Am I a Candidate for Invisalign?

Are you thinking about aligning your teeth using Invisalign braces instead of the traditional metallic ones? Both Invisalign and traditional braces do a good job of keeping your teeth straight and safe from periodontal disease. But the biggest reason more and more patients prefer Invisalign is that they do not want metal sticking out of their mouths with every smile.

 

What Is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a transparent plastic aligner that shapes and positions your teeth over time. Being transparent, it is almost invisible from one or two feet away, unlike traditional braces. Invisalign corrects protruding teeth, tooth gaps, mildly crooked or rotated teeth, mild underbites, overbites or crossbites, overcrowded teeth, and open bites.

 

Are You a Candidate for Invisalign?

Here are signs that you are a good candidate for Invisalign:

 

You Have No Major Issues With Your Teeth and Jaw

Your dental issue should be straightforward. While Invisalign fixes most cases of crooked teeth, it does not mean that it is right for everyone. Your dentist will assess your situation and let you know if Invisalign will work for you.

 

If your case is complex, your dentist may recommend dental surgery. Similarly, you may not be able to straighten out your teeth without the help of traditional braces if you have severe underbite and crossbite.

 

You Are Not Missing Any Adult Teeth

Are all of your adult teeth intact? Your dentist will not recommend Invisalign if you are missing any adult teeth. In some instances, some adults still have lingering baby teeth. Such cases may require more dental work before a person can start using Invisalign.

 

You Do Not Use Tobacco

If you smoke tobacco, you may not benefit from Invisalign. Because you have to wear the aligners almost throughout the day, you cannot smoke tobacco. That is because smoking tobacco can interfere with the aligners and even make them dirty.

 

If you smoke regularly and remove your Invisalign braces as you smoke, the braces may not be as effective as they could be. This is because you are not keeping them on for enough time during the daytime.

 

You Are Responsible

You must commit to wearing Invisalign almost throughout your day, except when eating or playing a sport. Because Invisalign is removable, some people may lose it or decide not to wear it at all. Such people are not likely to go very far with Invisalign because they delay their results.

 

This explains why age matters when it comes to Invisalign treatment. Most dentists are not keen to give Invisalign braces to young children or teens because the braces give them extra responsibility that they may not have with traditional braces that they cannot remove.

 

You Have a Good Oral Hygiene

Maintaining healthy oral hygiene is a must for Invisalign braces. Not only must you clean your teeth and mouth, but you must also clean your braces to avoid getting infections and other dental issues.


 

To learn more about whether you are a candidate for Invisalign, visit KKSmiles at our office in Marietta, Georgia. You can also call 770-830-3700 to schedule an appointment with us today.