Taking your smile from boring to brilliant is easier than you think — and it doesn’t involve metal wires, sore gums or a brushing routine that takes forever and a day to accomplish. What would you say if we told you it’s possible to get the smile you’ve always wanted, in half the time of traditional braces and with much less discomfort? Hopefully, you say YES! Invisalign treatment has lots of cool benefits, especially for older teens and adults. But before you commit to anything, you must know all the details about clear aligners first. Check out these seven things to know before you start Invisalign treatment, as outlined by our orthodontist on-site, Dr. Cosby, as well as CEO and founder of Clear Smiles, Tim Vanderlick.
1. Invisalign Does Not Affect Your Speech
No one wants to sound like they have a mouth full of marbles. That’s why it’s such a relief to know wearing invisible braces won’t impact your speech at all. During the first week, you may think your speech sounds funny but that’s probably because you’re very aware of the presence of the aligners in your mouth. You may lisp just a bit for the first few days until your tongue adapts to its new environment and speech returns to normal. After that first week, once you’ve gotten used to wearing them, you’ll find your speech sounds perfectly fine. So don’t be afraid to speak up in class or at that important business meeting! No one will know you have them on unless you tell them.
2. You Can Still Eat and Drink What You Want
Unlike the food restrictions that come with metal braces, you can eat and drink anything with Invisalign. That’s because you can remove your aligners to eat — something that’s impossible with traditional braces. Bring on the popcorn and gummy candies! And if you’re a fan of red wine, coffee, tea and soda, don’t worry, you can still drink those too. Just keep in mind, if you keep your aligners in while sipping that double espresso latte before work in the morning, or while enjoying a glass of wine with the girls at night, rinse them out afterward to avoid possible staining.
3. You’ll Need to Wear a Retainer After Treatment
Once you’ve finished your Invisalign treatment, you’re not quite done. You’ll need to be fitted for a retainer to keep those pearly whites straightened. We know, we know: Wearing a retainer just sounds dorky. But trust us on this: Retainers have come a long way since you were a kid. They’re custom molded to your mouth and they’re smaller and much less invasive than the retainers of yore. The retainer we will craft for you here at Clear Smiles is typically a remake of the last tray you wore, except it’s much more durable and strong. The best part is, you only have to wear it at night. Bonus: This also acts as a mouthguard against nighttime teeth grinding.
4. You May Need a Permanent Wire
If we feel your teeth are very unstable after treatment, we will bond a wire behind your teeth to hold everything in place for the long haul. No one will see this either.
5. You’ll Have to Wear Attachments
But fear not, we can limit how many. Attachments are small, tooth-colored handles for the aligners to engage to the tooth. During your initial review of the treatment plan, we will be able to add, subtract or modify the attachments, adding as few attachments as possible for aesthetic reasons. After all, the whole reason you’re choosing Invisalign is to increase your confidence and fabulous smile! That’s why we work hard to minimize how many we use or place them on the back teeth so they don’t show.
6. You Have to Wear Your Aligners for 20-22 Hours Per Day
It sounds like a lot, but in reality, you’re sleeping for many of those hours, and you can take them out to eat and brush.
7. You Switch to New Aligners Every Week
The reason why Invisalign speeds up the teeth straightening process is because the trays are switched out so rapidly. You’ll switch to new aligners every seven days, making treatment faster. Plus, we can use acceleration devices that will allow you to change aligners every four to five days to straighten even more quickly. You’ll be on your way to a radiant smile in no time.
Contact Clear Smiles for Invisalign in Dallas or Frisco!
Want more Invisalign tips? Book your consult now at 469-460-5915 for Invisalign in Frisco, Dallas and surrounding areas. Give your mouth some love. Straighten your teeth faster and with more comfort with Invisalign. Cheers to confidence!
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