Invisalign – West Seneca, NY

Crowded Teeth

When teeth don’t have sufficient space, they can overlap or even turn. As a result, plaque and food can be more difficult to get rid of, increasing the odds of decay and gum inflammation. In this situation, Invisalign can reposition teeth and make room for them to line up straight.

Gaps Between Teeth

On the other end of the spectrum, it may seem that teeth have too much space between them, allowing larger chunks of food to linger in the mouth and become breeding grounds for bacteria. Shifting these teeth, Invisalign can make sure the spacing between your teeth is appropriate for your long-term oral health.

Overbite

Although your upper teeth are supposed to come in front of the lower, they shouldn’t be substantially pulled forward. Having an uneven bite can make biting and chewing challenging and wear down teeth unevenly. Invisalign’s clear aligners can be utilized to shift make the upper and lower teeth match up properly.

Underbite

An underbite occurs when the upper teeth line up behind the lower ones. This arrangement, in particular, can place stress on the jaw joint as well as affect eating functions. Fortunately, Invisalign can correct mild to moderate cases of underbite.

Crossbite

A crossbite is basically a mixture of an overbite and underbite. Some upper and lower teeth are in front, while others are behind. Again, biting and chewing depend on teeth matching up properly to grind food for digestion, and a crossbite can interfere with these essential functions. We can address multiple issues simultaneously, which will shorten your total treatment time, compared to regular braces.

Open Bite

When your front teeth don’t touch at all, it’s considered an open bite. This becomes a problem because it impairs your ability to tear or bite into food fully. Plus, bite issues can negatively impact your appearance. As with all the others, Invisalign can fix open bites so that teeth touch where they should in order to fulfill their purpose.

How is Invisalign Teen Different?

Although very similar to the adult version, Invisalign Teen is a treatment especially designed to meet the needs of teens, who may still struggle with responsibility. To help teens stay on track, Invisalign Teen includes two distinct features.

First, tiny blue indicator dots on the aligners turn white when the aligners are worn consistently and for long periods of time. If aligners spend significant time outside the mouth, the indicator dots stay blue. As a result, parents can see at a glance whether their teen has been sticking to the program.

Second, Invisalign Teen comes with six more replacement trays at no extra charge. Unfortunately, losing aligners can be easy for adults and teens alike, but teens are more likely to forget to put them in the case during meals, potentially necessitating more replacements.

Is Invisalign Right for Your Teen?

In most cases, teens opt for the more traditional bracket and wire braces, but there are a number of situations where we may recommend Invisalign Teen including:

• Teens who have less severe bite alignment concerns may be able to achieve their results more quickly and comfortably with fewer visits
• Teens who are active in many extracurricular activities or who travel frequently may not be able to devote the time consistently to visiting an orthodontist for bracket and wire adjustments
• Teens who are sensitive to metal will want to consider alternative materials for their traditional wires or the more cosmetic Invisalign® Teen
• Teens who have sensitive teeth may be unable to comfortably correct their smiles with traditional braces
• Teens who are more susceptible to tooth decay may not be good candidates for bracket and wire orthodontic systems that make cleaning teeth more difficult at times

The best way to know whether Invisalign Teen is right for your child is to have a consultation with our team. After an examination and discussion, we can determine which treatment would best help your teen.

The Benefits of Invisalign Teen

Invisalign Teen shares many of the same benefits as traditional Invisalign. These aligners don’t infringe on a teen’s appearance and make daily oral care easy and straightforward. With normal braces, your teen could experience soft tissue irritation, but Invisalign Teen is comfortable and smooth. Achieving results also requires much less time with Invisalign Teen than with traditional braces. In fact, treatment usually takes under 18 months!

How Long Does Invisalign Treatment Take?

Although each smile has unique needs, Invisalign treatment usually requires about an average of 18 months or less to achieve the final results. Your timeline will depend on the type(s) of issues you have, how severe your misalignment is, and how well you can follow our instructions. Once we have the chance to look at the current state of your teeth, we can give you a more precise estimated timeline for correcting your smile.

Is Invisalign Treatment Painful?

Straightening teeth involves shifting them within the jawbone. Regardless of the treatment you choose, you are likely to experience at least a little discomfort; however, compared to traditional metal braces, which can scrape your lips and cheeks, the smooth plastic of Invisalign aligners make the alignment process as comfortable as possible. Not only can your soft tissues endure less pain, but your mouth may also be less sore with the aligners, helping you have a more enjoyable experience from beginning to end.

Can the Aligners Become Discolored?

Yes. The plastic used for Invisalign is designed to be perfectly clear, but it can discolor and become noticeable in the short time you wear the aligners. To keep your aligners perfectly see-through, you need to make sure you’re following our directions in terms of wear and care. You should never wear your aligners when you eat or drink anything other than water. Doing so can lead to scratches on the plastic as well as discoloration. When you’re finished, brush and floss your teeth before putting them back in. In addition, you need to clean your aligners every day by gently brushing them at night or using the cleaning crystals, which you can purchase directly from Invisalign.

What Should I Do If I Lose an Aligner?

Unfortunately, if you or your teen chooses to realign teeth with Invisalign, you run the very real risk of losing or misplacing an aligner during treatment. They are clear after all! We strongly recommend putting them in your case when they are not in your mouth to prevent this from happening, but if it does, there are a few things you can do. First, you should contact our office quickly so we can order a replacement for you. We also encourage you to hold onto your last set of aligners, just in case you need to wear them for a day or two as you wait for your replacement. If you are close to transitioning to the next set, we may instruct you to go ahead and move on and put them in.