Invisalign - Dallas, TX

Crowded Teeth

As you grow older, your teeth will continually shift to accommodate changes in your oral structure such as the appearance of wisdom teeth. This shift can cause your teeth to twist and overlap with one another. Invisalign can treat this crowding effect, restoring your ability to clean between your teeth and chew your food with comfort.

Gaps Between Teeth

Tooth shifting can also occur as a result of tooth loss or undeveloped bone in the jaw. This often leads to gaps between your teeth which can make them more vulnerable to chipping and erosion. Invisalign can pull your pearly whites closer together, eliminating these gaps. This closes off potential food traps that can allow plaque and excess bacteria to build up and cause decay or gum disease.

Overbite

An overbite occurs when your top teeth overlap your bottom ones significantly. Over time this can cause jaw pain, speech issues, and uneven wear on your teeth and even difficulties opening or closing your mouth. With the help of Invisalign combined with SmartForce attachments like buttons and elastics, the clear aligners can gently pull your jaw into an even alignment again.

Underbite

Genetics, oral trauma, and various oral habits can lead to an underbite where your bottom teeth stick out past your top ones. If left untreated, this can lead to a higher risk of sleep apnea, sinus issues, and difficulties with speech. Invisalign can gradually realign your jaw and pull your top teeth into a more desirable position, eliminating these issues.

Crossbite

You may have a crossbite when your teeth don’t align properly or overlap in specific ways while your mouth is closed. This bite issue can cause receding gums, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, and even loose teeth. Invisalign in conjunction with attachments and possibly other treatments can effectively correct cross bite and restore your smile.

Open Bite

With an open bite, even when your mouth is closed, your teeth can’t overlap or touch, especially in the front of your mouth. Open bites usually spring from childhood habits like thumb sucking and often make it difficult to eat, speak, or maintain a healthy smile due to dental damage. Invisalign aligners can help bring the front teeth back together, reducing the risk of enamel wear and preventing further damage to your teeth.

Wearing Your Trays

When it comes to wearing your aligners, there is basically one rule: you need to wear them for 20+ hours a day. This is crucial because, in order for your trays to work, you need to keep them on for the large majority of the day. The easiest way to make this goal a reality each and every day is by being mindful of how often you take them out. In other words, only remove them when you have to, like before eating or brushing your teeth.

Cleaning Your Aligners

To keep your aligners clean, you need to use a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove saliva, plaque, and other debris from the surface after each meal. You should also rinse them with clean, cool water each time you take them out, store them in their case when you aren’t wearing them (not a napkin), and soak them daily in a dentist-recommended clear aligner cleaner.

Eating & Drinking

Navigating mealtimes with clear aligners is easy because all you need to do is take your aligners off first! The same goes for beverages, with the exception of water. Make sure that you store your trays properly when you take them out as well. Remember, if you place them on your plate or wrap them in a napkin, there’s a good chance that they will get thrown away, misplaced, or damaged.

Losing or Damaging a Tray

Let’s start with what NOT to do. Don’t move onto the next set of aligners in the series without telling us, and don’t use superglue (or any other household adhesives) to try and repair them. Instead, contact our Dallas dental team ASAP. Once we know what happened and how severe the damage is, we can determine if you can move onto the next set or if a replacement needs to be made. If it’s the latter, then you’ll need to wear your previous aligners in the meantime.

Routine Check-Ins

As we mentioned above, you’ll progress through some of your treatment plan at home. However, you still need to come to our office so we can monitor the movement of your teeth every 6-8 weeks. This is crucial because, if one or more of your teeth aren’t moving as anticipated, we can make the necessary adjustments to your treatment plan early on, reducing the chances of delays in the process. These appointments are also a great time to ask any questions you have!

Easy Cleaning

While patients with traditional braces often need to buy special products, like interproximal toothbrushes, that’s not the case for patients with Invisalign. In fact, keeping the aligners clean is easy because all you need is a toothbrush, clear soap, and warm water. Plus, the trays are removable, so brushing, flossing, and rinsing with antimicrobial mouthwash won’t be hard either!

Subtle Appearance

Naturally, one of the biggest perks of Invisalign is that the aligners are completely clear! That means that the people you interact with – whether it’s the person at the grocery store or the colleague you see every day – won’t immediately notice your braces. Instead, you’ll be free to smile with confidence knowing the aligners won’t draw any unwanted attention to your smile.

Quicker Results

In most cases, treatment plans with traditional braces are at least two years. Invisalign treatment plans, on the other hand, are between 12 and 18 months on average. So, there’s a good chance your teeth-straightening journey will be much faster with clear aligners. Yet another reason image-conscious teens and adults love Invisalign!

Minimal Discomfort

Since there aren’t any bulky brackets or harsh wires with Invisalign, there is minimal discomfort. Of course, you will feel some soreness from time to time throughout your orthodontic treatment since your teeth are moving into completely different positions. Even then, you can alleviate it with a few simple steps, like avoiding crunchy foods and taking OTC pain medication.

Varied Diet

Another considerable perk is that you don’t need to change your diet with Invisalign. That’s because the aligners are removable. So, as long as you take them out before eating or drinking anything other than water, you’re free to resume your usual diet!

Note: It’s a good idea to stick to a well-balanced diet that’s low in added sugar. That way, the chances of tooth decay and other oral health problems developing are significantly lower.

Quick Visits

Oftentimes, the check-in visits are less than 20 minutes, which is great for busy students, parents, and professionals. These appointments are also spaced out to every six or eight weeks instead of every four. So, you’ll spend less time in the treatment chair overall with Invisalign!

Factors That Affect the Cost of Invisalign

When drawing up an estimate for your treatment costs, your Invisalign dentist in Dallas must factor in several variables, which include:

• The degree to which your teeth are misaligned.
• The expected length of time it will take to accomplish the desired results.
• Whether you need to straighten your upper arch, lower arch, or both.

All of these factors affect the number of aligners you’ll need to wear over the course of your treatment. Naturally, more aligners leads to higher overall costs.

Invisalign vs. Smile Direct Club™: Which Costs More?

The appeal of Smile Direct Club™ and other “do-it-yourself” (DIY) clear aligners is hard to ignore. Although these methods are popular due to their convenience and lower prices than Invisalign, they might end up costing you more time and money because of the damage they can cause.

With DIY aligners, you’re responsible for capturing accurate impressions at home. If there’s even the slightest error, you could accidentally reposition your teeth in unattractive or even unhealthy ways. Worse, these problems wouldn’t be noticeable until later on, as you wouldn’t have the trusted oversight of an orthodontic professional throughout your treatment. You’d have to visit a dentist to correct such issues, which would be more expensive and time-consuming than just seeing us from the start.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Invisalign?

Some dental insurance plans cover orthodontic treatment, but many do not. For the plans that do provide orthodontic coverage, there are likely stipulations, such as only including traditional braces, or only applying for patients ages 18 and under.

Dental insurance plans are as varied as the smiles they affect, but our team can help you understand the ins and outs of your coverage. We’re in-network with most major PPO plans, and we’ll make sure you’re getting the most out of the benefits you qualify for.

Options for Making Invisalign Affordable

Just because a patient is uninsured, or their plan doesn’t adequately cover Invisalign, doesn’t mean they’ll be left completely in the dark about making Invisalign in Dallas affordable. Our team is happy to help patients apply for financing through CareCredit or Sunbit. CareCredit offers many flexible monthly payment plans to choose from, most of which carry extremely low or no interest rates. Sunbit provides a quick and easy approval process that allows you to track your activity and update your monthly payments as you go. Whichever option you choose, fitting Invisalign into your budget has never been easier!

Does Invisalign Hurt?

Unlike traditional braces which consist of brackets and wires, Invisalign trays are made of smooth and thin plastic for the most comfortable experience. It is natural, however, to feel mild discomfort or soreness at the start of your treatment, as your teeth are beginning to shift. This typically goes away on its own and may repeat every time you switch to a new tray. To help adjust to these changes, you can always use a cold compress or take OTC pain relievers to reduce discomfort.

How Long Does Invisalign Take?

The amount of time your treatment will take depends on your specific dental situation. Some factors that can influence this include how misaligned your teeth are, the condition of your bite, and how committed you are to your treatment plan. However, Invisalign generally takes 12 to 18 months to straighten your smile. This is still several months quicker than traditional braces! To ensure a smooth process, you’ll need to wear your aligners for 20-22 hours every day to stay on track.

Is Invisalign Cheaper than Traditional Braces?

While the cost of orthodontic treatment will vary from smile to smile, clear aligners are generally priced about the same as metal braces. In both cases, the price will depend on your oral health, your misalignment situation, and your efforts throughout the treatment process. Invisalign can sometimes be more expensive if your insurance plan doesn’t cover the cost, but many of our patients say the numerous enjoyable benefits are worth it. For this reason, you should check with your provider first to see if they can help minimize your expenses for the treatment.

Can You Eat with Invisalign?

An important rule of thumb during your Invisalign treatment is to remove your clear trays before every meal (except when drinking unflavored water). This helps to avoid damaging or warping them, which can interfere with your process. You’ll also need to clean both your teeth and aligners before wearing them again so you can avoid accumulating debris and plaque. However, this means you’ll be able to enjoy all your favorite meals once they’re off!

Feel free to contact our team if you’d like to schedule a consultation for Invisalign. We’ll be more than happy to walk you through your options, the costs, and your treatment plan.

How Do I Clean My Invisalign?

Worried about cleaning your aligners? Don’t be – keeping them stain-free is quite simple! Of course, rule number one is always remove them before eating or drinking anything other than water. You should also rinse them with clean, lukewarm water each time you take them out and before you put them back in.

When it comes to actually cleaning them, all you need is a soft-bristled toothbrush and some water. Simply dampen the bristles and gently scrub each surface of your aligners. If they need a deeper clean, don’t use toothpaste, mouthwash, or a household cleaner like bleach. Instead, dissolve a packet of cleaning crystals in a cup of lukewarm water and let them soak for 15 minutes or so.

What Happens After Invisalign?

After you’ve worked through each tray, it’ll be time for your next step: the retainer. Luckily, retainers today are just as discreet as your Invisalign aligners, ensuring they will be virtually undetectable when you’re wearing them. Since orthodontic relapse can happen both months and years down the road, it’s important to wear your retainer consistently. If you ever lose or break it, get in touch with our team right away so we can get you a replacement.

Can You Get Invisalign After Braces?

It’s possible. In fact, many Invisalign patients had traditional braces previously! Ultimately, you’ll need to schedule a consultation with one of our talented dentists to determine if you’re a candidate. After conducting an oral exam and learning about your smile goals, they will be able to determine if clear aligner treatment is right for you.