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All about Invisalign dental braces

Invisalign is the world’s best known brand of invisible and removable dental braces, which in the last years brings the revolution in the market of teeth straightening procedures.

Invisalign – an ideal replacement for fixed braces?

Wrong tooth position is a dental problem which a large number of people of all ages encounter.  It causes not only aesthetic problems, but also functional – increased accumulation of plaque and lime, difficulty in cleaning, excessive tooth wear, withdrawal of the gums, jaw pain and the like. The established opinion that braces are for children only in modern times are changing from the ground up. The increasing awareness of teeth health and personal aesthetics brings orthodontics (which includes fixed braces, Invisalign, clear aligners), along with other minimally invasive dental procedures like smile design, ceramic flakes, tooth whitening etc., slowly to the foreground. Do not forget that according to some research, the smile and the teeth are one of the first and most important elements to be observed in social contact and leave a very strong impression on a person. Think about it yourself, what is your first thought when, on meeting a new interlocutor/business partner, you notice his or her very yellow, visibly damaged or “wrinkled” teeth, no matter how good the rest of the impression were? And how pleasant and appealing is the perfect smile of white and beautiful teeth? Unfortunately, because of the modern social condition, the human mind is a strong critic and a distinguished aesthetic.

Let's say you have noticed something of the above on yourself and you want to change it. People are mostly turned away from the orthodontic therapy because of the price of the dental appliance and the metal brackets that are fixed and quite visible. Of course, there are ceramic brackets for the teeth that are much less visible, but it is hard to forget the fact that fixed braces in any combination are still quite noticeable, that it makes maintaining hygiene more difficult, that wires and brackets sometimes scratch and rub the lips and cheeks, that they must be long worn... Are there other options? In the following text we will try to answer the most frequently asked questions that we receive daily about Invisalign transparent appliance and the fixed dental braces.

Is there an alternative for the fixed brace?

Yes! The removable dental appliance which, with the advancement of digital technology and the application of numerous innovations, reaches the efficiency of a fixed appliance is the clear aligner (the so-called invisible appliance) or Invisalign. 

What is the Invisalign dental brace?

Invisalign (Align Tech) is, in a nutshell, a pioneer in the clear aligner technology. The American company that has launched the revolutionary trend has been on the market for over 15 years and in Croatia over the last few years.  They are proud of over 4 million patients worldwide and annual multimillion investments in innovation and the development of teeth straightening procedures.

How does Invisalign work?

Invisalign is fully based on digital technology. After examining whether the patient is a good candidate for such therapy, accurate teeth imprints are being taken and sent to the centre of the company. After approximately 10 days, a digital examination (plan) of the therapy ("ClinCheck") is received which allows the patient to see in advance how the future teeth position will look like and discuss it with the doctor. In the next step, the 3D printer produces foils (aligners) of patented medical plastics (BPA-free). The result are precise, comfortable, transparent foils (invisible appliance). The patient is given foils in advance which he himself changes every week to ten days. Each foil has a slightly shifted design compared to the previous one, thus achieving targeted pressure and gently shifting the teeth from phase to phase. They are worn on any occasion and removed only during meals. After completing the therapy, it is important to wear the retainer (night splint) as long as possible so that the teeth would not return to the initial position (unfortunately, due to various factors like genetics, the forces that develop during chewing, muscles of the oral cavity and other factors, the teeth are not permanently fixed and they are slowly shifting).

The advantages and limitations of Invisalign compared to the fixed brace

The Invisalign therapy is not suitable for all anomalies – the most difficult ones are still best solved with a fixed brace. Also, what is the greatest advantage of Invisalign, mobility, is also its biggest flaw –removing, placing and changing of the appliance are not a responsibility for anyone and if the brace is not worn long enough every day, it will not work and the teeth will not shift. Invisalign is also somewhat more expensive compared to a classic fixed brace. However, if you have already decided to start with  clear aligner therapy, there is no reason for not wearing Invisalign since it is practically transparent and almost invisible, comfortable to wear and fast acting (the individualized appliance with its design respects biomechanics of each tooth and maximizes the shifting effect). The invisible braces do not impede speech and hygiene is much easier to maintain than with a fixed appliance.

The technology behind Invisalign treatment has progressed since its inception 15 years ago, when it could not really be compared to the effectiveness of a classic fixed brace. Over the past few years, the experience gained by over 4 million patients, the presence on all continents, constant innovation, and numerous clinical studies have helped the invisible brace to occupy the leading position in modern clinics, equally in primary orthodontic, as well as in general dentistry. In this way, fast, comfortable and safe teeth straightening becomes available to wide populations.