Fixed braces

[Greg]

Hello

I am thirty three years old and I have always wanted my teeth to be straight to give me more confidence when I smile. I have looked into getting fixed braces to straighten particularly my lower front teeth. But my main problem is that I work with people and I don't wish people to see that I have fixed braces on my teeth when I am giving a presentation in an important business meetings.

I have recently found out about Invisalign after one of my co-workers had Invisalign fitted on her teeth. She says that the Invisalign system is removable and in some meetings she removes her Invisalign braces and gives a presentation without the braces in her mouth.

I would like to know if I decide to go for Invisalign, would it cause any harm to the treatment if I remove my braces for a couple of hours now and then? Secondly how long does Invisalign normally take? Is there anyway of speeding up the treatment?

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Hello Greg,

Thank you for your post.

One of the big advantages of invisalign over traditional braces is that its removable. So it can be removed during presentations and meetings. It is advised that the invisalign aligner is worn for a minimum of 22hours per day, so after the 2 weeks the desired movements are achieved and the next aligner can be worn.

Removing the invisalign brace for a couple of hours now and then will not effect the invisalign treatment.

The average invisalign case takes 1 year to complete, however each case is unique and its treatment time will vary. Some cases can take much less to complete. Following a consultation we can determine if you are suitable for invisalign and the approximate treatment time. It is not advised to speed up invisalign as it can lead to compromised results and irreversible damage to the roots.