Invisalign advantages

[Fraser]

Hi

I am considering having orthodontic treatment to straighten my front teeth. I have been told that my options are metal braces or Invisalign treatment. I am not sure which system would be better for my teeth.

I would like to know what are the Invisalign advantages over metal braces? My dentist believes that metal braces are better than Invisalign and says that Invisalign is not suitable for all cases. Are there any advantages in having Invisalign over metal braces?

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Dear Fraser,

Thank you for your question.

Invisalign has a number of significant advantages over metal braces.

The most important advantage is that the aligners are made out of transparent plastic and therefore are relatively unnoticeable to other people when they are worn.

A another big advantage of Invisalign is that the aligners being used to reposition the teeth are removable. This is very different from metal braces, which are composed of wires and brackets firmly fixed to the teeth. Since you remove the aligners for cleaning your teeth this makes achieving good oral hygiene much easier than with braces. This will certainly help to minimize the risk for tooth decay and gum disease complications during treatment.

Clear braces cause less patient discomfort however the wires and brackets of fixed braces can be irritating to teeth and oral tissues. There is less tooth soreness with invisalign as tooth movements are usually more gradual.

Risk of root resorption is lower with clear braces.

Aligners can also be used as bleaching trays.

If patients have a grinding habit at night, then there invisalign aligners will act as a nightguard.

Finally patients probably understand Invisalign treatment better than fixed braces. The clincheck video shows us and you the planned teeth movements and you will know approximately how long your treatment will take. With traditional braces computer technology is not used to visualise the treatment outcome.

In answer to your other questions, each case is unique and therefore some cases can be treated well with invisalign and other with fixed braces for best possible results. Certainly invisalign is not suitable for all cases. In some cases invisalign is better and in others fixed braces.

Only a consultation will determine which treatment modality is best for you and at Pearl Dental Clinic we can offer you a free invisalign consultation.

[Dr Mohsen Tehranian]

Hi Fraser.
As your dentist told you in my opinion not all cases are suitable for Invisalign ( although last week in the International Invisalign Summit in Monte Carlo we were told that this is not the case anymore) Invisalign is a fast evolving science and every year we have managed to take this fantastic tool and use it better and better and do more complicated cases with it.
In a few words Invisalign is
1-more comfortable than Fixed braces minimal trauma to lips and soft tissue
2-Invisible giving you more self confidence during the treatment
3-Computer Controlled Forces on the teeth ( no reported root resorption )
4-No white patches ( over 50% of patients with fixed braces get white spots on their teeth due to the difficulty with cleaning the teeth with brackets on)
5-Easier maintenance, you take them off to eat so no food gets stuck around the brackets and elastics
6-In most cases no tooth extraction
7- you can see your final result before you even start your treatment, everything pre-planned to the last week