Your smile is an important part of who you are. So too is your oral health, including a healthy bite to ensure you can eat and speak properly. With misaligned or crooked teeth, problems can occur that affect all of these, and you may be seeking a solution.
As an older teenager or adult, traditional braces may cause you concern, affecting your appearance and lowering your self-confidence. Fortunately, today, you have another option, Invisalign. While it may not be a suitable solution for everyone, you may be an ideal candidate who can benefit.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a modern solution for correcting the positioning of teeth. It consists of a series of clear aligner trays that you wear to shift your teeth. You will start with one tray, then receive another when you are ready.
Your dentist will ensure these custom trays fit your particular mouth and are comfortable. Since they are mostly invisible, you won’t have to be overly embarrassed when you eat, speak, or smile in front of others.
How to Decide Whether Invisalign is Right for You
Invisalign may not be right for everyone. To determine if you may be a good candidate for them, here are five signs to look for when deciding.
1. Your Situation is Simple and Straightforward
Invisalign may be right for those with any of the following:
- crooked teeth
- overbites
- underbites
- open bites
- cross bites
- gaps between teeth
- crowded teeth
Patients with simple and straightforward cases are good candidates. More complex issues with your teeth, such as the need for dental surgery, may prevent you from wearing these clear aligners.
2. You’re Looking for the Benefits of Braces
You may already know you can benefit from braces but are hesitant to wear the traditional metal ones. You may be a professional and see this as a negative when it comes to your work appearance and respectability.
You may also not want to wear braces continually and are looking for other solutions. As long as you fit the other factors on this list, you are a prime candidate for Invisalign and its many benefits.
3. You Are Ready for the Responsibility
Wearing Invisalign clear trays and letting them benefit you requires commitment and dedication. You must be ready for this responsibility in order for them to work and to avoid wasting your investment.
You will need to make a commitment to wearing the Invisalign trays daily and only removing them when you eat or sleep. In order to work, the trays need to stay in your mouth for a set number of hours per day, so they should become a part of your daily routine.
For some, being able to remove them can sometimes lead to less time wearing them. You may forget to put them back in or even misplace them.
4. You Practice Good Oral Hygiene Already
Since Invisalign trays are removable and also require attention and care, you must already be efficient at practicing good oral hygiene.
You need to have a healthy mouth to start with to avoid the occurrence of infections and other potential teeth and gum issues.
Practicing good oral hygiene also shows that you are responsible and can handle the discipline that goes along with wearing the Invisalign trays throughout the day.
You’ll need to get in the habit of caring for your trays, including cleaning them regularly. Your dentist will provide guidance and also a take-home cleaning kit to help you avoid bacterial build-up on the trays themselves.
Your mouth will also need care to ensure it remains free of problems or disease. Every time you remove the clear aligner trays to eat, you’ll need to brush your teeth before refitting the tray back in your mouth.
5. You are a Non-Smoker
To be effective, you will need to wear your customized Invisalign trays for long hours at a time, preventing you from smoking or using tobacco. If you do smoke while wearing them, it can lead to staining and the need to clean them more often.
Removing them to smoke several times a day will limit the effect they have on your teeth.
Find Out if Invisalign is the Right Choice for You by Contacting Stiles Dental Care Today
Invisalign is a beneficial way to obtain the smile you want and improve your bite at the same time. While it is not for everyone, those that are good candidates can benefit from this modern approach to straightening and re-positioning teeth.
Dr. Stiles and his team here at Stiles Dental Care are ready to help you understand the advantages of Invisalign and also help determine if it is right for you. Give our office in Medford, NJ a call today or schedule an appointment online through our website.
