Invisalign

It does not seem possible since bone appears to be so dense and teeth so firm in the mouth. The magic lies in the special ligament that surrounds the root. This encasing is called the periodontal ligament and it has properties to protect teeth from the forces of occlusion and external pressures. When we chew, we generate tremendous force. The periodontal ligament acts as a shock absorber and absorbs that stress. This is an intermittent force and does not result in a long-term change to the position of the tooth. However, if constant pressure is applied to the tooth, the periodontal ligament responds and begins to create modifications in the surrounding bone, which ultimately allows for the movement of the tooth.

If you have questions about the benefits of Invisalign treatment, please call Visage Orthodontics to schedule a visit with Dr. Tanner, your Santa Fe Invisalign specialist. Dr. Tanner will review everything in detail and develop a customized treatment plan to fit your lifestyle and budget.

A confident and beautiful smile is right around the corner!

One of the greatest gifts that we can give our teenagers is straight teeth and a healthy smile. To accomplish this goal, it is important that our teens “buy” into the process and fully comply in order to achieve the best possible outcome. Teenagers want to have a say in their treatment and recent surveys indicate that teens strongly prefer clear aligners to braces.

Not only is a semi-permanent solution like braces daunting, but also it is a choice that, once made, can’t be reversed until the treatment is completed. With hyper-awareness of appearance and pressure from social media, braces can be one more challenge for a teen’s self-confidence during their crucial developmental years

The great benefit of Invisalign is that it provides an aesthetic, more flexible way to give teenagers the confidence of a great smile. Invisalign aligners are comfortable, removable, and nearly invisible, which means teenagers can carry on enjoying life without the restrictions, irritation, and self-consciousness often associated with metal brackets and wires.

• Because Invisalign aligners can be removed, this allows teens to continue their normal brushing and flossing regimen. Consequently, there is less chance of plaque, decay and gum disease, and a healthier smile for your teen. Invisalign is made of a smooth, comfortable BPA free plastic that is custom molded to the teeth for a highly accurate fit and optimal comfort.
• There are no limitations on what can be eaten during orthodontic treatment. The aligners are removed prior to meals / snacking and no foods are off-limits. Best of all nothing sticks to the teeth, unlike what a patient with braces experiences after eating.
• There are no wires to poke or brackets to break, which means there are no orthodontic emergencies. The average orthodontic patient in braces has at least three additional emergency appointments throughout the duration of treatment – many times these problems arise late in the evening, on weekends, or when out of town.
• Invisalign aligners can act as a mouth guard for active teens. Many middle school and high school sports do not require mouth guards to participate but injuries to the teeth and mouth still occur from trauma. Invisalign reduces the risk of injury while the teeth are being moved into an ideal position.
• Teens are under tremendous stress. This can result in clenching and grinding during the day and even more so while sleeping. Invisalign aligners protect the teeth from abnormal wear or stress fractures from these para-functional habits. In addition, wear can be detected on the aligners (during treatment) from these habits. A recommendation will then prescribe for a night guard in the retention phase of care.
• Treatment time with Invisalign Teen is shorter than traditional braces by 6 to 9 months. This means fewer visits to the office, quicker results, and less time out of you and your teen’s busy schedule. Best of all, the average case cost is the same or less than traditional braces for the latest technology in teeth straightening.
• There are no additional costs associated with Invisalign Teen. If an aligner is lost or broken, Align Technology (the manufacturer of Invisalign) will supply up to six free individual aligners.
• Worn as directed, Invisalign aligners will achieve results that match or exceed those seen with traditional braces. Over 9 million patients have been successfully treated with Invisalign aligners; the product is backed by years of research and product development. Invisalign continues to grow in market share and will someday be the leading treatment option for orthodontic tooth movement.

Give your teen the gift of self-confidence and good oral health! It’s a gift that lasts a lifetime! If you have questions about the benefits of Invisalign treatment, please call us at 505-670-6145 or visit our contact page to schedule a complimentary consultation with me, Dr. Tanner, your Santa Fe Invisalign specialist.

Read on and you’ll feel more confident on your search, knowing exactly what you should ask your prospective Invisalign orthodontists, and more.

The Cheapest Invisalign Provider is Not the Best Value in the End

The most experienced orthodontists calculate their fees to allow for the best care possible, so they don’t have to resort to cutting corners and taking shortcuts just to reduce costs. Invisalign is a system that requires precision from start to finish. That means using a high ­resolution scanner (such as iTero) to capture a 3D image of your teeth and taking quality photos or x-rays to produce the most accurate set of records for treatment planning and aligner fabrication. In addition to the Invisalign aligners, it is important that the provider uses the best ancillary products such as quality attachment material, buttons, elastics, polishing strips, and retainers to ensure success. You should never go to a provider where the materials or techniques are “probably good enough”. This especially holds true with any of the do-it-yourself orthodontic companies (Smile Direct Club, Candid, Byte, and many others). Their materials are inferior; there is no supervision; many of the outcomes are substandard (just Google “Smile Direct Club Horror Stories”). Cheap – yes, but can you afford to settle for anything less than ideal when it comes to your smile and your bite?

There is a Big Difference Between a Dentist and an Orthodontist

The primary differences between a general dentist and an orthodontist are their level of training and clinical experience. A general dentist receives little to no training in dental school for orthodontics, while an orthodontist has 2 to 3 years of specialty training. All Orthodontists are dentists but only 7% of dentists are university-trained orthodontists. In residency, orthodontists learn about the biological basis of tooth movement, growth and development of the jaws and face, biomechanics, appliance systems, and treatment planning. In private practice, orthodontists focus solely on straightening teeth and correcting malocclusions. General dentists, on the other hand, wear many hats. They typically do only a handful of Invisalign cases in a year. It is important to go to a specialist who is trained specifically in the field of tooth movement and practices his or her craft on a daily basis.

Experienced Orthodontist= Outstanding Final Results

When it comes to straightening teeth, experience matters most – even among orthodontists.

Here is a good analogy – if you’re going to hire someone to paint the interior of your home, would you choose the painter who just started painting and has completed only a few jobs? Or, would you hire the painter who’s been painting homes every day for the past fifteen years? After all, paint is paint.

Why are direct-to-consumer aligners not a good idea?

So the real question is, “Why choose the more experienced painter?”

There are four major reasons:

• The experienced painter will be more efficient
• The experienced painter will provide a guarantee
• The experienced painter’s product will be of the highest quality
• The experienced painter’s results will look good for many years

If you’ve ever needed a home repair or update, you know already that not all contractors are the same. They’re all putting paint on walls, but the results and your experience during and afterward… will be totally different based on who you hire for the job. With Invisalign, we are talking about something considerably more important and complex than paint on walls – but the same rules apply. You want someone with extensive Invisalign experience to ensure that your teeth are looking and feeling as good as possible for the rest of your life.

How to find an Experienced and Reputable Invisalign Orthodontist

Good news! Invisalign has made it easy for consumers to find an experienced orthodontist using Invisalign’s “Doctor locator” Tool. This tool can be found on their website here. To use this tool, all you have to do is:

• Type in your zip code
• Hit Search
• Review Invisalign doctors in your area

You can sort these search results by patient’s age (teens versus adults), dentists/orthodontists, distance from where you live, and “Tier level”.

The two most important search parameters are whether the Invisalign provider is a dentist or an orthodontist and the tier level. “Tier Level” is a metric that shows how many Invisalign cases the doctor starts each year. Providers in the Gold Plus Tier and above typically treat more than 100 patients a year with Invisalign. This is a good indicator of the orthodontist’s level of experience with the Invisalign system. Yet, there are other factors to consider when choosing an Invisalign orthodontist.

Here are some questions to ask your orthodontist before making your decision:

• How long have you been treating patients with Invisalign?

• How many cases have you treated in your practice with Invisalign?

• What Invisalign training have you done (meetings, peer-to-peer groups, advanced Invisalign courses, online continuing education, etc.)?

• Have you successfully treated other cases like mine with Invisalign?

• Is your practice exclusive to Invisalign?

In conclusion, be an informed consumer and employ common sense in order to make the right choice for your orthodontic care.

Smile… you are already halfway there!

Do you live in Santa Fe, NM, or our neighboring areas? Let Visage Orthodontics, your local Invisalign expert, be a part of the team that gives you a smile you can trust and believe in! Call us at 505-670-6145 or visit our contact page for a complimentary consultation.

This vs that…

What is the process for DIY aligners?

SmileDirectClub, Candid, EasySmile, Dandy, Byte are among some of the companies offering DIY clear aligners. For a small initial fee, the “patient” receives a kit with instructions on how to take their own dental impressions and upload photos of their teeth using a smartphone. Consumers are also asked to sign a pledge that they have seen a dentist and had X-rays taken. While none of these companies asks to see the X-ray images, a dentist “on staff’ determines if the case is suitable for treatment. If approved, the treatment fee is about $2000.

Things to consider with DIY aligners

In simple cases, some patients will achieve benefits. Will this type of treatment address important issues regarding the bite relationship or the health of the jaw joints and gums, as it relates to the orthodontic problem? No, it cannot. It behooves the patient to determine what is right for themselves first by seeking a complete diagnosis from an orthodontic specialist. Bypassing the orthodontist results in the patient making decisions about their care based only on what they perceive as important – not what is medically appropriate. Only a trained and certified orthodontist has the knowledge to determine what is best for a patient.

There are many things that can potentially go wrong DIY orthodontic treatment. We’re not saying these happen to everyone who uses direct to consumer orthodontics, but there are significant risks.

Gum Disease & Gum Loss

Before any orthodontic treatment begins, it’s important that a dentist or orthodontist check a patient’s gums and supporting bone for any sign of periodontal disease. If teeth are moved within diseased gums, there is a risk of long-term damage and subsequent gum recession.

Teeth Movement

Sure, you might be successful in moving your teeth with DIY methods, but will they move in the right direction or at the right angle? It takes years of experience to know how to shift teeth into their desired position in a safe and effective way. If not, teeth may be prone to relapse or undesirable wear due to improper positioning.

Loss of Bone and Teeth

The worst outcome for a person doing DIY orthodontics is to lose a tooth or loss of bone that holds teeth in place. Both have a devastating impact. The cost to place an implant and crown to replace a lost tooth will far exceed the initial DIY treatment fee.

Dissatisfaction with the Result

Many people are heartbroken when their mail order orthodontics doesn’t deliver the result they had hoped (or were promised). They may have spent years wishing they could fix their teeth and when they saw the ad for budget orthodontics, they thought it would answer their wishes. Now their only option is to live with the outcome or pay an orthodontist to achieve the desired result.

DIY Beware!

Just because a consumer could straighten their own teeth doesn’t mean that they should. There is a legitimate reason why orthodontists acquire seven years of post-college education to become experts at the science and art of orthodontics. It is naive to think that such qualifications can be matched by an “ortho-by-mail” and without a supervision process. DIY orthodontics could cause permanent damage to teeth, such as root shortening, bone or tooth loss, tooth decay or other serious problems.

Taking care of your smile should be important. Let Visage Orthodontics, your Santa Fe Invisalign expert, be a part of the team that gives you a smile you can trust and believe in! Call us at 505-670-6145 or visit our contact page for a complimentary consultation.

1 – Your teeth and mouth should be in optimal health prior to starting Invisalign treatment.

Moving teeth orthodontically puts strain and stress on the gums and bone that support your teeth. It is critical that the overall health of your mouth is optimal potential problems should be addressed and corrected before starting your Invisalign treatment. In addition, you should advise your dentist and hygienist that you are interested in pursuing Invisalign. They may recommend completing certain restorative procedures such as crowns or fillings in advance. The Invisalign aligners are designed and manufactured to custom fit to your teeth. If there are any changes to the anatomy of your teeth during your treatment (such as a new crown), the aligners may not fit and a new scan will need to be made. This can create a delay in the overall length of treatment.

2 – One other thought on caring for your teeth during Invisalign treatment.

Your dentist or hygienist may advise that you come more frequently for teeth cleanings to closely monitor the health of your gums. Consequently, it may be advisable to have three to four dental checkups per year. Remember the goal is to not only give you the best smile but also maintain the health of your mouth!

3 – Don’t rule yourself out as an Invisalign candidate

Many patients have been told that they are not good candidates for Invisalign treatment or that Invisalign is not appropriate for their type of bite. This is simply not true! With advances in the Invisalign system, almost every type of malocclusion can now be treated with Invisalign aligners. And in many cases, the final result will be superior to what can be achieved with traditional braces. The critical factor is the experience of the Invisalign provider.

Moving teeth with plastic is a lot different from moving teeth with braces. Orthodontists have 2 to 3 years of advanced training in moving teeth and typically the more cases an orthodontist has completed with Invisalign, the better the results. So keep on looking until you find a provider that says “Yes” for your Invisalign treatment!

4 – Age is not a factor in moving teeth.

Teeth are designed to biologically move and adjust throughout your lifetime. Teeth can be straightened whether you are 8 or 80! Don’t let age be a factor in determining whether you want to improve the fit and alignment of your teeth. If your current bite is causing damage or making it difficult to clean your teeth, don’t wait. Every dentist will tell you that the best oral health comes from having your own natural teeth intact and present. Fillings, veneers, crowns, bridges, and/or implants have their place, but they are not the same as your real teeth. Be proactive and fix small problems before they become big problems. It is never too late!

5 – Invisalign costs the same as traditional braces

For most people, cost is a concern. A common misconception is that Invisalign, which is perceived as a superior or more “advanced” treatment, is going to be more expensive than traditional forms of orthodontic care. This is not the case! Most practices charge the same for Invisalign as they do for braces. The goal is to provide the right treatment for you and to make sure that cost is not a barrier to getting Invisalign treatment.

6 – Invisalign cases typically treat out faster than traditional braces cases.

One of the great advantages is that Invisalign cases can typically be treated in a shorter time frame than similar cases treated with braces. You may wonder how this can be possible. It has to do with a couple of key factors:

• • First, the forces applied by Invisalign aligners are more gentle but continuous in nature. This allows the supporting bone and gums to respond to tooth movements in a healthier and natural biological manner. This results in less inflammation and more rapid tooth movement.
  •  Second, the design of the Invisalign system is such that all tooth movements are programmed for simultaneous and predictable positioning of the teeth with each set of aligners. This is a different process than with traditional braces where adjustments are made at one appointment and each subsequent appointment is a response to the prior tooth adjustments.
  • A good analogy is that Invisalign is like taking a straight path from point A to point B. With traditional braces, it is like taking a path with small zigzags to get to the same destination. What path would you rather walk?

Braces can cause several issues—problems that don’t exist with an Invisalign clear aligner treatment. For example:

First, braces protrude off the teeth, which may result in cuts and sores inside your mouth. Wax is often prescribed to aid with this issue, but it can be challenging to get the wax to stick in a wet environment.

Second, the arch wires that run through the braces sometimes slide back & forth and poke the back of your cheeks, making it uncomfortable to talk or eat.

Third, braces can come loose, or an appliance can break at an inconvenient time (think Saturday night at the movies or while out to dinner).

Fourth, with braces, you are advised to stay away from hard, sticky foods and modify snacks to prevent damaging the wires or breaking brackets. It means cutting corn off the cob, trimming meat off ribs, slicing up apples and carrots, avoiding hard pizza crusts and chips, etc.

Also, there is nothing worse than eating a meal, having food stick to your braces, then excusing yourself to go to the bathroom to clean your teeth. Not the type of attention most of us would want!

Finally, braces make the teeth very sore for the 3-to-4 days following an adjustment. This can adversely affect your daily activities like eating, sleeping, and being able to focus.

The Invisalign Advantage

Invisalign treatment provides a gentle, more natural way to correct the alignment of your teeth. It mitigates the discomfort and trauma associated with traditional braces. And no emergencies!

Studies have shown that oral hygiene is much better with removable aligners. There is less chance of gum disease, decay, and decalcification (those pesky white permanent scars on the teeth after traditional orthodontic treatment).

There are, of course, the aesthetic benefits of wearing nearly invisible aligners versus braces. Most patients will tell you that their family and friends did not even know they were undergoing orthodontic treatment. This is especially important for teens and working adults who prefer to keep their “smile under construction” anonymous.

Other benefits of an Invisalign treatment may not be as obvious.

• An Invisalign treatment typically is more efficient than braces, and most smiles and bite corrections can be completed within 12 months or less.
• Invisalign costs the same or sometimes less than traditional braces.
• Invisalign can act as a night guard if you grind or clench your teeth at night.
• For sports enthusiasts, Invisalign can serve as a mouth guard and protect your teeth from harm while playing your favorite sport.
• Invisalign has completed over 6 million cases and is the #1 orthodontic aligner company in the world.

Ultimately, Invisalign is committed to providing the most advanced, cutting edge clear aligner on the market – a product backed by over 20 years of research and development.

So which system is the clear winner in the world of straightening teeth? Definitely Invisalign!

If you have questions about the benefits of Invisalign treatment, please call Visage Orthodontics at 505-670-6145 or visit our appointment page to schedule a complimentary consultation with me, Dr. Tanner, your Santa Fe Invisalign specialist. I will review everything in detail and develop a customized treatment plan to fit your lifestyle and budget. A confident and beautiful smile is right around the corner!

You have finally made the decision to move forward and straighten your teeth with Invisalign. Now it is time to find an orthodontist in your area who is a certified Invisalign provider. You select a couple of experienced orthodontists from the doctor locator tool on Invisalign’s website. How do you choose the right orthodontist for you? Here are seven important questions to ask at the initial exam to help you decide.

4. Will I have black triangles after my teeth are aligned?

As part of informed consent, an orthodontist will usually advise the patient if he or she thinks black triangles will be present post treatment. Black triangles reveal themselves when overlapped teeth are straightened, thus altering their interproximal contact. This contact moves more incisal (toward the edge of the tooth) but the gum tissue does not follow leaving a dark space. These dark triangles can be minimized by recontouring the sides of the incisors to broaden contact points.

6. Will braces be necessary as part of my treatment?

95% of Invisalign cases can be fully treated without the need for braces at either the beginning or end of treatment. There are a few situations where braces can be useful to help at the start of treatment (typically with extraction cases) or at the end (to fine tune a stubborn tooth or teeth that is being resistant to moving). An orthodontist will be able to anticipate most of these situations.

7. Are there any additional charges with my treatment?
Most orthodontic offices charge a comprehensive fee that covers all Invisalign aligners (plus any refinements) along with one set of retainers. Be wary of low treatment fees at an office because they may tack on additional charges for refinement aligners, retainers, retainer visits etc. Be sure to ask exactly what the fee covers and if there are any additional fees that can be anticipated with treatment.

As with any medical care, the informed consumer is the smart consumer. Don’t be afraid to ask your questions before making a final decision about which office is right for you!

If you have questions about the benefits of Invisalign treatment, please call Visage Orthodontics to schedule a visit with Dr. Tanner, your Santa Fe Invisalign specialist. Dr. Tanner will review everything in detail and develop a customized treatment plan to fit your lifestyle and budget.

A confident and beautiful smile is right around the corner!

There are so many benefits that come with straightening your teeth—many of which are obvious. Straight teeth are easier to keep clean which means a healthier oral environment and more comfortable dental check-ups. In addition, teeth that are properly positioned wear and function correctly, minimizing the chance of future damage or breakage that can lead to expensive dental repair and/or replacement. Last, an attractive smile enhances self-esteem which helps one feel more confident.

Surprisingly, there are some wonderful hidden benefits of Invisalign treatment both during and after the process. These benefits are most closely associated with clear aligner therapy and not typically seen with traditional braces. Many patients are pleasantly surprised when learning about these lesser-known advantages!

One of the most important “tools” used with Invisalign treatment is interproximal reduction. Also known as IPR, this technique allows the orthodontist to address tooth size discrepancies, alleviate crowding, eliminate triangular spaces between teeth (from gum recession), reduce protrusion and modify tooth shape/form. Before getting into the specifics of these different indications, only an orthodontist or a skilled dentist can perform IPR.

• Direct-to-consumer companies like Smile Direct Club, Byte, and Candid are severely limited in what cases they can successfully treat with their aligner systems because there is no way to perform “at home” IPR.

What is IPR? IPR involves removing a small amount of enamel along the sides of teeth. The amount of reduction typically ranges from .2mm to .5mm which is about the thickness of 2 to 5 sheets of paper. Enamel width is approximately 1.5mm so this procedure does not compromise the integrity of teeth. Most IPR is performed in the front of the mouth – typically on incisors and canines. Following IPR, the enamel surfaces are polished to preserve surface integrity and prevent plaque retention. The only residual effect from IPR can be a temporary increase to cold sensitivity.

How is IPR performed? First and foremost, the procedure does not require local anesthetic. If necessary, a small amount of topical anesthetic cream can be applied to the gums if polishing is to be done below the gum line. There are many different instruments or tools that can be used for IPR. The simplest is with sanding strips. These are either single- or double-sided thin metal strips with an abrasive coating that can gently remove enamel with a seesaw action. Another option is to use a diamond embedded disk with a protective shield on a slow speed hand piece. The rotating disk is slid between the contact of the teeth and moved in an up and down direction. The patient may feel some vibration but no discomfort. There are other tools, but these are the two most common.

Now let’s get into of the importance of IPR and why it is necessary for so many successful outcomes with clear aligner therapy. As mentioned earlier, IPR helps with the following situations with Invisalign treatment:

1. Tooth size discrepancies
2. Alleviation of crowding to avoid tooth or teeth extractions
3. Elimination of black triangular spaces at gingival margins
4. Reducing protrusion or flaring of incisors

Tooth size discrepancies occur when teeth (usually the upper lateral incisors) are narrow or there is a missing or extracted lower incisor. In either case, performing interproximal reduction in the opposite arch of the discrepancy (lower arch with small upper lateral incisors or upper arch with a missing / extracted lower incisor) will improve the coordination and fit of the top to bottom front teeth.

Many times, it is not desirable to extract a tooth or teeth to alleviate crowding. However, to prevent unwanted flaring of teeth, expansion of the arches and/or address the arch length discrepancies, the logical choice is to perform IPR. Up to 5mm of space can be gained by removing .5mm of enamel between 10 contacts in each arch. This amount of space gain is appropriate to alleviate mild to moderate crowding.

Black triangles develop below the contact points of teeth when there has been gum recession and the gum tissue no longer fill the space between the teeth. Black triangles also become apparent when teeth, that have been overlapped for a long time, are straightened with orthodontic treatment. Again, there is an absence of gum tissue to fill the interdental space leaving an unsightly “hole” or void. Reshaping the incisors so that the side walls are less divergent and more parallel allows the orthodontist to bring teeth closer together thus minimizing black triangles.

EVIDENCE OF BLACK TRIANGLES PRIOR TO RESHAPING OF TEETH
A final use of IPR is to reduce protrusion of upper teeth. Performing this procedure can dramatically improve the overbite without extracting maxillary teeth. An overbite of 5 to 7mm can be reduced to 2 to 4mm which is within the range of normal. Lip posture will also improve along with facial esthetics as the upper incisors are retracted.

IPR is a beneficial and important “tool” for successful clear aligner treatment. Don’t limit your options – go to a trained orthodontist for Invisalign. There are so many advantages with this amazing system!

If you have questions about the benefits of Invisalign treatment, please call Visage Orthodontics to schedule a visit with Dr. Tanner, your Santa Fe Invisalign specialist. Dr. Tanner will review everything in detail and develop a customized treatment plan to fit your lifestyle and budget.

A confident and beautiful smile is right around the corner!