WHAT IS CLEAR ALIGNER THERAPY?
WHAT IS CLEAR ALIGNER TREATMENT?
Invisalign (clear aligner) treatment is a type of orthodontic treatment where teeth are straightened without wires and brackets. It is an alternative method to fixed orthodontic treatment, which is achieved by the regular use of aligners.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF CLEAR ALIGNERS?
The advantages of clear aligners are:
– They are more aesthetically pleasing due to their transparent structure.
– Since the aligners can be removed during meals, there are no restrictions on eating or drinking.
– Pain is minimal or nonexistent because the forces applied to the teeth are optimal.
– They do not pose a risk of injury to soft tissues.
– The number of clinic visits is lower because the doctor spends more time seeing the patient.
– Patients can take a break from their clear aligners for a few hours on important days and celebrations.
ARE THERE ANY DISADVANTAGES OF CLEAR ALIGNERS?
The aligners are not fixed and can be removed by the patients, requiring compliance. It is important for the progress of treatment that patients use their aligners as directed by their doctor. Of course, patient cooperation and consistency are very important in orthodontic treatments, regardless of the method used. Also, clear aligners are more expensive. This is because they require additional services in their preparation and production. WHAT SHOULD PATIENTS CONSIDERING CLEAR ALIGNER TREATMENT DO? If you want to use clear aligners to straighten your teeth, you should first consult with an orthodontist. Your doctor, who has sufficient experience and skill in clear aligner treatment, will create the most suitable treatment plan for you after the examination. HOW LONG WILL MY TREATMENT LAST? The duration of treatment with clear aligners varies depending on the patient's treatment needs. On average, it usually lasts 6-12 months, but it may take shorter or longer depending on the severity of the problem. HOW LONG SHOULD I USE CLEAR ALIGNERS DAILY? Clear aligners should be worn all day except during meals. The aligners should also be in the mouth while sleeping at night. Using the device for 20-21 hours a day is very important for the teeth to complete their movement.
CAN I DRINK ANYTHING WHILE WEARING CLEAR ALIGNERS?
You can drink water while wearing your aligners, and you can also consume other beverages as long as they are not sugary or very hot. However, considering that beverages like coffee can stain the aligners and teeth, their use should be restricted and a straw should be used.
HOW DO I CLEAR MY ALIGNERS?
You can wash your aligners under warm or cold water after meals, or clean them using a toothbrush. You can also clean them using special tablets produced by the manufacturers. Since your aligners need to be changed frequently, using clean aligners each time ensures better hygiene.
DO INVISALIGN ALIGNERS CONTAIN HARMFUL SUBSTANCES?
Invisalign brand clear aligners are FDA approved.
WILL CLEAR ALIGNERS AFFECT MY SPEECH?
Although clear aligners are very thin, they may slightly affect your speech during the initial adjustment period. You may feel a difference when using letters like S, sh, and t. However, since the tongue and lips adapt within a short period of time, such as a week, patients' speech returns to normal. We often see that most patients do not experience any difference even when the aligners are worn.
WHAT IS THE COST OF CLEAR ALIGNERS?
The treatment cost depends on many factors. Therefore, the most appropriate pricing will be determined after the examination, based on your doctor's diagnosis and treatment plan.
HOW DO CLEAR ALIGNERS STRAIGHTEN MY TEETH?
While wires and brackets apply force by attaching to the teeth and pulling, clear aligners surround the teeth, creating a pushing force and moving the teeth. The fundamental event in tooth movement is applying force to the teeth. Therefore, each aligner you wear will apply pressure to your teeth and force them to move. HOW ARE CLEAR ALIGNERS PRODUCED? After your treatment plan is made, your doctor will obtain your X-rays, intraoral and extraoral photographs, and intraoral scan records. By collecting this data digitally, they will create a personalized prescription for you in the system, and a simulation of the teeth straightening plan will be prepared by technicians. The doctor will make the necessary corrections on the simulation, and once the desired change is achieved, approval will be given, and the production of the aligners will begin. Delivery time of the aligners may vary depending on the region. Once your aligners arrive, your doctor will contact you to schedule an appointment.
WHAT PROCEDURES ARE PERFORMED BEFORE CLEAR ALIGNERS ARE FITTED?
To ensure the clear aligners adhere to the teeth and guide tooth movement, attachments, which are small protrusions, need to be placed on the teeth. In the first session, small tooth-colored protrusions are created on the tooth surface using adhesives without causing pain or discomfort. The patient's first aligner is fitted, and treatment begins.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE MY CLEAR ALIGNERS? A one-week period is generally considered appropriate for changing aligners. However, in cases of difficult tooth movements or in adult patients, your doctor may determine the aligner change frequency as 10 or 14 days. Similarly, in children, due to the rapid nature of tooth movement, a 5-day change schedule may be planned. INVISAL FIRST TREATMENT IN CHILDREN
While orthodontic treatment with clear aligners is not possible in children with primary teeth, treatment with clear aligners has become possible. In treatment planning, unwanted tooth movements are postponed while work is done on desired movements. This allows us to provide treatment options for children. Thanks to aligner treatments started at an early age, we can eliminate the problem or reduce its severity. ARE CLEAR ALIGNERS SUITABLE FOR INTERNATIONAL PATIENTS? Treatment with clear aligners is possible for patients from abroad and other cities due to the long consultation intervals, the lack of need for emergency intervention, the short treatment duration, and the possibility of remote treatment. TREATMENT OF JAW DEFECT WITH CLEAR ALIGNERS
In treatments with wires and racks, an appliance that brings the jaw forward is used first for jaw deficiency, and then braces are applied. However, with clear aligners, thanks to the wings attached to the aligners, both the teeth are straightened and the jaw is positioned forward simultaneously. In this way, we can carry out our treatment both faster and more comfortably in child patients whose growth is not yet complete. IS IT NECESSARY TO APPLY PROTECTIVE MEASURES TO THE TEETH AFTER TREATMENT WITH CLEAR ALIGNERS?
After any type of orthodontic treatment, we need to take precautions to maintain the straightness we have achieved. For this, we place retaining wires, which are fixed, behind the front teeth. These wires are invisible and do not cause discomfort to the patient. We also use removable retainers that can be applied to the upper jaw or both jaws. Vivera aligners, produced by the Invisalign brand, are also frequently used in recent times.