Invisalign Silver Spring MD

• Invisalign Process
• Invisalign FAQ
• Invisalign Reviews

Elsabet H. Tekle, DDS provides Invisalign Clear Braces for patients who want straighter teeth without the look of conventional braces.

The Invisalign system is a series of clear aligners used to straighten teeth. The Invisalign aligners are made after Dr. Tekle takes impressions of your teeth and sends them to a lab. The lab makes the Invisalign aligners custom made clear aligners especially for you using computerized technology. After a couple of weeks the clear Invisalign aligners arrive at Dr. Tekle’s office and the first set of Invisalign aligners are tried on your teeth.

The Invisalign aligners are clear and are barely visible to others compared to metal orthodontic Braces with brackets and wires. With the guidance of Dr. Tekle, you move to the next set of Invisalign aligners usually after about 2 weeks. The number of Invisalign aligners will depend on the individual patient and the orthodontic problem. The Invisalign aligners are generally fairly comfortable.

There can be some discomfort when a new Invisalign aligner is placed as it exerts pressure on the teeth to move them. Unlike traditional metal orthodontic Braces, there are no brackets to come off or wires to break and poke.

For more information on Invisalign, please visit www.invisalign.com.

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Invisalign Process

• Invisalign uses a series of clear removable aligners to straighten your teeth without metal wires or brackets.
• The aligners are made through a combination of Dr. Tekle’s expertise and 3-D computer imaging technology.
• You wear each set of aligners for about 2 weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush, and floss.
• As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will move – little by little, week by week – until they have straightened to the final position Dr. Tekle has prescribed.
• You’ll visit Dr. Tekle about once every 6 weeks to ensure that your treatment is progressing as planned.
• Total treatment time averages 9 – 15 months and the average number of aligners worn during treatment is between 18 and 30, but both will vary from case to case.

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Invisalign FAQ

• What is Invisalign?
• How Do I Know If I Need Invisalign Teeth Straighteners?
• How Is Invisalign Different From Braces?
• What Is the Invisalign Treatment Process Like?
• How Much Does Invisalign Cost?
• How do I know what my teeth will look like at the end of treatment?
• How Do You Keep Invisalign Teeth Straighteners Clean?
• What are Long-term Health Risks of Having Crooked Teeth?
• What happens after my treatment is complete? Do I need retainers?

What is Invisalign?

The Invisalign® system is the virtually invisible way to straighten your teeth and achieve the smile you’ve always dreamed of. Using advanced 3-D computer-imaging technology, Invisalign depicts your complete treatment plan, from the initial position of your teeth to the final desired position. Then a series of clear aligners are custom-made for your teeth – and your teeth only – to move them little by little. Each aligner is worn for about two weeks before being replaced by the next in the series, until the final position of your teeth is achieved. Your Invisalign treatment time will be determined by your doctor, based on your specific needs.

Invisalign is Clear aligners, also known as clear-aligner treatment, are orthodontic devices that are transparent, plastic form of dental braces used to adjust teeth.

How Do I Know If I Need Invisalign Teeth Straighteners?

Your dentist has recommended straightening your teeth to avoid oral health issues, or if you simply want to straighten your teeth for a better smile, Invisalign might be the best solution for you. Other problems associated with misaligned teeth include excessive wear, headaches, jaw pain, and difficulty in cleaning the teeth potentially causing an increase in tooth decay and gum disease. Crooked teeth and misaligned bites can: Increase tooth wear. Interfere with proper chewing

Though the principle behind Invisalign straighteners is the same as that for traditional braces, there are advantages to Invisalign that people love:

• The straighteners/aligners are less noticeable
• The straighteners/aligners are removable, which makes them easier to clean and easier to leave out for important events, such as job interviews or dates
• No metal means less irritation of gums, lips, and tongue

How Is Invisalign Different From Braces?

Braces consist of metal brackets glued to your teeth and tied together by wires and tiny rubber bands, while Invisalign is designed to be almost invisible. Aligner trays made of smooth, comfortable, BPA-free clear plastic are worn over your teeth to subtly and gently move your teeth. While both braces and Invisalign can help straighten teeth, they each have pros and cons.

What Is the Invisalign Treatment Process Like?

Once you and your dentist agree that Invisalign is right for you, there are some set steps in the process:

1. Dr Tekle will take impression, photographs of your teeth, and x-rays. These will be used to create a 3-D image of them for further use in the treatment, mapping out the exact movements your teeth will need to make.
2. Next, your dentist will make a customized series of aligner trays from virtually invisible (and BPA-free) plastic through which you will progress (or change out) about every two weeks.
3. You will need to wear your aligner trays for 22 out of 24 hours daily, throughout your treatment. (Though you’ll want to remove them while eating, brushing or flossing.) You will also visit your doctor about every six weeks to make sure your teeth are moving as planned.
4. As with braces, you will need to wear retainers after your Invisalign treatment in order to keep your teeth in their new position. To retain teeth in place for life, night time retainers must be worn for life.

How Much Does Invisalign Cost?

The cost of Invisalign varies depending on the complexity of your issues, the number of aligner trays needed, and the coverage your dental insurance may provide

How do I know what my teeth will look like at the end of treatment?

In a couple of weeks, Align Technology produces the ClinCheck, a short movie animation of your teeth and how they will be moved with Invisalign. You will come back to our office and view this movie with Dr. Tekle.

How Do You Keep Invisalign Teeth Straighteners Clean?

The aligners can also be cleaned by brushing them with a normal toothbrush and rinsing them with lukewarm water. Just like your teeth, the better you brush them, the cleaner they will stay.

What are Long-term Health Risks of Having Crooked Teeth?

Invisalign can be an option for correcting crooked teeth
Invisalign can be an option for correcting crooked teeth. It may come as a surprise, but crooked teeth can affect your oral and overall health. Here are a few ways how:

• When your teeth are aligned, your gums fit more snugly against the bone. Otherwise, there is more room for bacteria to sneak in. Deep pockets in the gums due to crooked teeth can lead to periodontitis, otherwise known as gum disease, which can cause bad breath, soreness, sensitivity, and tooth loss.
• Well aligned teeth can also help you brush better. When your teeth overlap, it becomes hard to clean them thoroughly. Even with flossing it isn’t always possible to clean every surface. Without proper brushing abilities plaque builds up and weakens the teeth, damaging the enamel and causing cavities. In severe cases, this may lead to tooth decay and eventual tooth loss.
• Recent research demonstrates that inflammation; as a result of poor gum health is responsible for many health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, premature birth, and more. Therefore, treating inflammation may not only help manage periodontal diseases but may also help with the management of other conditions that can result from chronic inflammation.

Despite the desire for straight teeth later in life, many adults don’t want to go through the juvenile process of wearing tacky metal braces, which can cause gum and tooth pain as well as overall discomfort.

Invisalign, on the other hand, provides a seamless transition to straight, healthy teeth without the pain of metal brackets and wires. In fact, many people probably won’t even notice your Invisalign braces!

What happens after my treatment is complete? Do I need retainers?

All orthodontic patients are instructed to wear their retainers at night indefinitely. Sleeping with your retainers in at night will ensure a healthy bite and maintain the new position of your teeth.

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