Invisalign is one of the more popular alternatives for braces and can help to fix issues with the alignment of your teeth. Unlike normal braces, it consists of a set of hard plastic aligners that are tailor-made to your teeth and designed specifically to fit them.
The main reason why many people prefer Invisalign over conventional braces is the fact that they are more attractive and almost invisible. In most cases people won’t even be able to tell that you’re wearing the aligners.
Before you decide whether or not you should get Invisalign however, there are a few things that you need to know:
- Must be worn between 20 to 22 hours a day
Although the aligners can be removed (which is convenient for eating and brushing your teeth) they must be worn for 20 to 22 hours a day at least. In other words even if you do take them off at times, you need to put them back on quickly
If you don’t wear Invisalign for at least 20 to 22 hours a day, they will be far less effective. Strict discipline will be required, and you will need to put a time limit on how long you spend eating so that you don’t go over the limit accidentally.
- Some attachments may be required
To help make Invisalign more effective, some attachments may be required. The attachments will take the form of enamel-colored ridges that stick to your teeth and look very much like the brackets of braces.
The number of attachments that are needed will vary from case to case – but often you’ll need quite a few of them. Without the aligners in they may not be that noticeable, but when you are wearing aligners they will look like clear braces.
- Invisalign is normally more expensive than braces
In recent years the cost of Invisalign has come down by quite a bit, but it is still normally more expensive than braces. On top of that it generally is not covered by dental insurance either.
Assuming you are on a tight budget, you should definitely take the cost into account. It may help to ask your orthodontist how much Invisalign Birmingham will actually cost, and compare that to the cost of conventional braces.
- May not be as effective as braces
The effectiveness of Invisalign will depend on many factors, but for complex orthodontic cases it is often less effective than conventional braces. Even for less severe cases it may take longer to achieve the same results as braces.
Before you decide whether or not to use Invisalign, you should consult your orthodontist and ask them whether or not you can expect similar results to braces.
Make no mistake Invisalign definitely has a lot of benefits and is an unobtrusive, comfortable, and convenient way to fix misaligned teeth. Now that you know what you need to, it should make it easier for you to make an informed decision as to whether or not it is the best option for your circumstances.
