For most patients, straight teeth mean a terrific smile. But did you know that properly aligned teeth are healthier? Overlapped, crooked, or rotated teeth create a daily cleaning challenge. Food and bacterial plaque accumulate slowly in the tiny spaces that your toothbrush and floss can’t reach. The acidic toxins that seep out of the bacterial sludge can lead to cavities and inflamed, diseased gums. Helping even a couple straggling teeth find their proper place can leave you with a healthier mouth.
Straightening teeth isn’t just for kids! Adults often make the most dedicated orthodontic patients, and it’s never too late to discuss the options for a bright, straight smile. If you’re not sure wires fit your tolerance level, don’t worry. Invisible methods can work extremely well for many cases, and Dr. Boesch can help you explore the possibilities. Orthodontics involves teeth straightening and jaw alignment, combining beauty and function. Identifying problems early in development may allow easier treatment with better results, but it’s never too late to discuss ways to enhance a smile!
For ultimate camouflage, tray or aligner systems render a modern straightening method. Designed with sophisticated software and 3D digital models of your teeth, a series of clear plastic trays produce the straightening results. Medical-grade plastic without wires, metal, springs, or rubber bands gently moves your teeth into place. Gradual pressure on specific teeth with each aligner means less discomfort and shortened treatment times, in many cases. Your provider dispenses several sets of aligners at a time, allowing you to change to a new one at home every two weeks.
Removable trays can be set aside for short periods allowing normal eating and cleaning. Enjoying an apple without the intrusion of brackets and wires works well for many patients. And the smooth plastic surface offers a comfort level to the tongue and cheeks unequaled by other forms of straightening.
A system that can be taken out and set aside may be forgotten. Committing to consistent wear, at least 22 hours each day, helps ensure the success of your treatment. While clear aligners work extremely well for adults, a responsible teen can be a candidate too. And adults of every age have discovered the perks of straight teeth with aligners.
Invisalign® can:
- Straighten your teeth in stealth mode
- Allow you to eat the foods you like during treatment
- Make cleaning and brushing easy
- Close eye-catching gaps
- Correct overlap/crowding issue
While aligner treatment works for 90% of straightening cases, some tooth movements may not be possible. Or you may simply prefer the security of fixed braces. More choices than ever exist for many procedures in dentistry allowing customized care for your situation.
Dr. Boesch can help you discover the path to a straighter smile. You may discuss adding whitening to your plan, removing years of yellow stain accumulation. In some cases, the beauty of porcelain lifts a straight smile to another level or may even offer an alternative to orthodontics. And you may be pleasantly surprised to find a flexible payment option or undiscovered insurance benefits that make treatment closer than you think.
Digital Retainers
Retainers play a vital role in your orthodontic treatment. They hold the teeth in the position where we placed them during treatment. Teeth have a natural tendency to move after treatment, particularly in the direction of their original position. This is called a relapse. Retainers function is to keep a relapse from occurring, so that your hard work, time, and money spent on orthodontics wasn’t wasted.
Many of us know someone whose teeth have shifted as a result of not wearing their retainers. Most patients who don’t follow through with retainer wear end up back in braces or Invisalign to correct the relapse that has taken place.
We offer customized retainers to fit your teeth and specially designed to prevent lapse of your particular case. There are many types of retainers. We many offer traditional retainers, fixed retainers, and Clear-Lock Retainers for Life.
Traditional retainers are made with Essix material, which is a clear BPA-free thermoplastic material custom made to lock your teeth into place.
We like to finish all of our orthodontic cases, whether Invisalign, clear aligner therapy, or traditional braces with a lower bonded retainer. A bonded retainer is the best way to secure those teeth that are most likely to shift. It consists of a wire that is bonded behind the lower front six teeth to help hold teeth in place. This area is where relapse is most likely to occur. A bonded retainer can also be helpful when a patient has had a large space between the upper front two teeth. Once orthodontic treatment is completed and the space has closed, we may use a bonded retainer to help keep the space closed. It is a very easy procedure to place and to later on remove if desired.
Clear-Lock™ Retainers for Life
Clear-Lock™ Retainers are fabricated out of clear, BPA-free copolyester that are custom thermoformed for optimum fit.
Models of your teeth are digitally 3D scanned and stored for 30 years! If a patient loses or damages all of their retainers, replacement retainers can be reordered from the patient’s digitally stored data via prescription. You won’t need new impressions. It’s a great service that even orthodontists don’t provide! Each Clear-Lock prescription comes with two, four or six single-arch retainers, so you can always have spares on hand.