Invisible straightening with Invisalign braces form Central London dentist
Orthodontic treatment is most effective when patients are in their teenage years. This is the time when, usually, all of the baby teeth will have been replaced with permanent teeth yet the teeth and jaw are still developing. The teenage years also happen to be the most important years of emotional development. For many teenagers, wearing a metal brace can make them stand out from the crowd at precisely the wrong time. For those patients who wear a brace later in life, the stigma of braces being for younger people can be very embarrassing. However, there is an alternative for patients who still want to have straight teeth but don’t want to wear unseemly metal braces.
Introduced by Align technologies in 1999, Invisalign braces are clear plastic retainers that fit over the patients teeth and move them into the desired position. Almost completely invisible unless standing very close to the patient, Invisalign braces also have the advantage of being completely removable, so can be taken out for important business or social occasions.
Clear plastic braces had existed before but had been far less effective than Invisalign retainers and many patients still opted for the fixed metal braces. Made form one millimetre thick clear plastic, Invisalign retainers utilise the latest in three-dimensional computer technology to achieve incredible degrees of accuracy. A series of about twenty retainers will be used throughout the treatment, each with a small adjustment and worn for about two to three weeks. The average treatment time is 18 months but because of the complete level of discretion and comfort, many patients do not find the length of treatment to be an issue.
As the cost of Invisalign retainers becomes more and more affordable with the advances in technology they are increasingly becoming the brace of choice for patients and dentist alike. If you have always wanted straight teeth but could never face the prospect of a mouth full of metal, or if you simply don’t want to have your braces noticed, ask a Central London dentist about Invisalign braces.