Schmitt Dental offers Invisalign in Goodlettsville, TN, Hendersonville, TN, and the Rudolphtown and Ft. Campbell locations in Clarksville, TN.
Invisalign braces make your smile the best it can be. Almost everyone knows that your smile is one of the first things people notice when meeting you for the first time. If you’re worried about the impression that you make because of misaligned teeth, you may not be putting your best face forward. Your Clarksville dentist can help transform your smile and improve your confidence.
Reluctance to smile, laugh or open wide when singing, for example, can affect your social and professional relationships. By now, you probably know a little about clear braces. Since 1999, patients have had the option to choose this product instead of traditional orthodontia. Although, you may not know how it is carried out, we can help change that!
How Schmitt Dental Can Help!
When you visit Schmitt Dental for an orthodontic consultation, we will evaluate whether our clear aligner straightening system is the best solution for you. If clear braces are suitable, we will make molds of your teeth and oral structures that will be used to develop a treatment plan in conjunction with Align Technology’s laboratory. The laboratory will then create your series of custom-made, removable clear plastic aligners. If you’re interested in Invisalign treatment, give us a call or visit one of our six convenient locations In Tennessee.
What Does Invisalign® Treat?
It’s kind of amazing to think about how these light little plastic trays, that are so comfortable, are bringing so much change to the positioning of your teeth. However, the reality is they are orthodontic workhorses! The aligners progressively shift your teeth and bite into alignment. While Invisalign cannot be used in cases where severe problems exist, it can work for most mild to moderate conditions such as:
- Gaps between teeth
- Crowded teeth
- Overbites
- Underbites
- Crossbites
Benefits Of Clear Braces
Traditional orthodontia offers a great solution to the problem, however, many people would rather avoid the metal-mouth look that regular braces provide. You may think it will make you look less professional. You may be embarrassed to admit that you didn’t address your crooked smile when you were younger. You also might not want to deal with the discomfort, frequent appointments, and length of treatment that are associated with braces.
Fortunately, there are alternatives. Invisalign from Schmitt Dental in Clarksville, TN, may be able to solve all of these problems with one revolutionary treatment.
While Invisalign cannot be used for patients requiring serious tooth movement, this newer, more comfortable option for straightening your teeth has many advantages over traditional braces:
- Cosmetic Appeal: Aligners are virtually invisible, even from close up.
- Comfort: Metal braces can irritate and even abrade soft oral tissues. Clear aligners are made of smooth plastic that will not snag your lips or cheek tissue.
- Easy Hygiene: For brushing and flossing, simply remove the aligner.
- No Food Restrictions: No more need to cut off corn on the cob or avoid chewy foods.
- Greater Flexibility: Play French horn in your school band? Simply remove your aligner when practicing.
- No Tightening Sessions: Simply switch to the next aligner in the series every two weeks.
- Little To No Impact On Daily Life: Invisalign basically allows the patient to eat, brush, and live normally, all the while straightening his or her teeth.
- Less Treatment Time: Invisalign usually requires about half the time it takes traditional braces to straighten teeth.
Invisalign Procedure
Click the image to enlarge.
Though this is a very effective treatment for many patients, like any medical or dental procedure, it has limitations. If you are a good candidate for this procedure, your treatment time may range from 12 to 24 months. During this time period, you’ll need to wear your aligners a minimum of 20 hours per day, every day, for the entire duration of the treatment period. You can take them off while you eat, brush your teeth, and clean the aligners themselves. Other than that, they should be worn no less than 20 hours a day in order to see maximum results at the end of the treatment period. It is also important to note that the straighter the teeth you are looking to achieve, the longer the treatment time will be.
When you receive your aligners, you will be instructed on how to properly use them. You will also be informed when you’ll need to progress to the next aligner in the series. When you finish with one aligner, keep it safely stored with the rest. In some instances, it is necessary to return to a previously used aligner. You should also always carry a protective case with you so that you have a safe place to store your aligner when you remove it before you eat something.
Additionally, it’s important to know which products (such as mouthwash) or beverages may result in staining your aligner. You don’t want to turn your supposedly clear aligner a strange color, you’re trying to avoid having it noticed! To avoid changing color, drink only clear water unless you remove your aligner. To prevent damaging the trays, avoid chewing anything before removing them first. Brushing your teeth after eating a big meal is a great way to keep your aligners clear and clean.
Follow-Ups During Invisalign Treatment
You’ll see Dr. Schmitt or Dr. Oh about every six weeks during your treatment. This allows them to check the progress of your movement. They will also give you the next batch of aligner trays at these appointments.
See What Our Patients Have To Say!
“We chose Schmitt Dental when we retired in Clarksville nearly two years ago and we could not be happier with our choice. The staff is wonderful, always friendly, pleasant, and professional. The level of care is excellent! Our dentist has always given us the best advice we could ever wish for! They have always approached our care with both long-term dental health and our budgets in mind. These guys are awesome!”
– Anonymous
Click Here To Read More Reviews.
How Do I Care For My Invisalign Aligners?
It’s not difficult to keep your aligner trays clean. It’s much easier than trying to keep metal braces and wires clean, that’s for sure! You have some options for cleaning your aligners:
- You can gently brush them with a toothbrush and toothpaste
- You can soak them in a denture cleaner while you eat dinner
- You can use Retainer Brite® to soak them
- You can use official Invisalign crystals to clean and sanitize your aligners
- You can use clear anti-bacterial soap and use your fingers to scrub the aligners
Are Invisalign Results Permanent?
Since Invisalign moves the teeth without all the metal hardware and pain, there is a misconception that the movement created is somehow fleeting and that the teeth will move back at the drop of a hat. We are here to tell you that is not going to happen.
Just as with traditional braces, once we have moved your teeth to their new positions, they need a retainer to keep them there. When it comes to traditional braces, you might be aware of the plastic retainers, where a piece fits onto the roof of your mouth and it is attached to wires that surround the teeth to keep them in place.
Invisalign uses a different sort of retainer. Instead of the uncomfortable hard plastic retainer with the wires, Invisalign uses Vivera® retainers, which are made of the same material as Invisalign aligners. The retainers are similar to the aligners but are thicker and more durable because they need to be worn for longer periods than the two-week aligners. Patients receive four Vivera® retainers, allowing them to replace them over the course of their retention. This allows the Vivera retainers to stay clean.
Is Invisalign Painful?
Some people experience temporary discomfort for a few days at the beginning of each new stage of treatment, but this aching is not even close to the pain felt when traditional bands are “adjusted” every month or two. Plus, wearing your aligner trays day in and day out is completely painless when compared to the constant rubbing on your lips and cheeks with traditional braces.
Contact Us Today!
Schmitt Dental is committed to helping you achieve the smile of your dreams and finally have the set of teeth you’ve always wanted. We know how important it is to feel good about your smile, so we want to help you achieve exactly that. With state-of-the-art technology and equipment, we strive to provide you with the best results possible.
To learn more about Align Technology’s clear braces or to schedule a consultation with us, call Schmitt Dental or click here to send us an email contact form. Dial (931) 552-7745 for our office on the west side of Clarksville, or (931) 647-3960 for our office on the east side. We’d love to see a big, beautiful smile on your face.