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Based on 190+ reviews
Incredible smile results from patients across Essex
Luke visited us and wanted to smile more confidently.
Because of crowding and the way his teeth looked, he felt like he wasn’t smiling as much as he wanted to.
Luke's smile came a long way thanks to 20 sets of Invisalign trays and a touch of Whitening at the end.
I love the Before & After in this video - shows the huge impact of treatment!
Luke visited us and wanted to smile more confidently.
Because of crowding and the way his teeth looked, he felt like he wasn’t smiling as much as he wanted to.
Luke's smile came a long way thanks to 20 sets of Invisalign trays and a touch of Whitening at the end.
I love the Before & After in this video - shows the huge impact of treatment!
Our lovely patient Jane was concerned with crowding at the top. She would cover her mouth when laughing. Looking back at photos, she wanted to feel confident about smiling more.
With Invisalign, Jane had straighter teeth in 6 months. We then used at home whitening to gradually improve brightness. We were both so happy with the result!
Invisalign. Led by Dr Kaly. Book in for your new smile.
Let me introduce you to one of the most popular teeth straightening treatments out there in 2023: Invisalign.
It’s so popular that in 2021, Invisalign announced a whopping 10 millionth case
From a Dentists perspective, this gives us a huge amount of clinical confidence in sound dental outcomes for patients.
If you’re exploring whether Invisalign is for you, I’ve put together guidance in the hopes you can make better informed decisions!
Included in this article:
Before Invisalign, the only way to straighten teeth (“orthodontics” in dentist jargon) was to use brackets and metal wires.
And if anyone can avoid having uncomfortable metal wires in their mouths, they will. Introducing: Invisalign’s clear brace aligner system.
Firstly, we take a 3D Scan of your entire mouth, using our in house scanner at the practice. This helps us digitally map in three dimensions all of your teeth with accuracy to 11 microns in depth.
That’s really, really quite accurate: a strand of hair is 70 microns thick.
As a Dentist, that helps me understand the positions of your teeth so that we can create a ClinCheck in conjunction with the Invisalign team.
The ClinCheck digitally simulates the movement of each tooth. The real beauty of this is that you get to see your new smile before you’ve even started with treatment.
Afterwards, a series of clear aligners are manufactured. They are custom designed and fit to the shape of your mouth and teeth, applying consistent, gentle pressure.
And over time, Invisalign’s clear braces shift your teeth into the ideal position mapped by the ClinCheck. As you progress through treatment, we’ll check that each tooth is moving correctly and without any signs of impact to dental health.
The beauty of Invisalign aligners is that they are almost invisible. If you’d love straighter teeth but metal braces have always put you off, Invisalign is a tremendous solution.
It’s more discreet, allowing you to live life pretty much as normal.
Approximately 10% of the more complex cases have taken 12-18 months historically.
The single biggest downside of Invisalign vs braces is that you have have to “wear them” so to speak. Taking them out, eating, cleaning, and putting them back in. For 20-22 hours a day. Every day.
And on average, I’d say 5-10% of patients don’t stick exactly to plan. Which is totally fine. But it just delays treatment. And this is why we dont typically recommend Invisalign for patients below 16. There are many providers that do, but I have always found patient “compliance’ to the use of Invisalign to be a challenge.
In short, how long invisalign takes really depends on you. And every 1-2 weeks, you’ll switch to a new set of aligners, with each new set gradually moving your teeth into the desired position.
Another factor that drives the length of treatment is the amount of teeth being moved. The more teeth being moved, and the extent of movement required increases the amount of trays.
Invisalign is split into 4 treatment categories
Each of these are targeted to slightly different orthodontic complexity, with a different price point for Invisalign treatment. This is a crucial point to understand as you ask your Dentist – what Invisalign treatment category do I fall into?
As the name suggests, Invisalign Lite is for the smallest movements, which account for up to ten trays. So Invisalign Lite could result in treatments of three to five months.
Whereas Invisalign Go and Go Plus are for more complex movements, with Go Plus moving molar to molar. Normally this results in treatment plans with 18-22 trays on average. Which means the length of treatment being 4-6 months.
Invisalign Comprehensive is for the most complex cases, and can vary in treatment length.
Big factors that decide the overall cost of treatment include:
Most of the time, Dentists provide removable retainers free of charge as part of the Invisalign package. However, for more long-term stability, you might want to consider fixed retainers, also known as bonded retainers.
Fixed retainers consist of thin metal wires discreetly attached to the back of your teeth. They offer continuous support and stability post-treatment, ensuring your newly straightened smile stays in place.
Invisalign aligners, while fantastic at moving teeth to their ideal positions, may uncover previously hidden tooth wear. Additionally, while Invisalign perfects the alignment of your teeth, it doesn’t correct issues like discoloration, small chips or irregular shapes.
So, if you’re dreaming of that ‘picture perfect’ smile that natural enamel alone might not achieve, composite bonding could be the ideal solution. During the procedure, we apply a tooth-coloured composite resin to your teeth, meticulously sculpting it to create a natural, yet enhanced appearance.
Composite Bonding typically ranges from £250 to £350 per tooth, which varies based on the specific work required. This procedure is an additional cost to your Invisalign treatment.
In the end, the choice is entirely personal. Some patients are content with the improvements from Invisalign alone, while others opt for composite bonding to achieve their dream smile.
At first glance, Invisalign aligners are virtually invisible. Made from clear, medical-grade plastic, they’re designed to fit snugly over your teeth.
So discreet are they that from a distance, or during your Zoom meetings, they’re mostly undetectable.
In person, people may notice the “sheen” of the plastic in the light, and you can see the Invisalign trays from 1-2 metres away.
When you first put them in, you might notice a slight sensation of pressure. This is completely normal and is a sign that your aligners are doing their job – gently moving your teeth into their new positions. After a few days, most people hardly notice they’re wearing them at all. You might experience a slight lisp as your tongue and lips come up against the trays.
Your treatment might involve what we call ‘composite attachments’. Now, these might sound a little intimidating, but I assure you, they’re not.
These are small, tooth-coloured blobs, added to certain teeth to help the aligners grip better and direct precise force where it’s needed.
When you stand back and take in the mirror’s reflection, these attachments blend with your teeth to the point of being nearly indistinguishable. Only upon close inspection would someone see them, appearing as subtle bumps on the tooth surface. But rest assured, the overall impression remains that of your natural smile, just gradually becoming straighter!
Invisalign’s clear braces provide a more discreet way of straightening teeth in a lot of cases. They allow you to improve your smile subtly and conveniently. From the 3D ClinCheck simulation to the clear aligner treatment itself, it’s a much more approachable way of straightening teeth for many patients.
As your Dentist I am committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate care tailored to your unique needs. I strongly believe in empowering patients with information, hence our effort to walk you through the whole Invisalign process in this article.
I’d like to extend an invitation to you. If you’re ready to transform your smile and boost your confidence, or even if you have more questions, get in touch with us
Let’s embark on this exciting journey together. Your dream smile is just an Invisalign treatment away!
Dr Kaly Gengeswaran
BSc (Hons), BDS Lon, PG Dip (Sed)
We are a proud Invisalign Provider
Invisalign. Led by Dr Kaly. Book in for your new smile.
Danbury Dental Care Ltd
24 Maldon Road, Danbury, Essex CM3 4QH
Registered Company no: 06545266
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