The Invisalign system is made of clear acrylic aligners that fit over your teeth and are designed to straighten your smile. They’re removable, making it easier to eat, drink, brush and floss.
Invisalign is much more comfortable than traditional metal bracket braces and Dr. Andrew Leavitt can use this treatment to give you stunning results.
Invisalign® takes a modern approach to straightening teeth. It uses a custom-made series of aligners created for you and only you. These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable and virtually invisible plastic that you wear over your teeth.
Wearing the aligners will gently move your teeth into place little by little, based on the exact movements Dr. Andrew Leavitt plans for you. There are no metal brackets to attach and no wires to tighten. You just pop in a new set of aligners every one to two weeks, until you complete your treatment at Whitewater Orthodontic Studios.
You’ll get a great smile without a treatment that gets in the way of your daily life. The best part about the whole process is that most people won’t even know you’re straightening your teeth.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign uses a series of customized, clear aligners to straighten teeth faster and with fewer office visits than traditional braces. Thousands of orthodontists in the United States and Canada use Invisalign braces to accurately and effectively treat their patients. Invisalign aligners are:
- Completely invisible – Invisalign aligners cannot be seen while you are wearing them! Friends, family members, and co-workers may never even know you are wearing braces unless of course, you tell them!
- Comfortable to wear – The aligners are made from a special plastic that has smooth, rounded edges so they won’t irritate your mouth and tissues like traditional braces often can.
- Customized just for you – Your Invisalign aligners are customized to fit your mouth. Dr. Leavitt uses advanced 3-D computer imaging technology to replicate an exact impression of your mouth and teeth, then he customizes each aligner so that it fits your mouth, and over time moves your teeth into the proper position.
- Removable –Unlike traditional metal braces, you can remove your aligners to eat, drink, brush your teeth, floss, and for special occasions. There’s no need to change your lifestyle with Invisalign!
- Effective – You will begin to notice a significant difference even before your treatment is complete! Most treatments are completed within one year; however, this can vary from patient to patient.
Why Consider Invisalign
People everywhere are beginning to experience the benefits of Invisalign treatment. Here’s why people just like you are choosing Invisalign over traditional braces:
- With Invisalign, you can have a straighter, healthier smile without all the noticeable wires and brackets of traditional braces.
- Invisalign aligners are removable making it easy for you to enjoy the foods you love without worrying about breaking or bending your brackets and wires. You can also remove your Invisalign aligners to brush and floss regularly.
- You don’t need to change anything about your current lifestyle! With Invisalign, you can continue participating in day-to-day activities without changing a thing. Invisalign is great for professionals, athletes, brides, and parents.
- Office visits and checkups are easy, quick, and painless. Fewer appointments are required throughout your entire treatment.
The Invisalign Process
We’ll take photos and X-rays to create a 3D image of your mouth. We make your first set of custom-fitted aligners from these images, and then you begin the process of straightening your teeth.
You wear the trays for about 22 hours a day but can remove them for brushing your teeth and eating. Based on your individual needs, you will wear several sets of trays throughout your orthodontic treatment, and will start to notice a change in just a few months!
This nearly-invisible option to straighten your teeth is truly changing the way people see orthodontic treatment. Dr. Leavitt has a lot of experience treating patients with Invisalign, and we’re excited to offer this technology to our Parkland, Tacoma, Yelm, and Puyallup braces patients.
Differences Between Invisalign & Braces
Unlike traditional braces, smooth plastic Invisalign aligners don’t have metal components that can irritate your mouth. Because they’re removed when you eat, you won’t have to watch what you eat like you would when wearing braces—bring on the popcorn and peanuts.
Of course, brushing and flossing are much easier than with traditional braces, since you don’t have to work around any brackets and wires.
In fact, the aligners must be removed for eating and for drinking anything other than water. You need to make sure you’re willing to do that before you decide on Invisalign clear braces. To prevent staining, you’ll need to clean your teeth before putting the aligners back on after each time you eat.
Responsibilities of Invisalign
It’s important to wear your aligners for at least 22 hours each day for them to do their job and straighten your teeth. But, with Invisalign, you can remove your aligners for special occasions.
Like with traditional braces, you will generally need to wear a retainer after Invisalign treatment to maintain your new alignment—and your confident new smile.
Invisalign may not be recommended for some complex alignment or bite issues, or for those who have bridgework, so Dr. Andrew Leavitt can advise you about what options are best for you.
Schedule your free consultation at our Parkland or Yelm, WA office to learn if Invisalign is right for you.
