You may have been embarrassed by a crooked smile all your life, but never had orthodontic braces when you were younger. Maybe they were too expensive, you didn’t like the idea of being a “metal mouth” and have severe dietary restrictions for two or three years, or you heard how so uncomfortable and even painful they were.
But it’s never too late to have a more beautiful smile, thanks to the Invisalign revolution in orthodontic technology, which is suitable for both adults and children. Los Angeles dentist, Dr. Louie is an experienced expert and preferred provider in customizing the Invisalign clear trays (called aligners) to gently move your teeth to their ideal positions in just six months to two years.
First, he would do an examination to determine if your oral health is in the right condition to go ahead with Invisalign and the complexity of your case. If appropriate to move ahead, an image of your mouth will be scanned to provide the first set of transparent personalized aligners for both your lower and upper arches. You could be advised about a schedule to receive the next set and return to the office periodically to check the fitting.
For Invisalign to produce the desired effects as fast as possible, it is critical that you wear the aligners all the time, except when you eat, even when you sleep. Unlike traditional braces, which cannot be removed, of course, the trays can easily be lifted out and put back in before you have a meal or a snack. With metal braces, patients are advised not to eat popcorn, nuts, hard candy, peanut butter, caramel, or bite into ice or chew gum.
It is important to care for the aligners properly. Wash them with cool water before putting them back in (after dinner, wash with dish soap first, then brush and floss normally before reinserting the trays). You can keep them on if you drink plain water, but take them out before you drink coffee, tea, red wine, or sodas (even clear ones), then wash them in water and, ideally, brush your teeth before putting them back on (this helps to avoid staining them). You don’t even need to remove them before playing contact sports (with braces, one has to wear a special mouthguard).
Unless you tell people, they won’t even know you are wearing Invisalign trays. This can provide self-confidence as a more beautiful smile is secretly being created. This is especially appealing to teens, who don’t want to be teased about wearing braces as they are building their self-confidence. It’s no wonder then that there are over six million happy patients whose lives have been changed by Invisalign.