitable, especially for severe orthodontic problems, intrusion, and extrusion. It’s worth noting that Invisalign® has evolved over the years, now capable of addressing more complex situations than before.
To determine if Invisalign® is the right choice for you, we recommend consulting with our experts at Horizon Dental. Contact our Charlotte, NC, office for personalized guidance on achieving your ideal smile.
Insights on Invisalign®
Invisalign® Provider in Charlotte, NC
Braces can feel like a bit of a contradiction. You want a clean, straight smile, but you first have to wear a highly visible device on your teeth for months on end. You want a well-aligned bite, but for a while, braces make some day-to-day tasks, such as brushing your teeth and eating some foods, more difficult. Fortunately, for those who want to show off their pretty pearly whites as they go AND show off the results of their realignment as soon as possible, one option is clear plastic removable aligners such as Invisalign® aligner systems provided at our Stamford, CT dental office.
The Benefits of Clear Aligners
Clear aligners, as their name suggests, are clear plastic devices intended to straighten your teeth over time. They are nearly undetectable by observers. Not only are they more difficult to see (getting you closer to being able to show off that perfect smile), but they can be taken out temporarily when needed, allowing you to brush your teeth or eat without distraction.
The Clear Aligner Fitting Process
For most clear aligners, including Invisalign® systems, one of the Horizon Dental dentists will take a mold of your teeth and send it in. From there, orthodontic experts will determine the difference in positions between where your teeth are and where you want them to be and will create several stages of aligners to gradually move your teeth into the desired position. You’ll have to wear the aligners most of the time—about 22 hours a day. At certain points in the process as your teeth change position, you’ll move on to the next device, switching them out until your teeth are right where you want them to be.
Alternatively, there are kits you can order to take a mold of your teeth at home. This is an overall less expensive process, but you aren’t likely to achieve the same results and you lose the benefit of your dentist’s expertise. Clear aligners may not be the best solution for you, so it’s best to consult your dentist beforehand even if you decide to go this route.
How to Pay for Clear Aligners
Depending on the degree of work your teeth need, an Invisalign® clear aligner treatment can cost between $3,000 and $7,000. According to the Invisalign® website, your insurance may be able to pay as much as $3,000 of the cost. For the amount your insurance doesn’t cover, you have some options.
Horizon Dental offers external payment plans, which allow you to split a large bill into smaller payments over time. This makes payment much more manageable for some people and can be useful in emergency situations when you don’t have time to save money for the treatment before you begin.
For those who can use them, clear aligners such as Invisalign® systems can be the least intrusive solution for straightening teeth. It’s nice not to have to worry about the looks and inconveniences of traditional braces! The initial cost of clear aligners may seem daunting, but options are available to help pay for them. If you have any questions about clear aligners or other methods of straightening your teeth, please contact our Charlotte, NC, office. Horizon Dental will be happy to walk you through your options and help you find the best possible solution for your smile.
Are Dental Implants Safe?
Dental Implants in Charlotte, NC
Implant dentistry has become many dentists’ go-to procedure for replacing missing teeth. Dental implant surgery replaces tooth roots with metal, screwlike posts and replaces damaged or missing teeth with artificial teeth that look and function much like real ones. Urgent Dental in Charlotte, NC, offers implants as a great alternative to dentures when a lack of natural teeth roots doesn’t allow building dentures or bridgework tooth replacements.
Are Dental Implants Safe?
Like any type of surgery, there are a few risks to getting dental implant surgery. However, the problems that come with dental implant surgery are rare, typically minor, and very treatable. Risks include:
- Sinus problems, when dental implants placed in the upper jaw protrude into one of your sinus cavities
- Injury or damage to surrounding structures, such as other teeth or blood vessels
- Nerve damage, which can cause pain, numbness, or tingling in your natural teeth, gums, lips, or chin
- Infection at the implant site
The advantages of using dental implants.
Dental implants are one of the most reliable dental procedures with a 95% success. They also offer advantages that other missing teeth solutions do not, such as:
- Appearance – Implants look and feel like your natural teeth.
- Speech – No need to worry about slipping dentures or loose bridges that can cause slurred speech.
- Comfort – Implants are permanent and stable, so no chaffing or discomfort will happen like with dentures.
- Oral health – Implant placement does not require modifying surrounding teeth as a bridge does. Also, implants stop bone deterioration and stimulate healthy bone tissue growth.
Dental Implant Procedure
When considering having a dental implant procedure, a patient will typically go through the following steps:
- First, the patient will go through a thorough exam and consultation with the dentist. The dentist will then make an individualized treatment plan.
- At the next appointment, the team will place your implant, which acts as a substitute tooth root.
- Then, the tooth is given time (about 2-3 months) to heal and integrate with the bone tissue.
- Once the implant has bonded to the bone tissue, a small connector called an abutment is attached to the implant.
- Impressions are taken of your teeth to create either a custom crown to replace one tooth or an implant-supported bridge or denture for multiple missing teeth. Crown restorations are custom-tinted, so they blend in beautifully with your natural teeth.
- The finished crown, bridge, or denture is attached to the implant(s).
Once you get the finished implant, your new teeth are ready to use! If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our Charlotte, NC, office at (980) 999-5007. We want your implants to look and feel like real teeth and your smile to look its best!
