I heard things about Invisalign. Does it work?

I have patients who come in for an orthodontic consultation and tell me that they only want braces, not Invisalign. When I inquire further, they say that they have friends who have worn Invisalign and do not recommend it because, "Invisalign does not work." Their true concerns are, "can Invisalign give me the same results as braces?" and, "is it a good product?" Let's compare these two products and get to the bottom of these concerns.

The first question is: Can Invisalign move teeth? Yes, it can. If braces can move teeth then Invisalign can move teeth. Braces move teeth by fixed mechanics in which brackets and wires are attached to the teeth and cause tooth movement. Invisalign moves teeth by removable mechanics in which the plastic materials and added auxiliaries push on teeth.

The mechanics of which teeth move are the same in braces and Invisalign. The basic principle is that force applied to the teeth, whether through fixed or removable appliances, gets transferred from the crown of a tooth to the root of tooth then spreads through the adjacent bone. Eventually that original force triggers a bone biology process to cause cell turn-over to soften bone around a tooth and move that tooth in the direction of the acting force. A tooth can move forward, backward, up, and down, or it can rotate, depending on the direction and amount of force applied.

The next question is: What kind of bite can View Invisalign videos fix? Invisalign can fix almost any bite just as braces; however, the big answer depends on the experience and expertise of the treating doctor. As a patient, if you go to a general dentist who treats a few cases a year and has not gone through rigorous training of orthodontic forces and mechanics, then you may not get the same great results as you would with an orthodontist who treat many cases. In general, an orthodontist goes through additional two to three years after completing a general dentist degree and needs to take additional testing required to be certified as an Orthodontic Specialist. By definition, they are specialists in the field of biological forces, dental mechanics, and tooth movement. Just as a painter and the paint material, you need both a good paint product, and a great painter to give you the final masterpiece and long-lasting beautiful artwork.

At Care Orthodontics, Dr. Nancy Phan and team practice orthodontics exclusively. We use braces and Invisalign day in and day out and we can give you a beautiful smile that you yearn for. In rare instances, if you start out with Invisalign and for some reasons decide that it is not working for you, Dr. Phan can switch you to braces. For most cases, Dr. Phan starts and completes Invisalign treatment only by aligners and finishes cases beautifully. We are here to customize your treatment and provide you the best care and comfort.

You can schedule a complimentary exam with us by going to: www. CareOrthodontics.com. You can also check us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CareOrthodontics