What is Invisalign?

At Sparkman Orthodontics, we are dedicated to listening to our patients’ needs and exceeding their expectations. In pursuit of this goal, we listened to our patients who said they wanted excellent corrective treatment with a more discreet appliance. We’re proud to offer Invisalign, a clear aligner treatment that gives you the same consistent results as braces with a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. These virtually invisible appliances are designed to tackle a wide range of orthodontic issues while giving patients the flexibility they deserve throughout treatment. Each of our board-certified doctors is well trained to build successful and tailored Invisalign treatment plans that help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted.

What Kind of Problems Can Invisalign® Correct?

Ever since Invisalign has entered the field of orthodontics, the experts behind the appliance have been continually improving and refining the treatment. Now, Invisalign is powerful enough to take on even the most challenging orthodontic issues that we would previously have used braces to treat. When patients finish their virtually invisible aligner treatment, they feel a renewed sense of confidence because of their new, dazzling smiles. Many patients compromise for years on the look of their smiles because they don’t want the look of traditional metal braces.

While many people are aware that Invisalign helps create more beautiful smiles, some don’t know how necessary corrective treatment is in improving the health and function of their smiles. Invisalign helps fix crooked teeth, overcrowding, misaligned jaws, and more. These orthodontic issues can lead to more severe problems such as pain while eating, chewing, and speaking.

What Advantages Does Invisalign® Offer over Traditional Braces?

In recent years, Invisalign has grown in popularity because of the freedom it gives patients. Invisalign truly fits into any lifestyle and offers more flexibility than any other corrective treatment. One of the most significant differences between braces and Invisalign is the appearance of the appliances. Invisalign consists of sets of virtually invisible clear aligners, while braces use metal or ceramic brackets and wires to shift your teeth into place for the perfect smile. While both are effective, Invisalign offers patients the chance to work toward a healthier smile without changing the aesthetics of their natural smile.

Another great benefit of Invisalign is that it’s made of a thermoplastic material called SmartTrack that makes the aligners easily removable. Our patients enjoy being able to remove their appliances to eat, take pictures, play sports, and more. While you should wear your Invisalign for at least 22 hours every day for maximum efficiency, you still have a couple of hours to take them out when it’s convenient for your schedule.

Although modern braces are more comfortable than past versions, Invisalign is widely accepted as the most comfortable corrective treatment. This high comfort level is possible because we use an exact 3D model of your smile to print aligners that fit snugly over your teeth. Additionally, your aligners are printed in a unique material engineered by industry experts to offer patients extreme comfort.

What Does Invisalign® Treatment Involve?

We begin every treatment plan with a comprehensive exam to better understand your orthodontic needs and goals. Once you and one of our board-certified doctors decide Invisalign is the right corrective treatment for your future smile, we will use our iTero scanner to take a digital impression of your smile.

This impression will automatically upload to our system so we can show you a 3D model of your teeth. We can also make adjustments to this model to project your desired results, and you can see the goal we are working toward through aligner treatment. Finally, our doctor will plan out your aligner sets and have your first set printed for you to begin treatment. One of the great benefits of Invisalign is that our doctors can tightly control tooth movement with each set of aligners, so you can enjoy a more exact and efficient treatment that is truly tailored to your needs.

Once you have your first set of aligners, you’ll need to wear your aligners for about 20-22 hours a day, so your teeth have consistent pressure to shift in the right direction. After two weeks, you’ll receive a new set of clear aligners that have been slightly adjusted to move your teeth closer to the goal position.