Category: Invisalign®

When you have braces, you have restrictions on which foods you can eat. Some foods could damage traditional braces. But with Invisalign®, there are no food restrictions because you remove the aligner trays when you eat. Since the aligner trays are not in the mouth during meals, you can eat whatever you want because the trays will not be affected by the food you consume. Since you won’t be wearing your trays during the meal, you can eat like you normally would.

If you are experiencing some discomfort adjusting to your new aligner trays, soft foods like eggs, yogurt and pasta can help ease any discomfort.

Brush and Floss After Every Meal

It is extremely important that you brush and floss after every meal. Never put your aligner trays back in without brushing first. Sticky and sugary foods can cling to the surfaces of the teeth and promote tooth decay. If you put your aligner trays back in before properly cleaning your teeth, you can trap this food debris and create an environment for cavities and tooth decay.

Staining the Aligner Trays

If you are a smoker, always remove your aligner trays before smoking. Smoking can stain your aligner trays.

Always remove your Invisalign® aligner trays before eating or drinking something that could permanently stain them. This includes coffee, tea and wine. Your aligner trays are made of a clear thermoplastic, which is sensitive to heat. Always remember that hot liquids may distort the shape of the aligner tray and affect its ability to perform as prescribed.

Best Foods to Eat with Invisalign®

There are no restrictions on eating with Invisalign® (you can eat anything you want to) – but there are some foods that are healthier for teeth than others. Here are some great foods to eat to support the health of your teeth whether you’re wearing Invisalign® or not:

• Cheese – It’s rich in calcium, vitamin D and healthy fats.
• Yogurt – It provides a lot of calcium, protein and beneficial bacteria.
• Apples – When you eat an apple, your body produces more saliva that helps to wash away bacteria and any leftover food particles from your mouth.
• Carrots – Their crunchy texture can help clear away food particles and plaque, and encourage your mouth to produce saliva.
• Leafy Greens – Leafy greens are packed with minerals and vitamins that your body needs to keep bones strong (and teeth are bones). They’re also high in calcium.
• Almonds – They provide you with calcium and protein, and their crunch can help to protect your teeth from plaque growth.
• Celery – It’s filled with vitamins, and the texture helps to clear away food particles in the teeth.
• Cucumbers – Their high water content hydrates the mouth as you eat, and the chewing motion is great for your teeth.
• Onions – They contain antibacterial properties that can help kill off the bacteria that might be breeding in your mouth.

To learn more about Invisalign® treatments, contact us for more information or to schedule a consultation. Wright Orthodontics has two convenient locations to serve you in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia. As always, your initial consultation at Wright Orthodontics is offered free of charge with no hidden fees.

If you are considering treatment with Invisalign®, you may have wondered: Does Invisalign® work faster than braces?

Yes, Invisalign® treatment is significantly quicker than treatment with braces. With braces, the usual time frame for treatment is about two years. With adults who get braces, the treatment time can be even longer. But with Invisalign®, the average treatment time is about 12 to 18 months for both adults and children.

In general, Invisalign® takes less time than braces to move teeth into the proper position due to the type of force this process uses to move the teeth. The one-piece aligners in Invisalign® treatments are able to provide force to the teeth as a whole whereas braces move each tooth individually.

How Invisalign® Works

The first step is to take digital photos or impressions of the patient’s teeth. The aligner trays that you will wear are formed based upon that digital impression. The aligners are BPA-free clear plastic, which means that they are both safe and comfortable to wear.

To gradually move the teeth, new aligners are received every two weeks or so. Once the patient begins treatment, it quickly becomes obvious how fast the teeth are actually moving. For some, the movement may be so fast that they will need new aligner trays in less than two weeks. A dental appointment is necessary every four to six weeks so that the dentist can ensure that everything is on track as it should be.

Less Pain Than Braces

Most patients who are using braces will experience pain with each new set of wires. And the braces may get in the way of some activities or cause lip lacerations. Invisalign® aligner trays have no wires or brackets, and the smooth plastic trays will not lacerate the mouth.

Even though Invisalign® is a much faster teeth straightening method than braces, it is not painful. Invisalign® is designed for a much more natural movement of the teeth, resulting in vastly decreased pain levels.

To learn more about Invisalign® treatments, contact us for more information or to schedule a consultation. Wright Orthodontics has two convenient locations to serve you in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia. As always, your initial consultation at Wright Orthodontics is offered free of charge with no hidden fees.

Invisalign® is a convenient, effective and virtually invisible treatment for straightening teeth that appeals to both adults and children. While people of all ages have been treated with Invisalign®, many people wonder at what age a child should start Invisalign® treatment.

Requirements for Starting Invisalign® Treatments

With Invisalign® treatment, it’s more about meeting certain conditions than being a certain age.

Before a child or adolescent can begin Invisalign® treatment, there are certain criteria that must be met. Here are the conditions that must occur before you can begin treatment with Invisalign®:

• Loss of all first teeth (baby teeth)
• Eruption of all permanent incisors and first molars
• Wisdom teeth (second and third molars) do not need to have erupted yet – Invisalign® trays can allocate space for these teeth to come in
• There should be no significant tooth decay or damage to the teeth
• The patient must be mature enough to comply with treatment (aligning trays must be worn 24 hours per day, every day, or the treatment will not work)

Treatment with Invisalign® may be indicated for patients as young as eleven or twelve, depending upon whether or not the patient has met the criteria above. Each case is different. In general, girls will most likely be ready for Invisalign® treatment before boys because they typically mature faster than boys.

How to Know If You’re a Candidate for Invisalign®

To determine whether or not you are a candidate for Invisalign® treatment, the patient’s mouth will need to be x-rayed. This will determine the position of all teeth, and it will also determine how much space is needed for remaining teeth to erupt past the gum line.

Invisalign® Treatment for Adults

If you are an adult seeking Invisalign® treatment, you may worry that you have waited too long to seek treatment. If you are older, it is bone density, not age, that will determine whether or not you are a candidate for treatment. Since older people tend to have problems with bone density, some teeth may present problems while other teeth move very easily. Some older patients find that they may have to wear their trays for a longer period of time as an adult.

To learn more about Invisalign® treatments, contact us for more information or to schedule a consultation. Wright Orthodontics has two convenient locations to serve you in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia. As always, your initial consultation at Wright Orthodontics is offered free of charge with no hidden fees.

When you remove your last set of Invisalign® aligners, you’ll see your beautiful new smile, but there is still a little bit of work to be done to make sure that new smile will last a lifetime.

The Two Phases of Invisalign® Treatment: Active and Retention

During the active stage of Invisalign® treatment, a series of clear, custom-made aligners will slowly move your teeth into the proper position. The aligner trays are made of clear, smooth plastic, and they fit comfortably over your teeth. Invisalign® can be used to treat a variety of dental issues including crooked teeth, gapped teeth, widely spaced teeth, overbite, underbite and crossbite.

During the active phase of Invisalign® treatment, your teeth will actually move. You’ll wear a set of aligners for two weeks; then you will switch them out for another set of aligners that continue to adjust your teeth. This process continues until the active phase of treatment is complete. The force caused by your aligners will cause changes in the teeth, the supporting tissues, the periodontal ligaments, the bone and the gums. New bone and tissue form around the space left behind and secure the teeth into their new positions.

When the active phase of treatment is complete, you’ll stop wearing the aligners. Once the force is gone (the aligners are no longer putting pressure on your teeth), the teeth have a tendency to want to shift back to their old places. So after the active phase of Invisalign®  treatment, you’ll go into a retention phase of treatment. This is when you will wear a retainer. The retainer will hold the teeth in the desired position so there is less likelihood of drifting or reversion. Typically, you will wear your retainer for a short time and then transition to wearing it only at night when you go to sleep.

After putting the time, effort and expense into Invisalign® treatments, you’ll want to make sure your results are long lasting, so don’t skip the retainer step.

To learn more about Invisalign® treatments, contact us for more information or to schedule a consultation. Wright Orthodontics has two convenient locations to serve you in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia. As always, your initial consultation at Wright Orthodontics is offered free of charge with no hidden fees.