10 Years and Still “Wow”
I started my first Invisalign case about 10 years ago; at the time it was a new and exciting treatment procedure that used the latest technology. 10 years on the excitement remains, but the technology constantly improves and approximately 2.5 million patients worldwide have benefitted from Invisalign treatment.
Invisalign can be used to treat upper and lower arches to close spaces between teeth and to help overcome crowding of the teeth. Invisalign straightens teeth using a series of nearly invisible, removable aligners that are custom-made specifically for your teeth. As you replace each aligner every two weeks, your teeth will move – little by little, week by week, gradually moving towards the projected final position.
Invisalign can treat a wide variety of malocclusions, however, not every case is suitable, so the first step is a consultation with your dentist, who will determine if Invisalign is right for you. In order to aid diagnosis, study models, photographs and x-rays will be taken at the start of treatment. All the aligners are made at the start of treatment and the next stage is to take extremely accurate impressions of the teeth. These impressions are then submitted for scanning in California and complex computer graphics are used to show all stages of the proposed tooth movement, advising the dentist how many aligners will be required to produce the movements planned. This ClinCheck (the animation of planned tooth movement) puts the “WOW” into orthodontics and allows you to see proposed outcome before you commit to the treatment. Once the ClinCheck has been approved, the aligners will be manufactured and dispatched, so that treatment can commence.
Key Features of Invisalign:
- Invisible, no-one will know that you are in treatment
- Removable, eating drinking and cleaning don’t present any problems.
- Comfortable, no brackets or wires.
- Convenient, shorter and less frequent appointments.
A smile is everything and Invisalign can help you achieve that confident smile with a real “WOW”.
Written by Roy Dixon – Clinical Director