Clear aligners are the most discreet way to go about straightening your teeth. These are transparent plastic trays that gradually push teeth into their proper alignment. Clear aligners were invented a few decades ago as a solution for patients who refused to get needed teeth straightening treatments to avoid dealing with a bunch of metal brackets and wires on their teeth.
Clear aligners are removable teeth-straightening devices, which makes treatment a lot more convenient for the patient. Traditional metal braces usually make eating and oral hygiene more complicated since their brackets and wires get in the way.
Clear aligners have improved a lot since they were first invented, and they can now be used to treat a wide range of teeth alignment issues like crooked teeth, crossbites, and overbites. However, clear aligners are ineffective on teeth alignment issues resulting from the jaw being abnormally positioned. Such issues have to be treated with other appliances like braces or expanders.
Getting treatment with clear aligners often starts with a dentist examining the patient’s teeth to determine the severity of the alignment issues and their root cause. Diagnostic tests like x-rays might be used to get a clearer picture of the patient’s jaw and any other issues.
Once a patient has been approved for clear aligners, digital images are used to create a 3-D model of the patient’s teeth. The model is displayed on a computer the dentist uses to design the patient’s aligners and run projections of what treatment would look like.
Once the dental professional and patient are satisfied with the projections, the data is sent to technicians in a lab where the clear aligners are made. It often takes about two weeks for the patient’s customized aligners to get back to the dentist.
During a second appointment, the dentist educates the patient on inserting, removing, and taking care of their aligners. The patient is also instructed to wear their aligners for at least 22 hours daily. The patient will be given multiple sets of aligner trays and instructed to wear each for two weeks. These sets of aligners work together, taking over from where the last set left off. The patient's teeth should have reached the targeted alignment by the time they are done with all of their aligner trays.
The benefits of straightening teeth with clear aligners include:
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