Straighten Your Teeth Without Anyone Knowing

Traditional braces have been considered the default for decades, causing many teenagers and adults to avoid having their teeth straightened. If you have cosmetic concerns about being fitted with braces, Invisalign® might be the perfect alternative. 

Dr. Padmaja Yalamanchili of Fairfax Family Dentist in Virginia has helped many patients discreetly transform their smiles with Invisalign tooth aligners.

How Invisalign works 

Invisalign works much the same way as traditional braces, slowly shifting your teeth into place. Dr. Yalamanchili takes a digital scan of your teeth and our lab uses this information to create a series of clear aligners specifically for you. 

Since they’re custom-fitted to your teeth, your trays should feel comfortable. Since they are made of clear plastic, they’ll also be near-invisible, hence the name. Each aligner is made using a flexible thermoplastic called SmartTrack®, which applies pressure without being rigid in your mouth. 

Instead of having to come in periodically for us to tighten the wires on traditional trays, we’ll monitor your progress from one set of fitted trays to the next. As long as you wear them for 20-22 hours per day, you should be ready for your next set when the time comes. You’ll have to swap trays multiple times, but each set puts you closer to a straight smile. 

The braces alternative for teens and adults 

Since their invention and rollout in the late 1990s, clear aligners like Invisalign have become a popular alternative to wire braces. 

Before, the appearance and hassle of maintaining braces were two of the primary drawbacks preventing people from getting fitted. Dental braces not only came with a mouth full of wires and brackets, but a “nerdy” stereotype that many teenagers wanted to avoid during their formative years. 

Teenagers weren’t the only ones deterred by braces. Adults with crooked teeth and misaligned bites were even less likely to undergo teeth straightening, concerned about their professional appearance and social lives. 

Since Invisalign is tailored to each patient’s specific needs, people of all ages can benefit from clear aligners. As long as you’re capable of cleaning and caring for your trays and are diligent about wearing them as much as possible, there’s a good chance Invisalign can straighten your teeth. 

Your responsibilities

Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign trays can be removed at any time, allowing you to eat, drink, and speak freely. In fact, you should remove your aligners before eating, and while you can drink with your trays in, you should avoid beverages that might stain them, like dark-colored juice, soda, and wine. 

Dental hygiene becomes especially important while wearing clear aligners. Your tongue and saliva naturally wash away debris and bacteria throughout the day, but aligner trays get in the way of this process. This is why it’s important to remove your aligners to brush and floss, and to rinse your mouth after meals. 

You should also take care to clean the trays themselves, washing them with warm water and a toothbrush before putting them back in your mouth. 

It can take time for your teeth to shift into place, depending on what issue is being corrected. Dr. Yalamanchili can explain the process in detail and help you decide whether Invisalign is right for you. To schedule a consultation, call 703-213-5312, or book an appointment online.