Rancho Peñasquitos Invisalign

Instead of using the traditional wire-and-bracket system of braces, Invisalign shifts teeth using a series of clear, hard plastic aligners. These aligners are similar in shape and size to a retainer. By applying gentle, even pressure, these aligners shift your teeth gradually into position, resulting in a straighter, more attractive smile. Invisalign is nearly invisible, comfortable, and comparable in cost to traditional metal braces, making it very popular among adults who wish to correct their bite and their smile.

It all starts with a consultation! During this initial appointment at our Rancho Peñasquitos office, impressions, x-rays, and pictures of your mouth will be taken to determine whether or not you’re eligible for treatment. If you are a good candidate for Invisalign, a series of custom aligners will be made for you and your smile. Throughout treatment, you'll wear these aligners for 22+ hours per day, removing them only when you brush, floss, eat, and drink. Every 4 weeks, one of our dentists will check up on your treatment progress and give you new sets of aligners. Treatment time varies, but Invisalign typically takes about a year.

Patients love Invisalign because of its many benefits when compared to traditional orthodontic treatments. Benefits include:

• Nearly invisible aligners – The biggest benefit of Invisalign aligners is that they are discrete. They’re nearly invisible to the naked eye, so you can get orthodontic treatment without everyone knowing about it.
• Faster treatment times – Invisalign usually only takes 12 months. Other orthodontic options can take up to a few years.
• More comfortable – With smooth plastic and gentle pressure, Invisalign is void of some of the pain points of traditional metal braces. No poking wires or scratching brackets!
• Better oral hygiene - Because you can remove Invisalign aligners, it’s much easier to brush and floss effectively.

The average length of Invisalign treatment is 12-18 months but this depends on a variety of factors and will vary from person to person. The more complex your case is, meaning the more difficult it is to achieve the tooth movements necessary to correct your teeth and bite alignment, the longer your treatment will take. 

The opposite is also true - if you only have some minor spacing issues or slightly crooked teeth, this can be corrected in as little as 6 months. However, if you have a very misaligned bite, this could take a few years to correct and you will need Invisalign Attachments to perform these movements.

Invisalign is suitable for most adults with minor to moderate alignment issues. If you have a severely misaligned bite, braces may be a better option for you. However, Invisalign is still able to treat many bite problems, including overbites, underbites, open bites, and crossbites with the help of Invisalign attachments and elastics which help the aligners shift the teeth and jaw into the correct alignment. 

However, Invisalign is still limited in the movements it can perform and is not as effective at treating severe orthodontic problems as traditional braces. Our Rancho Peñasquitos team doesn't recommend Invisalign for teenagers or children, because compliance is key to successful treatment and younger patients tend to take their aligners out too often or struggle to properly care for them. 

For Invisalign to properly shift your teeth, you should be willing to wear your aligners for 22 hours a day. You should also be in good oral health and not have any active gum disease. Patients need to have sufficiently healthy gums and jawbone for orthodontic treatment to be safe. Patients are not disqualified from Invisalign if they have a missing tooth, but we recommend that you undergo Invisalign treatment before having it replaced.

Your aligners need to be regularly cleaned with denture solution or Invisalign Cleaning Crystals.  Use a soft-bristle toothbrush to gently but thoroughly scrub them. You should also soak them at least once a week in a denture or cleaning crystal solution for 15-30 minutes. Make sure the water is not hot, as this can alter the mold of the aligners.

You’ll want to avoid doing any of the following with your aligners:

- Eating
- Drinking anything other than water
- Smoking
- Leaving them in hot water or exposed to heat

Instead, you should always remember to take your aligners out before having something to eat. The only thing you can consume while wearing your aligners is cold or room temperature water. Rinse out your aligners when you take them out and before putting them back in. After eating or drinking, you should brush and floss your teeth before putting your aligners back in.