Invisalign Leawood & Overland Park

Appearance is not the only benefit of wearing Invisalign for straighter teeth, since straighter teeth can also benefit one’s oral health. Crooked teeth can trap food between them and lead to infection or bite issues. At Asha Dental – Leawood, we offer Invisalign as a treatment option for patients interested in discreetly straightening their teeth.

Invisalign is a series of clear aligner trays that cover the teeth, similar to a retainer or mouth guard, but are much more discreet. At least every two weeks or so, the patient will switch to the next set in the series of Invisalign trays. With custom aligners for each patient, Invisalign will gradually push the teeth into the right position without causing significant amounts of pain.

How does Invisalign work?

As an Invisalign dentist, our team straightens teeth using a series of aligners. First, an impression of your teeth is taken so that a series of aligners can be created in a dental lab. The aligners themselves are made out of a thermoplastic material that is strong and at the same time flexible in order to be comfortable when worn for long periods of time. The material is virtually invisible.

The aligners should be worn for 22 hours a day and every two weeks; they need to be switched out with the next one in the series. Over a period of months, the aligners will slowly move teeth into place, making one minor adjustment at a time that is targeted to specific teeth. This helps your teeth to be comfortable as they are moved into position at a manageable pace. Once you are done wearing your aligners, your teeth should be perfectly straight.

Benefits of Invisalign

Patients may prefer wearing Invisalign because of how convenient it is in comparison to wearing traditional braces. The aligners are clear so no one can tell you are straightening your teeth. They are only worn for 22 hours a day so you can take them out to eat dinner, go on a date, or make an important presentation at work. You can brush and floss your teeth like normal, and no additional tools are required. There is less of a risk that your teeth will become stained as compared with wearing metal braces that can be difficult to clean.

The procedure is more comfortable than metal braces since the aligners move teeth into place slowly and only focus on a few teeth at a time.
Aligners are easy to take care of, and you only use the same aligner for a couple of weeks. How do I care for my aligners?
We recommend that patients remove their aligner and rinse it with warm water on a daily basis. You may also want to brush them with a soft toothbrush.

Attachments

Some patients may need to wear attachments or ridges in order to ensure that their teeth move into place perfectly. An attachment is a clear bump made of an enamel-colored composite that is secured to the tooth. Bumps on your aligners will grip them in order to hold the aligner in place. Ridges work in a similar way, only an indent is created instead of a raised bump. This may be necessary in more complicated cases to ensure that a particular tooth, or several teeth, move into place as they should.

Invisalign Dental Checkups

Patients will need to see us for checkups to ensure that teeth are moving like they are supposed to. Fortunately, since the aligners are made at the beginning of the procedure, these appointments are less frequent than if you were wearing metal braces. With traditional braces, a metal bracket is placed on each tooth, and a wire is threaded between them and then held in place using rubber bands. The wires need to be adjusted on a regular basis in order to keep teeth moving in the right direction. This requires frequent office visits. For people with busy schedules and a hectic life – this is inconvenient, and any delay in appointment scheduling can prolong the timeframe that braces need to be worn for. As an Invisalign® dentist, we see patients less frequently because the checkups are not to adjust anything, just to make sure that the procedure is working. This is far more convenient for patients throughout the Leawood area.

Treatment Time

For most patients living in the Leawood and Overland Park, area, the procedure takes around twelve months. The exact timeframe will depend on your situation, and only our team can tell you how long they will need to be worn. Overall, the treatment time can be less than with metal braces. This is in part because you do not have to schedule appointments to keep your teeth moving. Simply pull out a new aligner.

The process

To begin, we will need to conduct a consultation and examination. This examination will involve reviewing the patient’s medical history, the current state of health, any pre-existing conditions or prescribed medications we need to know about, and the position of the patient’s teeth. We will then take a mold of the patient’s teeth and measurements. With all of this information, we will send it to the lab to create the Invisalign trays.

After creating the trays, we will then meet with the patient to ensure that they fit and that the patient understands all of the steps in the straightening process. It is important that the patient understand a few key factors about wearing Invisalign on a regular basis.

Wearing the aligners for at least 22 hours per day

While the patient can remove the Invisalign trays when necessary, the patient will want to keep them in as much as possible. The longer the patient does not wear the trays, the longer the entire process will take. Patients need to remove the aligner trays when eating and brushing their teeth.

Patients can also remove the aligner trays to play a game of sports, give a presentation, go on a date, or while taking a photo. It is important to at least rinse the mouth after eating to keep food from getting caught in the teeth.

Staying on schedule

Since we do not need to adjust Invisalign aligners at our office as one might need to adjust braces, patients do not need to make as many checkup appointments. In fact, by customizing the aligner trays, we do not need to have the patient come in for regular orthodontic checkups.

The patient will be able to continue through each aligner tray and follow a schedule with no surprises. By following the schedule, the patient’s teeth will continue to move into the proper position without pain.

Keep up regular oral hygiene

While wearing Invisalign, patients will not have to brush and floss between brackets with difficulty. In fact, the patient will be able to brush and floss as normal by just removing the aligner trays. However, it is crucial that the patient brush after each meal to keep food from sticking between the teeth.

Food that gets stuck in the teeth can also damage the aligners. It is important that patients do not wear the aligners while drinking soda or other beverages while wearing Invisalign aligners. We recommend that patients only keep the aligners in when drinking water.

Customized for your teeth

We customize the Invisalign aligners to fit the patient’s teeth and then use programming technology to digitally map out the projected rate of movement for the patient. We will then build the rest of the clear aligners in the series. Each new set of aligners will bring you a bit closer to the correct position for straight teeth.

With a customized straightening treatment, patients do not need to worry about the aligners falling out or being loose. Since there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, we make sure that the trays are the right fit for each patient.

Discreet, efficient, and easy to use

Invisalign aligners are nearly invisible to the point that few people will notice them unless the individual mentions wearing them. Patients will not have to feel embarrassed by wearing traditional metal braces or a mess of wires in their mouth on a regular basis. Invisalign allows for the patient to receive the straight smile they desire without the maintenance of going through braces treatment.

Patients will be able to feel confident in their smile during the straightening process. If you are interested in Invisalign treatment, give us a call today and schedule an appointment. We will help you obtain the straight smile you have always wanted.

Finding an Invisalign Dentist

Not all dentists offer Invisalign. You have to receive special training in order to provide it to patients. To learn if the procedure is right for you, schedule an appointment with our dental office in Leawood, by calling (913) 440-4199

How will Invisalign impact my life?

Unlike wearing traditional braces, Invisalign will not make a major impact on your quality of life. Since the aligners are clear, they will not impact your appearance. Additionally, since they only need to be worn for 22 hours a day, they will not interfere with eating. This is a huge advantage because you can eat your favorite plate of ribs, go out for a romantic date, eat a caramel apple without worrying about something becoming stuck in your teeth or a wire being pulled out of place. This time also allows you to take the aligner out when having an important conversation or making a presentation at work. Overall, this is a convenient way to straighten your teeth and provides the maximum level of flexibility.

Some people are concerned about whether or not wearing an aligner will impact their speech. Most of our Leawood patients tell us that they have to get used to wearing aligners after the first couple of days. Sometimes, patients have a slight lisp which goes away once they become used to speaking while wearing them. This is standard with any orthodontic procedure but fortunately; most people can speak normally within a couple of days.