Clear Aligners
What Are Clear Aligners?
Instead of metal brackets, wires and elastics, we can now straighten teeth firmly yet comfortably using clear BPA free plastic aligners. The aligners are custom-made to fit tightly over your teeth, applying pressure to specific teeth to move them into the correct positions gradually. Once the aligners are in your mouth, they are very difficult to see, so treatment is extremely discreet.
How Does Treatment Work?
Treatment is very simple as you wear the aligners all the time except when you want to brush or floss and eat or drink anything other than water. You wear each set of aligners for approximately two weeks before moving onto the next set in the series. Because the aligners are removable, it’s super easy to look after your dental health during treatment. You don’t need to use any different tools or techniques to brush and floss your teeth thoroughly.
Who Can Have Clear Aligners?
Treatment is generally suitable for adults with strong, healthy teeth. The aligners can correct issues with tooth spacing, closing or minimising unsightly spaces and straightening crooked or overlapping teeth. Treatment can correct a wide range of other problems affecting the way teeth bite together. However, good compliance is critical for treatment to work as planned, and you must wear the aligners for at least 22 hours each day. The number of aligner sets and time required to complete treatment depends on the problems requiring correction. Most adults finish treatment in a year, but it can take a few months or up to two years.
What to Expect During Treatment?
Treatment is computer planned, using a scan of your teeth and specialised software to assess which teeth must move. The planning process creates digital images showing how your teeth could look once treatment is complete, allowing you to become involved with treatment planning. Once the plan is complete, your aligners are created, and you can begin to straighten your teeth.
We will need to see you regularly so we can check your teeth are straightening as predicted and provide more sets of aligners as needed. Because we don’t need to adjust any fixed brackets or wires, these appointments should be quick and easy.
