Clear Aligners
Do you wish you had straighter teeth or jaws that lined up properly? You may not need to wear braces to get these kinds of results. Instead, clear aligners might provide you with the smile you want!
At Orthodontic Solutions for Children and Adults, our orthodontist in Chelmsford, MA, offers this solution for bite issues or certain tooth problems. Here’s a more detailed look at how they work and when you might think about getting them.
What Are Clear Aligners?
You know how braces fit onto your teeth and shift their position? Clear aligners do something similar — but they’re removable and not made of metal. Clear aligners are custom-made plastic trays that you can take out as needed. They apply pressure to your teeth while worn, causing them to move into more aligned positions.
What Issues Do They Treat?
Aligner trays are useful for correcting different types of orthodontic problems that aren’t complex or severe, like the following:
- Crooked teeth
- Tooth crowding
- Mild/moderate crossbite, underbite, or overbite
- Open bite
- Mild jaw misalignments
What Are the Advantages of Clear Aligners?
Why choose this option instead of braces? Plastic aligners give you several benefits, like being much harder — or even impossible — to see compared to metal braces. They’re also removable, allowing you to take them out when it’s time to brush your teeth or eat.
Clear aligners are more comfortable to wear, too. They’re made of plastic with smoother surfaces rather than brackets and wires. And the overall treatment time tends to be shorter than traditional braces, giving you results sooner than you might expect!
Different Types of Clear Aligners
There isn’t just one brand available. Our orthodontist can help you compare different aligner types and brands to see what fits your budget and needs best. Most of these work the same, requiring you to wear custom trays for several weeks or more.
What to Expect
How does this process work? You may be wondering how long it takes and what it involves. Let’s go over the steps you go through for this orthodontic treatment approach.
Visiting for a Consultation
This solution isn’t for everyone. To ensure that clear aligners in Chelmsford, MA, are suitable for you, we start with a consultation visit. Our orthodontist evaluates your jaw and teeth, taking images or scans as needed. If we determine that this treatment’s right for you, we move onto the next step of making your custom trays.
Making Custom Aligners
Having scans of your teeth and jaws allows us to have aligner trays made to fit your mouth. These custom-designed trays should provide a comfortable fit as you go through each set.
Wearing and Changing Aligner Sets
Clear aligners aren’t fixed as braces are — but you do need to keep them in for 20 to 22 hours every day. Wearing them less than that makes it harder for them to apply pressure to your teeth enough to shift positions.
Every week or couple of weeks, you’ll start wearing a new tray as your teeth change positions. You’ll also come in for appointments as often as recommended, usually every six weeks or so. This helps us keep an eye on your progress, adjusting treatment as needed.
Retainers and Follow-Up Care
When you’re done wearing clear aligners, treatment isn’t quite over. We’ll have you wear retainers for several weeks or more to keep your teeth in their new alignment. Otherwise, there’s a risk that they could change back to their former positions.
Living With Clear Aligners
Oral Hygiene
You can brush your teeth and floss without your trays in. In fact, you should take them out before doing this. You’ll also need to clean your aligners to stop them from being coated in bacteria.
Eating and Drinking
Take your trays out before you eat or have anything to drink besides water. Doing this reduces the risk of accidentally damaging your aligners or having food stick to them.
Comfort
Don’t worry if they feel slightly uncomfortable at first. You’ll need a couple of days to get used to wearing each set.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
How do you know if aligners are right for you? Suitable candidates generally have mild or moderate issues to correct rather than severe ones. This treatment’s also a better choice for adults and teens instead of younger patients still experiencing jaw growth.
Are There Risks of Wearing Clear Aligners?
There aren’t any major risks with this treatment. But there are some things to consider if you’re thinking of choosing this option:
- Slight discomfort as you adjust to each set
- Damage or loss can occur since they’re removable
- Must be worn most of the time to work effectively
FAQs About Clear Aligners
Can you eat or drink with them in?
No, we recommend only leaving them in when drinking water. Otherwise, remove them for eating and drinking.
Do they hurt?
You might experience mild discomfort at first. But this goes away within a few days.
How long does treatment take?
It may take just 6 months or a couple of years for you to finish treatment. This depends on how severe your orthodontic issues are.
How many times do you need to visit the orthodontist?
You’ll have appointments several weeks apart during treatment to allow us to monitor how it’s going.
Set Up a Consultation Today for Aligners!
Are you thinking about taking the next step in fixing a bite issue or crooked teeth? Our orthodontic team at Orthodontic Solutions for Children and Adults offers clear aligners in Chelmsford, MA, as a discreet way to get straighter teeth and a great smile!
