What is Invisalign?
Dental aligners [including the popularly recognised ‘Invisalign’] are powerful tools that have revolutionised the world of orthodontics. Clear aligners are extremely useful when it comes to correcting the aesthetics of the front teeth and problems with the bite.
The aligners work by wrapping the teeth with a thin plastic material and changing them with a sequence of sleeves that move the teeth from an initial crowded position to a final position planned by specialist software. Now days the software is extremely smart and allows us to integrate your diagnostic x-ray together with the scan of your mouth to obtain movements not only of your crowns but also of your roots. This brings your teeth to a position that is not only aesthetic but also stable. As well, we can show you the expected result before you begin your treatment!
What are the advantages of clear aligners?
One of the main advantages of aligners is that they are not only extremely aesthetic and invisible, but they are also removable. Therefore, dental hygiene is greatly simplified, as they can be removed to clean the teeth, which minimises possible cavities and white spots development during treatment. Likewise, patients who participate in contact sports benefit from this type of therapy, since traditionally with braces the risk of damaging the soft tissues against the braces is great, but with aligners the risk is minimal because the aligner is replaced by an appropriate mouthguard.
There are multiple brands of dental aligners. We currently work with the two most recognised ones, Spark and Invisalign.
Choosing an Invisalign Dentist
When choosing which dental office to have this procedure done, it is very important to choose a professional with experience not just in aligners but also in orthodontics. Some dentists complete a brief course in Invisalign but have had no other orthodontic training since leaving Dental School. Dr David, however, completed three years of orthodontic speciality training before he came to New Zealand and is probably the most highly trained – in orthodontics – general dentist in the country.
With both brands of aligners most cases of crowded bites can be treated. However, not all cases should be treated. By this we mean that although aligners are extremely effective, they are contraindicated in patients with temporomandibular [jaw joint] problems and should be carefully evaluated in growing people since they can interrupt the normal eruption and growth processes of the teeth and skull. In other words, aligner treatment is designed for patients over 18 years of age when the head and jaws have finished developing
Likewise, dental aligners are excellent for certain types of movements but not so predictable for others. This is why we distinguish ourselves from other practices, as Dr David has experience in clear aligners, having worked as a clinical advisor for Invisalign, and as a speaker at worldwide conferences on dental aligners [including in the USA, Argentina, Morocco, Russia, and Ukraine].
It will be a pleasure to welcome you at Burford Dental.