A patient came in and had a large gap between his front teeth. He indicated the gap had been getting bigger over the years and he thought it appeared unsightly. He also had some crowding (crooked and turned) of his lower teeth. He came in to see what we could do about the gaps and crowding.
These conditions can be corrected with traditional orthodontics (wire and bracket) or Invisalign, a clear plastic alternative. Invisalign is a series of clear trays that you wear to move your teeth. The patient changes to a new tray every two weeks. We will have all the trays made to complete the entire treatment plan. Invisalign is nice because a patient will take them out to eat, brush and floss. Another nice point is that most people will not even know the patient has them on their teeth.
The patient did not want to have wire and brackets on his teeth as he was a professional and did not want to look like a teenager. Invisalign was a great alternative and determined that it would take about 6 months to close the gap and about 9 months to correct the crowding. The patient liked the ease and versatility of Invisalign and began the process that day.
Invisalign cannot fix all occlusal irregularities, however, it may be a great alternative for you compared to traditional wire and bracket orthodontics.
Dr. Carol F. Morgan, DDS is a Virginia Beach Dentist and is a Certified Invisalign dentist providing all levels of Invisalign products.