Invisalign – Palm Harbor, FL
A Clearer Way to Create Smiles
For many adults and teens, the prospect of several months or even a couple of years wearing metal braces to work or school can be enough to discourage them from pursuing orthodontic treatment. With Invisalign, you will be able to maintain your current lifestyle and complete your treatment as discreetly as possible. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Johnson to discuss whether Invisalign in our Palm Harbor, FL orthodontic office is the best path to the beautiful smile that you deserve.
Why Choose Dr. Alex Johnson Orthodontics
for Invisalign?
- Personalized Treatment for Teens and Adults
- Holistic Orthodontic Philosophy
- Orthodontist with 3 Decades of Experience
What is Invisalign?
The Invisalign system uses the same basic method as traditional braces to adjust your smile: slowly and comfortably push the teeth into a better position. But instead of brackets and wires, a series of plastic aligners are used. Each aligner represents a different stage of the treatment plan. The plastic is so clear that no one will be able to tell that you are wearing them unless you tell them.
How Invisalign Works
We’ll take scans of your mouth so that the aligners can be customized to fit comfortably over your teeth and gums. Once the treatment begins, you’ll wear each aligner for about two weeks at a time, taking them out only for meals and daily oral hygiene. You’ll need to return to our orthodontic office every six weeks or so; this lets us confirm that everything’s on track. The average treatment will take around 12 to 18 months depending on the number of aligners needed.
Benefits of Invisalign
Millions and millions of patients have chosen to straighten their teeth with Invisalign over the last two decades. If you are considering this orthodontic treatment for yourself as well, then you’ll be happy to know that there are several considerable benefits. To learn what they are, read on!
Image-Friendly Aligners
Of course, one of the biggest benefits of Invisalign is that the aligners are completely clear. As a result, they don’t draw unwanted attention to your smile! From your first official appointment to your last trays, you’ll be able to smile with complete confidence.
Bonus: Since Invisalign aligners are see-through and removable, you’ll be able to see the progress little by little!
No Dietary Restrictions
Since sticky and crunchy foods can damage a bracket or wire, patients with traditional braces need to eliminate several foods from their diet, including whole apples, popcorn, and tortilla chips. With Invisalign, there aren’t any dietary restrictions. All you need to do is maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet that’s low in sugary and starchy foods. That way, tooth decay is less likely to develop.
Easy Dental Hygiene
Another difference between traditional braces and Invisalign is that the former requires special oral hygiene tools, like interproximal toothbrushes. That’s not the case with Invisalign because the aligners are removable! So, when you’re ready to complete your oral hygiene regimen, simply take them out, rinse them with clean, cool water, and proceed as usual.
Fewer Progress Appointments
Typically, patients with traditional braces come in every four weeks for adjustment appointments. Invisalign is slightly different because you’ll receive several sets of aligners at a time, allowing you to progress through some of your treatment plan at home. You’ll come in every six or eight weeks so we can monitor the movement of your teeth, answer any questions you have, and provide you with the next set of aligners.
Metal-Free Trays
Having metal-free braces doesn’t just mean that your orthodontic treatment will be practically invisible; it means that you won’t have to deal with soft tissue irritation! After all, Invisalign aligners are custom-made to fit the contours of your mouth perfectly, and they are crafted from plastic that is high in quality and low in profile.
Shorter Average Treatment Timeline
In short, Invisalign treatments tend to be completed in less time compared to traditional orthodontics. In most cases, patients achieve the results they desire in 12-18 months. Plus, it’s possible for your journey to a straight smile to be even shorter if your case isn’t too severe! At your consultation, we’ll provide you with an estimate of your treatment timeline, but we need to learn a little more about your case first.
Living with Invisalign Aligners
Many patients assume that Invisalign treatment will require them to completely alter their daily routine for the sake of the process. However, this orthodontic method is one of the most convenient and comfortable ways to straighten your smile. To maintain good progress, you’ll want to keep the following guidelines in mind while living with Invisalign aligners.
Wearing Your Trays
You’ll need to wear your custom clear aligners for 20-22 hours every day for the treatment to work. While this might be a major adjustment for you, it can be easier to meet your goals by downloading the Invisalign app and utilizing the in-app timer. So long as you set a reminder for yourself to wear your trays again after eating and cleaning your teeth, you should make ample progress.
Cleaning Your Aligners
It’s important to make sure that your Invisalign aligners stay clean. Make sure that you rinse with water every time you take the aligners out of your mouth to get rid of bacteria, saliva, and food particles that have built up on the teeth. Don’t forget to regularly soak the aligners in a cleaning solution and brush them with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Do not use toothpaste, as it can end up scratching the plastic.
Eating & Drinking
The number one rule regarding eating or drinking anything (except for pure water) is that you remove your Invisalign aligners beforehand. Wearing them while enjoying a meal or your favorite beverages can end up warping, discoloring, damaging, or otherwise compromising your trays as well as your progress. While you’ll be free to enjoy all your favorite foods throughout the process, we strongly recommend that you implement a well-balanced diet to ensure that you don’t experience oral health issues down the road, such as tooth decay and gum disease. Try minimizing starchy and sugary treats while filling up more nutritional options, including lean meats, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables to promote stronger and healthier teeth.
Losing or Damaging a Tray
If you’ve lost or misplaced your Invisalign aligners, try retracing your steps. Feel free to notify us if you can’t find them so that we can provide you with a replacement set. If you accidentally damage your trays, don’t panic. Be sure to place any broken pieces into a small container and call our office for help. Once you arrive, we can review your progress and see if you can either move on to your next set of aligners or if you should wear your previous ones instead.
Routine Check-Ins
Even if we provide you with your entire series of Invisalign aligners, you’ll need to visit us occasionally for check-in appointments. These visits will allow us to closely monitor your treatment progress and make any necessary adjustments to ensure you’re on the right track to a straighter smile. This will also allow us to address any complications that might arise during the process, such as tooth decay and periodontal disease.
Understanding the Cost of Invisalign
Invisalign offers a clearer way to create smiles and is designed to blend into your everyday life. Just as no two smiles are exactly the same, no two Invisalign treatments are alike, which means cost of Invisalign in Palm Harbor can vary widely from patient to patient. Fortunately, we’ll be able to give you a personalized estimate during your consultation before you choose to begin treatment. Keep reading to learn more about the cost of Invisalign and how affordable your new smile could be!
Factors that Affect the Cost of Invisalign
There are two main factors that we will look for during your consultation to craft your cost estimate:
- Need for preliminary treatments: Before beginning an Invisalign treatment, it’s essential that your mouth is free of oral health issues like gum disease or cavities. The cost of preliminary treatments to address these problems will naturally add to the final cost of your Invisalign.
- Complexity of orthodontic issues: As you may suspect, the more complex your orthodontic problems, the more expensive your Invisalign treatment will be.
It’s important to keep in mind that how well you stick to your treatment plan will also influence the final cost of your Invisalign treatment. If you don’t wear your aligners often enough, if you don’t practice good oral hygiene during treatment, or you lose or break your aligners frequently, you could increase both the time and length of your treatment.
Invisalign VS DIY Aligners: Which Costs More?
Mail-in aligners offer fast, convenient orthodontic treatment from the comfort of home. While this may sound tempting, you should be aware that these services can easily cost you far more time and money in the long run, and can even potentially move your teeth into the wrong positions!
Mail-in aligners offer very little oversight from a professional, despite what their marketing would have you believe. This means it will be up to you to ensure your impressions are taken currently and that your treatment plan stays on track. If you have questions or concerns during your treatment, you’ll have to call the help line and wade through customer service to get the answers you need. Should an issue arise and go undetected, the aligners could move your teeth into the wrong places and leave your problems worse than when you started! Instead, visit Dr. Johnson for a personalized Invisalign treatment plan. Our team will be with you every step of the way to ensure your journey towards a new smile goes as smoothly and comfortably as possible.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Invisalign?
This is a complex question since every dental insurance plan offers different coverage, especially when it comes to orthodontics. Some plans cover orthodontics, some plans do not, and some policies cover traditional braces but not Invisalign. Our knowledgeable team will be happy to help you navigate the details of your coverage and ensure that your benefits are being maximized.
Options for Making Invisalign Affordable
Are you uninsured? Are you dissatisfied with your insurance coverage? Your Invisalign treatment can still be affordable! In addition to accepting dental insurance, we offer financing options through CareCredit. One of these low- to no-interest payment plans will allow qualifying patients to break up the cost of their Invisalign treatment into smaller, more manageable monthly payments.
Who Can Invisalign Help?
If you’re interested in Invisalign, you’ll be happy to hear this discreet teeth-straightening treatment has proven to be effective at addressing overcrowding, open bites, and several other common orthodontic problems. So, it’s definitely worth scheduling an appointment with Dr. Johnson! In the meantime, you can learn more on the topic by reading on!
Crowded Teeth
Crowded teeth are quite common, but that doesn’t mean that this orthodontic problem should be ignored. Since the unique crevices that it creates make it easy for food particles to get trapped and difficult for your toothbrush to clean, it can increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease significantly. Fortunately, we can use custom-made, clear aligners to discreetly move your teeth into proper alignment if you’re a candidate for Invisalign!
Gaps Between Teeth
In short, you’re at an increased risk for oral health problems if your teeth are spaced out too. That’s why we recommend coming in for a consultation whether you have a significant gap between your two front teeth or small spaces throughout your entire smile. With clear aligners, we can discreetly guide your teeth into their properly aligned positions, ensuring that no unwanted attention is drawn to your smile in the process.
Overbite
Do your upper teeth jut out significantly beyond your lower teeth? This orthodontic problem is referred to as an overbite, and it comes with more than just aesthetic drawbacks. In fact, patients often find it difficult to chew properly and enunciate clearly because of it. The good news is that Invisalign may be a solution, which means that you could have straight teeth and an aligned bite in just 12-18 months!
Underbite
An underbite is when the opposite is the case: your lower teeth protrude beyond your upper ones. This bite problem puts your jaw in an unnatural position, which is why chronic jaw pain is a prevalent problem. Fortunately, clear aligners have proven to be effective at addressing this orthodontic issue with the help of attachments, rubber bands, and buttons. So, don’t just assume that you aren’t a candidate – schedule an appointment with us to find out if you are!
Crossbite
If only some of your bottom teeth sit in front of your top teeth, then you likely have a crossbite. Like the other bite problems on this list, there are several consequences to leaving it untreated, including premature wear and tear on certain teeth. For that reason, we recommend exploring your orthodontic treatment options – we don’t want the health and function of your smile to suffer!
Open Bite
When you bite down, your upper and lower teeth should come together evenly. If they don’t because there is a space in the front or back of your mouth, then you likely have an open bite. Trouble enunciating clearly, premature wear and tear on certain teeth, and chronic jaw pain are all concerns, which is why we encourage patients to come in for a consultation – even if their case is minor.
Invisalign FAQs
Several people want a straighter smile but are turned off by the idea of wearing metal wires and brackets. Luckily, Invisalign is a modern orthodontic treatment that discreetly and comfortably allows you to get the smile you’ve always wanted! Since the process is unique, it’s completely normal to have questions before committing to treatment. For your convenience, Dr. Johnson has decided to answer some of the most common questions about Invisalign. If you’d prefer to speak with him directly, don’t hesitate to reach out and make an appointment!
How Long Does Invisalign Take?
Most patients can expect to complete Invisalign in Palm Harbor within 12 to 18 months. However, many factors that contribute to the amount of time it takes to complete treatment. For instance, patients with mild cases of dental misalignment can finish their treatment in as little as six months. Those with more severe orthodontic issues may take up to 18 months. Although that may seem like a long time, it’s still four months shorter than the average treatment with traditional metal braces! With Invisalign, you can speed up the process by regularly seeing Dr. Johnson and diligently following treatment instructions.
Can You Eat with Invisalign?
Since Invisalign clear aligners are removable, there are no dietary restrictions while undergoing treatment. All you have to do is take them out when it’s time to eat! It’s incredibly important that you avoid eating with the plastic trays in your mouth as doing so can damage them, causing cracks and stains. Plus, it puts unnecessary strain on your teeth. Make sure you remove the aligners before eating or drinking anything that’s not water and store them in a safe place!
How Is Invisalign Made?
Invisalign clear aligners are made of a smooth plastic design, making them one of the most comfortable orthodontic treatment options. Dr. Johnson will use a high-tech digital impression system to provide the manufacturer with details of your smile so they can create your aligners. The entire set of plastic trays is made by an advanced 3D printing process. On average, it takes about three to four weeks to complete. We’ll notify you once we receive them and let you know when they’re ready for pickup.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Invisalign?
Although almost anyone is a good candidate for Invisalign in Palm Harbor, there are several factors to consider when deciding whether it’s right for you. For instance, age is significant because the jaw and teeth are changing constantly from childhood to teenage years. Your commitment to treatment is another influential factor that will dictate candidacy. It’s incredibly important that you wear clear aligners for at least 20 to 22 hours a day to ensure successful treatment. If you’re young or less responsible, you may want to consider traditional metal braces since they’re fixed to your teeth and are of lower maintenance.