Invisalign Cosmetic Dentistry & Orthodontic Treatment
Straight smiles are healthy smiles. When your teeth are properly aligned, they’re easier to clean, support healthy digestion, produce clearer speech, and prevent jaw misalignment.
Dental misalignment can be detrimental to your health and smile, but it’s straightforward to address with treatment. Unfortunately, patients might avoid seeing their orthodontist because they don’t want the hassle of metal braces.
Thanks to advancements in dental technology, there’s a fast acting, discreet alternative to traditional metal braces. At Advanced Restorative Dentistry, Dr. Nishime offers Invisalign clear aligners, a revolutionary alternative to traditional orthodontic treatment.
What Are Invisalign Clear Aligners?
Invisalign clear aligners are an orthodontic appliance made from patented SmartTrack® material. With SmartTrack, Invisalign clear aligner trays exert continuous pressure on your teeth over time, gently straightening your smile without metal and wires.
Wearing each phase of your aligner trays for at least 22 hours a day can help you achieve stunning results in just half the time required for traditional metal braces.
Why Choose Invisalign Clear Aligners?
The benefits of Invisalign have made them an increasingly popular alternative to traditional orthodontic treatments like braces. Their benefits include:
- Removability — Your aligners are easily removed without professional help, eliminating dietary restrictions and making it easier to clean your aligners.
- Efficiency — With proper use, Invisalign clear aligners can correct your smile in half the time it would take traditional metal braces.
- Effective — Invisalign can correct a number of orthodontic conditions including crossbites, crowding, rotation, post-orthodontic treatment relapse, open bites, gapped teeth, overbites, and underbites.
- Discretion — Invisalign clear aligners are almost completely invisible, so the only people who’ll know about your orthodontic treatment are the ones you decide to tell.
- Comfortable — SmartTrack® material is customized for a perfect fit to correct your unique smile without the prodding of metal.
The Invisalign Treatment Process
Treatment with Invisalign begins after just a few short appointments with our dentist Dr. Nishime. Here’s what to expect:
You’ll attend a consultation with Dr. Nishime where he’ll examine your mouth, diagnose any oral health issues, review your medical history, and discuss your smile goals with you. This information helps Dr. Nishime determine if you’re a good candidate for Invisalign treatment. Before choosing Invisalign, Dr. Nishime will let you know about all of your orthodontic treatment options and help you make an informed decision.
In order to develop a precise treatment plan, Dr. Nishime will take a physical impression of your teeth or use a digital scanning device to create 3-D images of your mouth. These images and impressions will help us determine where your teeth need to go and serve as the blueprints for your Invisalign trays.
Once we receive your customized Invisalign clear aligners, Dr. Nishime will apply them over your teeth and ensure they fit properly. You’ll receive a series of aligner trays that you’ll wear for a minimum of 22 hours a day for one to two weeks each. Over the course of your treatment, they’ll gently move your teeth into ideal alignment.
You’ll also attend follow up visits to ensure that your treatment stays on schedule and progresses appropriately. If necessary, Dr. Nishime will make adjustments to your Invisalign treatment and order new aligners to keep your smile going in the right direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s necessary to remove your aligners before eating, drinking fluids other than water, brushing, and flossing. Failure to remove your Invisalign clear aligners in these instances can lead to the trays becoming damaged, stained, and ineffective.
This also allows bacteria to accumulate on the trays, increasing the risk of bad breath, infection, and tooth decay while you’re wearing them.
Taking proper care of your Invisalign trays is necessary for keeping your treatment on track.
Dr. Nishime offers these care instructions for your Invisalign clear aligners:
- Remove your aligner trays before you eat, drink fluids other than water, and clean your teeth.
- Use lukewarm water, a soft-bristled toothbrush, and a gentle antibacterial soap or toothpaste to clean your trays.
- While not in use, store your aligners in their protective case in a place that’s easy to remember.
- Soak your aligner trays at least once a day in a mix of three parts lukewarm water and one part white vinegar or use the Invisalign cleaning crystals.
- Rinse your aligners before putting them back in your mouth.
- Remove your aligners from back to front to avoid tearing them.
Because their teeth are still developing, Invisalign for teens and adults is not suitable for children. There is a version of Invisalign specifically geared towards children as young as six called Invisalign First.
SmartForce® attachments can add more precision and speed to your Invisalign treatment, but there are some cases where Invisalign may not be the most effective treatment option. Dr. Nishime will be sure to inform you of all of your options before you make a decision about your orthodontic treatment.
If you lose an aligner tray, call our office at (808) 732-0291, fill out our online contact form, or request an appointment as soon as possible. Dr. Nishime and his team will advise you on the best course of action.
Quick, Comfortable Invisalign Treatment From Dr. Nishime
With Invisalign, you can get the smile you’ve always wanted quickly and comfortably. To learn more about orthodontic treatment with Invisalign, or to schedule an appointment at our Honolulu office, call us at (808) 732-0291 or click the button below.