Author: Clear Braces Direct
Advantages of straightening your teeth at home
Many people want to get straighter smiles in their adult life but do not want to endure the hassle of going back and forth to dental surgeries to have braces tightened or adjusted. After all, adults have busy lives, could be juggling the commitments of a job and family and may simply not have any spare time to dedicate to this procedure. Luckily, thanks to the advancements in mobile apps and even mobile orthodontics, you can now get the straighter smile you want from the comfort of your own home.
At Clear Braces Direct, we have been helping patients to get straight teeth at home London by sending out custom-made sets of invisible aligners straight to their homes and allowing them to use the associated Invisalign app to stay in contact with our team. That way, we reduce your trips to the surgery and allow you to be more in control of the process.
In this article, we will discuss how getting straight teeth at home London is beneficial, thus allowing you to decide whether or not this is the treatment for you.
Convenient
Being able to get straight teeth at home London is going to be more convenient than using a traditional brace, which would require you to attend more appointments at a dental surgery. Also, the aligners themselves are very convenient; you simply pop them in and go. They do not need adjusting and will likely need to be changed once every 2 weeks.
Safe
Following the pandemic of 2020, many people are concerned about contracting viruses. By having this treatment performed in your own home, you can reduce the chances of coming into contact with people who may have a virus that could make you or members of your family ill. So, it’s a great option if you have an issue with your immune system and want to reduce contact with people as much as possible.
Time saving
Adult life is busy, and the majority of people do not have the time to fit in a range of additional things, such as having their teeth straightened at a dental surgery. By using the at-home option, which we can provide, you will save time, and all you need to do is send our team photos of your smile once a week.
Affordable
Having this treatment performed in your home is no more expensive than having it performed
in the surgery, and actually, it will save money, especially if you have to catch a bus or travel to our surgery by car.
Easy!
As mentioned earlier, using invisible aligners in your own home is very straightforward. The aligners come with an associated downloadable app for smartphones, which will allow you to assess and explore any questions that you may have about the treatment overall. But if you have any further questions, feel free to contact our team. The general basis of this treatment involves you wearing clear aligners for two weeks at a time, changing them to the next one in the series and doing so until your teeth are straightened.
Is Invisalign working? Key signs you need to see us
When you begin the realignment process with invisible aligners, it is a fair assumption that you expect them to work. After all, they have been custom-fitted to match your teeth and you have had every stage of the treatment process explained to you, so you will know what to expect. You will even have access to an app linked to the invisible aligners which can answer the majority of your questions. This is a highly successful teeth straightening system.
For a select few individuals who are undertaking invisible aligner treatment, however, it may not go to plan. This may be due to poor sourcing of the aligners themselves if not from a reputable establishment, or maybe due to issues with adherence to the 22 hours per day recommended use.
At Clear Braces Direct, we know invisible aligners inside out and will always aim to provide our patients with tips to ensure that Invisalign London works for them. However, if you think that your aligners are not working as planned feel free to contact us for advice.
With that in mind, what are some of the key signs that your Invisalign London aligners are not working?
Poor fit
When an Invisalign London treatment is created, our team will use an intraoral scan of your teeth to get the exact position to structure the first aligner. Then, using a series of digital movements to this scan, we will be able to create the other aligners needed to get your teeth to the desired position. But if when you put the aligner into your mouth it does not fit correctly, this is a sign that the aligner is not going to work as planned and you should always aim to contact us to have them refitted.
Teeth not moving
This can be slightly harder to judge, especially if you have a minor misalignment with your front teeth. If after a few weeks of wear, you don’t notice any movement, then you may need to contact our team for an assessment. Aligners not moving teeth correctly could be due to a poor fit or non-adherence to the 22 hours per day of wear.
Excessive discomfort
It should be noted that even when you are using removable aligners there will be some discomfort, as they need to move your teeth. However, if you experience excessive levels of discomfort during wear, this will need to be examined by our team, as it can indicate that they are not fitted correctly. Or that there is an underlying health issue, such as gum disease, which is causing the aligners to feel tight and uncomfortable.
Wobbling
If your aligners are wobbling throughout the entire period of wear, this is also a sign that they have not been fitted correctly and thus they cannot do their job. The aligners are designed to slot over your teeth and look like a clear sports guard. If they are wobbling as soon as you put them in, this is a sign that you will not get any real movement and the aligner will need to be refitted.
Teeth moving incorrectly
Some patients become concerned when they notice that their teeth are not moving as planned. This can signify that there is an unforeseen issue in the mouth, such as a tooth which was loose or issues with daily wear. If your teeth are not moving as planned, you should contact our team.
Invisalign versus braces; which is better for you?
It is true that when most people envision undertaking orthodontic treatment later in life, they picture wearing a fitted orthodontic brace.
However, depending on the severity of your misalignment, you may be able to straighten your teeth using an invisible aligner instead. But you may have concerns that an invisible aligner will not be able to straighten your teeth in the same way, or as successfully as a brace would.
At Clear Braces Direct, we have been working with invisible aligners like Invisalign London for over 10 years and can state with utter confidence that these aligners are great at straightening mild to moderate cases of dental misalignment.
Still unsure if they are as good as traditional metal braces? In this article, our team will do a brief comparison between Invisalign London and fitted metal braces to help you decide which one may be best for you.
Time span
Concerning time, invisible aligners like Invisalign London take between 3 to 6 months on average to straighten teeth. However, for this to be successful, the patient has to wear the aligners for 22 hours per day. When it comes to wearing a fitted metal brace, the treatment can range more widely depending on the severity of the issue, but for the majority of adult patients who need to wear a fitted brace, you may need to wear it for up to 36 months.
Discomfort
Many people associate fitted metal braces with discomfort, due in part to the fact that they need to be tightened or adjusted for them to move your teeth. Invisible aligners, however, have these adjustments built into their shape and while they do need to apply pressure to your teeth to move them, they are generally considered more comfortable to wear in daily life.
Versatility
When comparing invisible aligners and braces, there is no real competition in this area. Braces have been used in dental practice for well over 100 years and in that time, they have treated a myriad of dental conditions. Invisible aligners are mainly only suitable for people who have mild to moderate cases of dental misalignment. So when comparing them, traditional braces win for their versatility in treating misalignments.
Discretion
Invisible aligners are, as the name suggests, practically invisible and so when comparing them to metal braces, they are certainly the more discreet. However, there are fitted metal braces available today which have brackets that are clear or tooth coloured and may use thinner wires, which can be more discreet than the traditional option. Invisible aligners are custom-fitted to slot over your teeth like a clear sports guard, so they certainly win in the discretion department.
Cost
Many patients are surprised to learn that invisible aligners are sometimes more affordable in adult orthodontic care than a standard fitted brace. This is because invisible aligners do not require adjusting in the same way as fitted braces do. Also, they do not require as many appointments as orthodontic braces and are faster overall, making them more cost-effective. If you have concerns about the cost of clear aligners, talk to our team about financing options.
Ways to ensure that the Invisalign cost stays low during treatment
So, you attended a consultation with our team to discuss having invisible aligners and have left somewhat surprised at how much this treatment may cost. Rest assured, you’re not alone! And our team will likely have discussed financing options with you during this appointment.
But you may also have some questions about how you can help to keep that cost as it is. After all, many things can occur with dental realignments, and as our team will likely have explained, this can be added to the final bill, which is something most people will want to avoid.
At Clear Braces Direct, we have been working with many patients over the last 10 years to get their teeth straightened and will always aim to help keep Invisalign cost London as low as possible. So, there will be no surprise add-ons at the end of the treatment, and you can get the straighter smile that you want for the quoted price.
But how can you influence the outcome at home to keep Invisalign cost London down? Read on for some tips.
Stay in touch
The first way that you can keep Invisalign cost London low is to stay in regular communication with our team. Once the aligner is in your mouth, you will need to send our team weekly selfies, showing your smile whilst wearing the aligner and without the aligner. This will allow us to assess whether the treatment is progressing as planned, and if it isn’t, we will send you instructions via the app or call you into the surgery. This will help keep the treatment on schedule and the costs lower.
Keep them clean!
It should come as no surprise that when wearing invisible aligners, you are at a higher risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease. This is because the aligners themselves can harbour bacteria, which may then be pressed against your teeth and gums, heightening the chances of these issues occurring. So another way you can help keep the overall cost low is to keep your aligners clean by rinsing them under cold water twice a day or soaking them in an appropriate cleaning solution.
Wear them as instructed
One thing that can slow down the treatment with invisible aligners is the patient taking their aligners out and leaving them out for longer than they should, which can cause the teeth to stop moving or begin to revert. So always aim to wear the aligners as instructed by our team to keep the treatment on schedule and reduce the costs.
Don’t break them!
When you receive the aligners, they should come with a carry case. Always keep them in there if they are not in your mouth, as this will prevent them from breaking. As you can imagine, if an invisible aligner becomes damaged, you will need to order a replacement, which can push the cost of treatment up.
Order replacements if needed
Of course, if the damage is done and you have already broken your aligner, you will need to get a replacement, and doing so as soon as possible will save you money. So contact our team if one of your aligners is missing or broken.
A brief introduction to Invisalign aligners
Do you want to get straighter teeth without the hassle of wearing fitted braces as an adult? If so, you may want to consider looking into invisible aligners.
At Clear Braces Direct, we are always happy to offer our suitable patients invisible aligners to straighten their teeth, including Invisalign London which is one of the most popular options among our adult patients.
If you want to learn more about what Invisalign London is, or how it works, please read on.
What are they?
Invisalign London is a system that uses 3D scans, 3D printing and computer technology to create a set of aligners which will move your teeth from their current position to a final desired position. They have been used in dental practices for more than 10 years, but are becoming more popular with dental patients who are adults.
How they work
Invisible aligners work based on their unique shape. The aligners themselves are made from clear plastic, which is 3D printed to match the position of your teeth at the start of the treatment. Using computer technology, the other aligners are created, with each one representing a stage in the realignment treatment. So you will start with an aligner that fits over your teeth as they currently are, and the last one in the series will match the position that they need to be in, and all the others will be every stage in between.
They apply pressure to your teeth using vector points and this system gently pushes teeth into the new position, rather than pulling them, which is how traditional braces work.
How long do they take?
In general, invisible aligners take between 3 and 6 months to realign teeth, depending on the severity of the misalignment being treated. However, this may vary and will depend on other factors such as how long you wear them each day and if you need to order replacement aligners. Always wear the aligners in the order set down by our team and do not skip an aligner, unless you are advised to do so by us.
Potential issues
There are only a few potential issues with wearing invisible aligners, provided that you have sourced them from a reputable clinic or dental practice. One of the most common issues that we see at our practice is that patients do not wear them for the required 22 hours per day and so their teeth revert to their former positions.
You may find issues with placing the aligners correctly into your mouth, which can cause problems with tracking, making it harder for the aligners to work efficiently at moving your teeth. If you find that your teeth are not moving on schedule, please contact our team.
Longevity
Whether you have undertaken treatment with a fitted brace or an aligner, you will need to wear a retainer afterwards. This is to hold your teeth in place whilst they become accustomed to their new positions. If you fail to wear a retainer, there is a high chance that your teeth will move back to their original positions making the entire process a very expensive waste of time.
The process of getting straight teeth at home explained
So you have been online and discovered that you can get straighter teeth within the comfort of your own home using the world-famous aligner, Invisalign.
Of course, when sourcing the provider for the aligner, you will need to check a few details to ensure that they are legitimate, so you will know what to expect. Our team has been using Invisalign to help patients get straighter teeth at home for over 10 years and is well versed in the process behind this.
When you come to Clear Braces Direct to get straight teeth at home London, we will be able to answer any questions that you have and ensure that you are advised on every step. This will not only help you to maintain control but also ensure that the treatment has as few hitches as possible so that you will get the straighter smile you want in no time.
In this article, we break down the process of having your teeth straightened with Invisalign and how you can get straight teeth at home London with our team.
Contact our team
Firstly, when you decide that you want to get straight teeth at home London or that you might be a suitable candidate, you need to contact our team at Clear Braces Direct. You can do this via the phone or our website. This will give you a chance to take a selfie to send to our team; this is important, as it will help us to assess how severe your misalignment is and give us a better idea of whether or not you might be suitable for treatment with Invisalign.
Attend the consultation
We will then invite you to a consultation, during which we will assess the condition of your oral health via an examination. We’ll discuss your suitability with you, making this the perfect time to ask us any questions you may have about the process. It will also allow us to discuss with you how long we think you will need to wear the aligners and any potential issues we may see that should be minimal but are worth exploring at this stage.
Receive aligners in the mail
6 to 8 weeks after you attend the consultation, you will be sent your aligners in the mail. These will come with instructions on the order to wear them in, how long to wear them, and, of course, how to use and care for them. It is also worth noting that before the aligners arrive, you should download the Invisalign app to your smartphone and become familiarised with it, as you will need to start using the aligners as soon as they come through the door.
Daily use
From then on, all you need to do is maintain good oral hygiene by brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing. You will need to wear your aligners for 22 hours per day, unless otherwise specified, and you’ll need to keep them clean by rinsing them under cold water.
If you have any issues or you feel that something isn’t right, feel free to contact our team.
Send photos
As part of getting your teeth straightened at home, you will need to send our team weekly photographs, ideally using cheek extractors, via the Invisalign app. These photographs will allow us to see how the aligners are moving your teeth with more accuracy.
Daily care guide for Invisalign aligners
When you begin using an invisible aligner, there are some rules that you need to adhere to get the best result possible.
While these rules are nowhere near as strict or as difficult to stick to as the rules associated with fixed braces, by sticking to the basic guidelines set down by our team, your treatment is not only going to be smoother, but it is also more likely to go quicker and will get you the smile you want in less time.
At Clear Braces Direct, we have helped thousands of patients to get the straighter smiles that they want using Invisalign London. So, we know all of the tricks of the trade to ensure that this aligner works for you and gets you to have the straighter smile that you want and deserve in as little time as possible.
So, with that being said, what are some of our tricks of the trade to ensure that your treatment with Invisalign London is a success?
Keep them in!
Invisalign London is removable, meaning that many patients find it ever so tempting to take the aligners out and leave them out, especially if they have a day where they are having meetings or giving a lot of talks. However, for this aligner to work correctly, you will need to keep it in for a minimum of 22 hours per day or as otherwise directed by our orthodontic team. If you don’t, your teeth may succumb to reversion which is, in essence, them moving back to their original positions before you started treatment.
Keep them clean!
The aligners need to remain clean to stay invisible. But you will also need to keep them clean to prevent yourself from developing tooth decay or gum disease. Consider that on the inside of an unclean aligner there will be bacteria which will be pressed against your teeth or gums, heightening the chance of decay or gum disease. To keep the aligners clean, simply rinse them under a cold water tap and remove any food debris with a brush. Aim to do this at least twice a day.
Keep them straight!
Even though aligners are custom fitted to your teeth, they can still be placed in your mouth and not be correct in their location. This means there is a tracking issue and to resolve this, you can use chewies or other devices to ensure that there are no air bubbles between the aligner and the teeth themselves. This will help to keep the treatment on schedule.
Keep them safe!
It’s easy to assume that because they move teeth, the aligners are hardy. However, many people forget that they are plastic and can become warped or misshapen due to being placed in pockets or coats when they are not in your mouth. To keep them in good condition, be sure to carry them in the case provided.
Keep them in order!
The aligners will come in a set order, starting with the position that your teeth are currently in, to the desired position at the end. For the treatment to work, you need to wear them in order and you need to wear every single aligner for the required time, which is around 2 weeks.
Invisalign accessories explained
So, you have visited our team and been given the green light to go ahead with treatment to straighten your teeth with an invisible aligner.
This is undoubtedly going to be a very exciting time, however, as is the way with most orthodontic tools, it is worth noting that the success of the aligner in straightening your teeth will depend on your adherence to the advice that we gave you, and the use of additional tools which can help the aligner to be more successful.
At Clear Braces Direct, we have experience in using clear aligners to straighten our patients’ teeth both in the surgery and at home. And so, when it comes to the use of Invisalign London, we know our fair share about how to best use this aligner and the accessories that can enhance its overall success at straightening your teeth.
So without further ado, in this article, we look at the most common accessories that you can use to make your treatment with Invisalign London more successful.
Chewies
First, we will start with the fact that when you have your Invisalign London aligners made, they will be custom fitted to slot over your teeth throughout the process of realigning your smile. However, there has been something of a trend with patients not placing the aligners correctly and there being air bubbles between the aligner and the teeth. This slows down the entire process of realigning your teeth and can worsen misalignment.
Chewies are made from a mixture of plastic and rubber and look quite similar to earbuds, except you put them in your mouth when you have changed between aligners, and you chew them to ensure that the aligners are placed correctly against your teeth. They are reusable and helpful for keeping the realignment treatment on schedule.
Puls
When you take your aligners out, it can be tempting to simply pull them off of your teeth. This can cause the plastic to warp out of shape or become damaged, especially if you have long nails. Puls are designed to help you remove the aligners easily and quickly without causing damage to their overall shape.
Cleaning crystals
This is self-explanatory, but if you wish to have aligners that have had a bit more of a deep clean than simply rinsing them under a tap, cleaning crystals can be used. They can ensure that your aligners not only taste better, but that they are also free from bacteria that can cause tooth decay or gum disease. Aim to rinse your aligners twice a day for between 15 and 30 minutes to see the effects of the cleaning crystals.
Carry cases
It happens to almost everybody, but if you lose your carry case when using this aligner, this can cause you to carry it incorrectly in your pocket or bag which can (you guessed it!) create damage. Therefore, it is wise to invest in additional carry cases which will help you keep the aligner in one piece when you are out and about and not wearing it.
App
The main accessory that you will need to ensure the aligner is used correctly is the app that is downloadable to smartphones and will allow you to send photographs to our team once a week to show us how the aligner is working. The app is easy to use and can be downloaded in a range of languages to help you make the most of it, if English is not your first language.
How much does Invisalign cost? FAQs about practical aspects answered
When you are an adult who is looking to undertake any kind of treatment, the key questions that you are going to have are going to be related to the practical aspects, such as how long you will need to take off of work? Will the process be uncomfortable? And, of course, how much will the treatment cost overall? After all, bills have to be paid!
This is no different when it comes to orthodontic care, which has become more popular amongst adults in the last few years. Due in part to the creation of invisible aligners which, as the name suggests, are invisible and easy to slot into daily life.
At Clear Braces Direct, we have been able to offer our patients invisible aligners for over 10 years and can answer any practical questions you will have, such as how much will Invisalign cost London and how long will the aligners need to be worn. After all, it is our speciality!
So, without further ado, let’s dive into those burning questions that you may have about Invisalign cost London and other areas of this treatment.
How much will it cost?
Invisalign cost London will vary based on the severity of the misalignment being treated, how long you need to wear the aligners, whether any additional aligners are required due to damage and, of course, how well you adhere to the treatment schedule. However, you may be surprised at how affordable this treatment is, especially when compared to traditional fitted braces. Our team can also offer financing options if you have concerns about paying for the aligners too.
I’m a busy person; will I need to visit the surgery?
You will need to visit our surgery initially for our team to assess the severity of the misalignment that you have and check whether you have any tooth decay or gum disease, which can otherwise put a pause on the process altogether. However, after this, trips to our surgery will be minimal, and you can keep our team updated through the app or over the phone.
What should I do if an aligner breaks?
If an aligner breaks, you will need to contact our team to have a replacement sent out, and you need to wear the previous aligner in the series until the new one arrives. Do not jump ahead to the next aligner in the series, as this can worsen the misalignment or throw the entire process off course.
How do I manage the discomfort?
The discomfort you feel while wearing invisible aligners should be manageable with over-the-counter medication, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. However, if you notice excessive levels of discomfort when wearing the aligners or taking them out, please feel free to contact our team for an assessment.
Can I drink coffee with the aligners in?
We know how much people need coffee, especially when they work long hours! But unfortunately, the answer is no, you cannot drink coffee whilst wearing the aligners. The only drink you can consume whilst having the aligners in your mouth is cold water. For any other beverages, you will need to take the aligners out and brush your teeth before putting them back in to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
It’s Invisalign time! Clear Braces Direct have Invisalign in Newcastle for you
When you have mild to moderate alignment issues, you may be wondering what you can do to remedy the situation. Whether you have crossbite, over or underbite, crowded teeth or gapped teeth, the effect can be the same: you may have low self-esteem and feel frustrated that your smile isn’t more aesthetically pleasing. You may also be suffering from issues such as chewing difficulties and jaw pain, or you may be finding it difficult to brush and floss your teeth efficiently. At Clear Braces Direct, we offer a treatment for mild to moderate alignment issues with Invisalign in Newcastle. This treatment could have your teeth realigned in as little as 4 to 6 months and we are accredited Diamond Apex Invisalign providers. As such, we have treated over 6800 patients successfully with Invisalign, so we have the skills and experience to make your smile look wonderful!
What is it?
Invisalign in Newcastle is a system that comprises aligners which are made of plastic. The plastic is transparent, so when the aligners are worn over your teeth, only your teeth should be visible. This means that treatment can be very discreet and you can have the confidence to continue with your life as normal, whilst wearing the aligners. The aligners apply a little pressure to the teeth to move them into the correct position over a period of time. This will of course vary from patient to patient and we will be able to monitor your progress remotely using our bespoke monitoring app, so you will only need to come in for check-ups if we absolutely need you to; otherwise, we will monitor your progress each week while you stay at home, saving you both time and money.
Other reasons to love Invisalign in Newcastle
You may not know it yet, but if you are a suitable patient for this treatment, then there are a whole host of reasons to be pleased. Invisalign is not only a discreet treatment, but it should also be comfortable because the aligners are made bespoke to fit your mouth. Using iTero technology, we will use this digital scan to get the precise measurements of your mouth. From here, we can then also generate a 3D animation of what your teeth will look like after your treatment has been completed, before you have even started wearing your aligners. This should give you the motivation you need, knowing how great your teeth are going to look as you embark upon wearing your aligners. As your teeth become aligned, you could also see an improvement in any chewing or speech issues you may have been experiencing, when your teeth weren’t straight. You could also find that any jaw pain you had is alleviated as a result of realigning your smile.
Initial consulation
If you would like to find out more about Invisalign and whether or not it is the right treatment for your specific needs, why not book in for a free, no-obligation consultation with us? We will be happy to discuss your concerns and examine your mouth to be able to advise you about whether or not Invisalign is the right treatment for you. If it is, our experienced and friendly team are ready to give you great care that is convenient and efficacious, so you can smile with confidence in just a few months!