Invisalign Dentist Staten Island, NY

How does Invisalign® work?

When you choose Invisalign, we first take an impression of your teeth. Our team will then provide you with a series of aligners that will slowly shift your smile. The aligners are made of a clear plastic that is virtually invisible and extremely comfortable! Aligners should be worn 22 hours out of the day, every day. You will switch them out every two weeks to the next aligner on your treatment plan as your teeth shift. If you have mild to moderate alignment issues with your teeth, Invisalign might be an excellent option for you! It is a more straightforward, comfortable, and less noticeable way to correct your smile. It’s great for teens and adults who wish to straighten their teeth discreetly.

Benefits of Invisalign®

There are many benefits of choosing the Invisalign treatment over its alternative of metal braces. These include:

• Eating and drinking whatever you want.
• A virtually invisible appliance.
• Better oral hygiene.
• A more comfortable alternative to metal braces that is just as effective.
• Less time at the dentist.
• Covered by most insurance policies.

Invisalign is becoming a popular choice for people who need to straighten their teeth. It’s an ideal way to get the smile you want without the inconvenience of traditional braces.

How do I care for my aligners?

We recommend that patients remove their aligner and rinse it with warm water on a daily basis. You may also want to brush them with a soft toothbrush.

Attachments

Some patients need to wear attachments or ridges in order to ensure that their teeth move into place perfectly. An attachment is a clear bump that is made of an enamel colored composite and secured to the teeth. Bumps on your aligners will grip them in order to hold the aligner in place. Ridges work in a similar way only an indent is created instead of a raised bump. This can be necessary for more complicated cases to ensure that a particular tooth, or several teeth, move into place like they should.

Staten Island, New York Invisalign Dentist

Checkups

Patients will need to see us for checkups to ensure that teeth are moving like they are supposed to. Fortunately, since the aligners are made at the beginning of the procedure, these appointments are less frequent than if you were wearing metal braces. With traditional braces, a metal bracket is placed on each tooth, and a wire is threaded between them then held in place using rubber bands. The wires need to be adjusted on a regular basis in order to keep teeth moving in the right direction. This requires frequent office visits. For people with busy schedules and a hectic life – this is inconvenient, and any delay in appointment scheduling can prolong the timeframe that braces need to be worn for. As an Invisalign® dentist, we see patients less frequently because the checkups are not to adjust anything, just to make sure that the procedure is working. This is far more convenient for patients throughout the Staten Island area.

Treatment Time

For most patients living in the Staten Island NY area, the procedure takes around twelve months. The exact timeframe will depend on your situation, and only our team can tell you how long they will need to be worn. Overall, the treatment time can be less than with metal braces. This is in part because you do not have to schedule appointments to keep your teeth moving. Simply pull out a new aligner.