Why Choose Spillman Family Dental of Rockwall for Invisalign?
- Virtually Invisalign Orthodontic Solution
- Friendly Team with Decades of Experience
- Suitable for Teens and Adults Alike
How Invisalign Works
After Dr. Spillman has determined that Invisalign is the right solution for you, we take impressions of your teeth and use them to plan your customized treatment. A series of trays will be crafted from your impressions, each one designed to shift a tiny portion of your smile until the entire thing is perfectly aligned.
You’ll need to wear each set of aligners for at least 20-22 hours a day for about two weeks at a time. Then, you’ll switch to a new set in the series. Essentially, you’ll only remove the aligners to eat, drink, and clean your teeth. As such, it may help to set a reminder after you’re done with a meal or snack to place your aligners back in so that you can finish your treatment in a timely manner. On average, it takes 12-18 months to finish Invisalign treatment, which is a fraction of the time it takes for traditional braces.
Who Can Invisalign Help?
Crowded Teeth
We tend to think of our teeth as immovable structures, but the truth is that they’re anchored by connective tissues and muscles that have a natural capacity for movement. Even if you’ve had straight teeth for all your life, it’s possible for them to shift out of alignment later. This can impact both your appearance and your dental health. If they overlap, they are harder to clean because not all their surfaces are easily accessible. You’re at an increased risk of developing cavities and gum disease as a result.
Invisalign shifts them to their ideal placements for more convenient brushing and flossing in addition to enhancing your appearance.
Gaps Between Teeth
Wide or uneven spaces between teeth can be just as detrimental as overcrowding. Your teeth might move out of their natural places to try to fill in these gaps, which can lead to premature wear and tear. Plus, food can become trapped and attract harmful bacteria that contribute to cavities and gingivitis.
Your Invisalign treatment can pull your teeth together to safeguard your smile.
Overbite
Those whose top teeth extend too far over their lower ones may be suffering from an overbite. This condition can cause a stiff or locked jaw, speech impediments, uneven wearing of your enamel, and a limited range of motion in your mouth. Plus, if they stick out too far, they’re more likely to be broken or injured.
People with more severe issues may need attachments or accessories along with Invisalign to fix them.
Underbite
If your lower arch lines up with or passes your upper arch when you close your mouth, then you likely have an underbite. This can happen in children who are overly dependent on pacifiers or thumb-sucking, but it can also be due to genetics, injury, or physical trauma.
Patients with this type of misalignment often require the use of rubber bands in conjunction with Invisalign to help pull their lower arch back into its rightful place.
Crossbite
Do any of your upper teeth bite on the inside of your lower teeth when your jaw is relaxed, or vice versa? If so, then you might have this kind of malocclusion. It’s often attributed to insufficient bone development, poor dental hygiene, or the premature loss of baby teeth. When it goes untreated, it can cause gum disease, tooth decay, and even tension headaches.
Fortunately, Invisalign can set everything straight to prevent potential complications.
Open Bite
When your top teeth and bottom teeth don’t touch or overlap when your mouth is all the way closed, it’s referred to as an open bite. Whether it’s from prolonged thumb-sucking as a child or poor bone development, those with this condition often struggle to enunciate certain sounds and words. It also excessively wears the enamel down on the backs of your teeth, so they’re more likely to be damaged.
Once your Invisalign treatment is complete, you’ll have a perfectly beautiful, healthy smile to show for it!
Benefits of Invisalign
Less Time in the Dental Chair
Unlike traditional braces, which need to be adjusted every month, Invisalign patients are able to progress through portions of their treatment plan at home. As a result, appointments are usually every six or eight weeks instead. Plus, these check-in visits are often shorter; just enough time for us to check your progress, answer any questions you have, and hand you the next few sets of aligners.
Virtually Undetectable Aligners
One of the biggest perks of Invisalign for image-conscious teens and adults is that the aligners are metal-free. Not only that, but they are custom-made from smooth, low-profile plastic. So, unless someone knows what they’re looking for or they’re standing very close to you, no one should notice you’re wearing the aligners!
Tip: To keep your aligners clean and clear, adopt good habits, like rinsing them with clean, cool water each time you take them out.
Increased Comfort
Naturally, having metal-free braces has aesthetic benefits. It also means less discomfort! Since there aren’t any brackets or wires, your gums, lips, and tongue won’t be irritated during the teeth-straightening process. Simply put, Invisalign’s smooth plastic trays were designed with your comfort in mind.
Note: It is normal to feel some soreness from time to time as your teeth move. Don’t worry – it can easily be alleviated with cold compresses and OTC pain medication.
No Dietary Restrictions
As you may know, traditional braces limit your diet. That’s because sticky, hard, and crunchy foods increase the risk of a bracket or wire breaking. So, patients need to avoid whole apples, almonds, celery, and the like. That’s not the case with Invisalign. Because the aligners are removable, you can continue to eat all of your favorites throughout your orthodontic treatment.
Hassle-Free Oral Care
Another perk of having removable aligners is that there aren’t any disruptions to your oral hygiene regimen! You also don’t need to buy any special products, like pre-threaded floss and interproximal toothbrushes. Simply take your aligners out, store them properly, and complete your dental care regimen.
Shorter Average Treatment Timelines
Finally, Invisalign has a shorter average treatment timeline. While traditional braces can take two, three, or even four years in some cases, clear aligners deliver results in an average of just 12-18 months. That means that your journey to a straighter smile won’t just be discreet; it will likely be considerably quicker!
Living with Invisalign Aligners
Wearing Your Trays
Wearing your aligners for 20+ hours a day is crucial. If you don’t, then it will only be a matter of time until your teeth aren’t tracking properly. Since this can lead to everything from treatment plan delays to added costs, we strongly recommend finding a schedule that works for you. An example would be giving yourself 40 minutes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as 30 minutes for snacks and oral hygiene.
Tip: Use the stopwatch on your phone when you first get your aligners! That way, you can make sure you’re meeting the daily wear time while you find a schedule that works for you.
Cleaning Your Aligners
Good news: you can keep your aligners clean with a soft-bristled toothbrush, clear, mild dishwashing liquid, and clean, cool water. Brushing and flossing your teeth is also easy because all you need to do is take your aligners out first. Then, you can complete your oral hygiene regimen like usual!
Tip: Fill a pouch or a pocket in your purse with travel-sized essentials, like toothpaste, so brushing your teeth when you’re away from home is easy.
Eating & Drinking
Another perk of removable aligners is there aren’t any dietary restrictions. In other words, you don’t need to eliminate any foods from your meals with Invisalign. All you need to do is try your best to keep added sugar to a minimum to help prevent tooth decay. It’s also a good idea to exercise caution with hard pretzels, tortilla chips, raw nuts, and the like since they can cause an attachment to come off.
Losing or Damaging a Tray
When we first give you your aligners, we will give you some helpful tips on how to avoid losing or damaging them, like storing them in their designated case when you aren’t wearing them. That said, accidents sometimes happen! If you find yourself in this situation, try not to panic, and don’t attempt a DIY solution, like superglue. Instead, contact us ASAP so we can help.
Routine Check-Ins
Although there aren’t adjustment appointments with traditional braces, there are check-in visits. These allow us to take new scans of your teeth and monitor their movement in comparison to your treatment plan. If everything is progressing as anticipated, you’ll be in and out in less than 20 minutes. If something is wrong, like one of your teeth isn’t moving, then we will need to make the necessary adjustments to your treatment plan.
Understanding the Cost of Invisalign
Factors that Affect the Cost of Invisalign
The cost of an Invisalign treatment can vary greatly from patient to patient because of several factors, such as:
- Complexity of treatment: Straightening just one row of teeth will be less expensive than treating both rows. Similarly, closing a single gap between the front two teeth will cost less than addressing severe crowding.
- Length of treatment: The Invisalign process involves a series of aligners. The longer a treatment is, the more aligners will be needed, which will naturally increase the cost.
- Patient compliance: The freedoms that Invisalign offers come with a lot of responsibility. Failing to follow our instructions during your treatment can influence your progress and thus add more time and money to the overall price of your Invisalign treatment.
Invisalign VS Smile Direct Club™: Which Costs More?
Mail-in aligner services like the Smile Direct Club offer temptingly lower prices when compared to Invisalign. However, cheaper is not always a good deal, especially when it comes to your smile! These “do-it-yourself orthodontics” kits offer little to no oversight from a trained professional. This means plenty can go wrong, from the initial impressions to incorrectly fitting aligners, which can cause serious issues that need to be treated by a professional anyway.
Meanwhile, when you choose Invisalign at Spillman Family Dental of Rockwall, you can rest easy knowing your smile is in good hands. Our talented team will be with you every step of the way on your journey towards a straighter smile to ensure everything goes as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Invisalign?
Not all dental insurance plans cover orthodontic treatment, and even among those who do, Invisalign is not always included. To see if your policy covers Invisalign and by how much, you’ll need to contact them. Alternatively, we’ll be happy to go over the details of your plan with you to get a better idea of your benefits and ensure your out-of-pocket expenses are as low as possible.
Options for Making Invisalign Affordable
If you don’t have dental insurance or your plan doesn’t offer coverage for Invisalign, we’re pleased to accept financing options through CareCredit. This third-party company offers payment plans with low- to no-interest rates. With their help, you can break up the cost of Invisalign into smaller, more manageable payments that fit into your monthly budget.
Are you ready to get the straighter smile you deserve? Give us a call today to schedule your consultation and discover just how affordable Invisalign can be.
