Invisalign® Clear Braces – Garland, TX
The Clear Alternative to Braces
You’ve always wanted a straight smile, but you didn’t want to go through the awkwardness of metal braces. Thankfully, there’s a clear alternative – Invisalign. These sets of clear aligners allow you to achieve the beautifully straight smile you’ve been wanting without the discomfort of metal brackets and wires. In addition, braces look clunky and, according to many, unattractive. As the name implies, Invisalign straightens your teeth in a way that’s virtually unnoticeable. If you’re interested in learning more, contact our Garland, TX office. We at Dentistry by Brand are always welcoming new patients in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
Why Choose Dentistry by Brand for Invisalign?
- Partnered with the best dental labs in Garland
- New facility with the latest state-of-the-art technology
- Treatments fully tailored for every patient
How Invisalign Works
Rather than metal wires and brackets, Invisalign uses sets of clear plastic aligners to shift your teeth into a straighter position. You’ll wear each set for about two weeks at a time. Each set is designed to gradually shift a small portion of your smile until the whole thing is perfectly aligned. You won’t have to visit us as often as you would with traditional braces, but you will need to see one of our dentists every six weeks or so to pick up your new aligners and make sure treatment is going smoothly.
Indications for Invisalign
Invisalign can be used to treat a variety of orthodontic issues, such as:
Crowded Teeth
If you feel like you have too many teeth in your mouth, you may benefit from Invisalign. The aligners apply focused pressure to different parts of your smile throughout treatment, eventually bringing the teeth into the proper aligned position. Since crowded teeth increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease, it’s important to get them treated as soon as possible.
Gaps Between Teeth
You might feel like spaces in your smile are unattractive. But did you know they also put you more at risk for cavities and gum infections? This is because bits of food can more easily get trapped in the gaps between your teeth and cause decay and even bad breath. Invisalign can gently push your teeth back into a healthier, aligned position.
Bite Alignment
If your whole bite isn’t aligned, it can place pressure on your temporomandibular joint and cause problems like TMJ disorder as well as teeth grinding and clenching. Whether you have an underbite, an overbite, or a crossbite, Invisalign can correct these issues.
Living with Invisalign Aligners
Are you interested in learning what your day-to-day life with Invisalign would look like? If so, this next section is for you! In it, we will cover everything from how often you need to wear your trays to how to clean them so stubborn stains don’t develop. As always, you’re welcome to bring any follow-up questions you have to our team during your consultation too!
Wearing Your Trays
There’s really one rule: you need to wear your trays for 20-22 hours a day. This is crucial because if you don’t wear your aligners, your teeth won’t move, and if your teeth don’t move, your treatment plan will be delayed. The easiest way to make sure you’re meeting this goal each and every day is by only taking them out when absolutely necessary and using the stopwatch on your phone to track your wear time.
Cleaning Your Aligners
It’s of the utmost importance that you don’t use household products, like bleach, to clean your aligners. While effective, they contain toxins that should not be ingested, so it’s important that you stick to just two things: clean, cool water and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Some patients like using toothpaste as well but doing so can leave microscopic scratches on your trays that make them look a bit dull. Of course, you can also use the cleaning crystals that came in your welcome kit if your aligners are starting to look or smell bad.
Eating & Drinking
One of the many reasons patients love Invisalign is because there aren’t any dietary restrictions. In other words, you don’t have to dramatically change what you eat because you have clear aligners. That said, we do encourage our patients to keep sugary and starchy foods to a minimum to help prevent tooth decay from developing. For the same reason, we recommend eating lots of smile-friendly foods, like fresh fruit and raw vegetables!
Losing a Tray
It’s common for patients to panic when they realize they can’t find their trays. However, this won’t make it any easier to find them. So, try taking a few breaths and figuring out the last place you had them. Then, retrace your steps from there! Make sure to look in the trash can, in the pockets of the pants you were wearing earlier, in the center console of your car, and in other random places. If you can’t find them, that’s okay – get in touch with us so we can determine what to do next.
Routine Check-Ins
Although you won’t have to come in every four weeks for an adjustment appointment, you will need to come in every six to eight weeks so we can monitor the movement of your teeth. If they are tracking, then the next step is simple: give you your next batch of aligners and send you on your way! If they aren’t tracking, then we will need to do some problem-solving to figure out how to get you back on track with your treatment plan.
How Much Does Invisalign Cost?
There are many factors that could influence the cost of your Invisalign treatment, so we can’t give you a cost estimate until we examine your smile at a consultation. Consider all the advantages that Invisalign offers over braces, and it’s easy to see that it’s worth the investment in your smile. Fewer bite issues means less time spent in the dental chair and less money spent on restorative procedures like fillings. Read on to learn more.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Invisalign
The cost of Invisalign varies greatly from patient to patient based on a few factors:
- Age – Older patients may need to wear the aligners longer since their tooth roots are more firmly planted in their jaw.
- Complexity – The more severe your orthodontic issues are, the higher your treatment cost will likely be.
- Length of treatment – Longer treatment times usually result in higher costs because they require a greater number of aligners.
Invisalign vs. Smile Direct Club™: Which Costs More?
These days, there are plenty of “do-it-yourself” clear aligner kits that allow you to straighten your pearly whites at home. Some of these systems cost less than half of what Invisalign does. If you’re looking for a quick, inexpensive fix, then Smile Direct Club and the like seem like the obvious winners.
When it comes to dental care, however, cheaper is not necessarily better. In fact, DIY clear aligner kits like Smile Direct Club can be risky, as you’ll receive little or even no supervision from a professional. It can be all too easy to make a mistake in your treatment that will need to be corrected by a dentist or orthodontist anyway. With Invisalign, on the other hand, you’ll have highly accurate aligners and the supervision of our expert dentists. The saved time, peace of mind, and quality results make Invisalign well worth the investment!
Does Dental Insurance Cover Invisalign?
Not every dental insurance plan covers Invisalign, and many of them only offer coverage for traditional orthodontics. But that is not always the case! Our team can help you navigate your insurance policy and find all of the benefits you’re eligible for. We’re even in-network with several popular PPO plans, including Aetna, Cigna, Delta Dental, and MetLife. If you have an FSA account, you could also use that to help fund your care.
Options for Making Invisalign Affordable
If you don’t have insurance, or your plan doesn’t provide enough coverage, don’t worry! At Dentistry by Brand, we have other ways of making your care affordable. For one, we can help you apply for a low-to-no interest loan through CareCredit. They have many flexible payment plans ranging from three to 36 months, so there’s sure to be one that fits your budget. We also have our own in-house savings plan that gives you discounts on a variety of services for one low annual fee.
Invisalign FAQs
What Happens After Invisalign?
Once you’ve completed your Invisalign treatment, we’ll bring you in to take a look at the results of the procedure. In some cases you might need some adjustment trays in order to get the results that you’re looking for.
Once this is complete, you’ll be given a retainer. This will hold the teeth in the correct place while they adjust to their new position, ensuring that your straight smile sticks around. Depending on your particular circumstances, we’ll let you know how long and how often you’ll need to wear your retainer in order to maintain the alignment of your smile.
Can You Eat with Invisalign?
Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign aligners are completely removable. This allows you to skirt many of the dietary restrictions ordinarily associated with orthodontics; so long as you take off your trays before eating, there’s no risk of you damaging them with what you eat.
That said, eating while wearing your Invisalign aligners is still a really bad idea. You should be sure to remove them before mealtime if you want to take advantage of the dietary freedom that they give you.
How Do I Clean My Invisalign?
Invisalign produces their own proprietary cleaning crystals, which are designed specifically to gently and safely clean your trays. It’s usually a good idea to soak your aligners in this cleaning solution when they start to look a little gross.
You should also make it a habit to rinse and brush your aligners anytime you take them off, like after meals. This is in addition to brushing your teeth after meals in order to prevent the buildup of plaque under your tray.
Can You Get Invisalign After Braces?
Unfortunately, lots of people aren’t as diligent about wearing their retainer as they ought to be. Such patients sometimes find that their teeth come out of alignment overtime. If this happens, patients may become interested in getting Invisalign after their braces in order to address the issue.
We’ll be able to tell you more about whether this could work for you when we meet you in person and take a look at the alignment of your teeth.