Our Doctors' Articles: Straighten Your Teeth Without Braces!

Would you like to get your teeth into shape?

There are many adults who are unhappy with the arrangement of their teeth and would really like to straighten them. But what holds them back is the thought of wearing braces and metal wires. Now, there is a system of straightening teeth without braces or wires.

The system, called Invisalign, uses a series of custom-made, transparent, removable aligners that fit over the teeth – like contact lenses for the teeth! Each aligner is worn for 2-3 weeks and is designed to move the teeth a little at a time. This American technology uses a patented computer system to design and manufacture the clear aligners.

The main advantages of Invisalign are that the aligners are

• Clear – people don’t need to know you are straightening your teeth 
• Removable – you can eat whatever you want and it is easy to clean your teeth. 
• More comfortable – no sharp braces or wires to get used to 

Invisalign is suitable for adults who have mild to moderate irregularities of their teeth. It is particularly suitable for those who have had treatment with braces in their teens but experienced some mild relapse. With the Invisalign Lite package, their teeth could be straight again in as little as 7 months!

If you want to know whether Invisalign treatment is appropriate for your condition, you need to have an orthodontic consultation. At this consultation, your records like X-rays, photographs and moulds of your teeth will be made by the clinic. These records will be sent to the Invisalign Laboratory and in a few weeks, a computerised simulation of how your teeth will move during treatment, and the expected end-result, will be sent to the clinic. Only after the clinic and you have reviewed the treatment results -- and you agree to it -- will the Invisalign aligners be manufactured.

The aligners need to be worn about 20-22 hours a day. i.e. they are only removed for eating and cleaning. Each aligner needs to be worn for a minimum of 2 weeks before changing to the next aligner in the sequence. Patients need to be reviewed by the dentist every 6-8 weeks to ensure that the teeth are moving according to plan. As there are no wires to change or adjust, each appointment is usually much faster – and less painful.

And here’s another benefit: If you want a brighter smile, the aligners can be used with teeth whitening gel so that you get your teeth whitened as you straighten them!

Invisalign treatment for more complex cases may take a year or more and some cases may simply be unsuitable for this method. Hence, it is essential to have a thorough clinical examination and all your records analysed to see if this method is right for you.

For the fees involved, please see http://www.smilemakers.com.sg/fees.htm

This article was written for Tab A Doctor by;

Dr. Asha Karan of Smile Makers Dental Clinic – the clinic for all members of the Family.