At Anthony Markiewicz DDS, we strive to be on the cutting-edge of technology in order to deliver the most efficient dental care and orthodontic treatments for those in or around Mundelein, IL. It’s our goal to make your smile as beautiful as possible, so we want to offer a wide array of high-quality dental and orthodontic treatments to suit the needs of each and every one of our patients. One such treatment that we offer in our Mundelein office is Invisalign.

WHAT IS INVISALIGN?

Invisalign is known as the alternative to traditional metal braces. Instead of shifting a patient’s teeth through metal brackets and wires, Invisalign uses clear aligners that are made of nearly invisible polyurethane plastic. While traditional braces are cemented or bonded to a patient’s teeth, the aligners in Invisalign are removable, allowing a patient to take them out for eating, hygiene purposes, or any special occasions.

THE BENEFITS OF CHOOSING INVISALIGN

Some of the benefits of choosing Invisalign for an orthodontic treatment include the following:

  • The aligners in Invisalign are practically invisible, allowing for a completely discreet form of orthodontic treatment – perfect for those who would be nervous about being seen with braces.
  • Because you remove the aligners before you eat, you won’t have to avoid certain foods (hard or sticky foods, in particular) like you would when wearing traditional braces.
  • The removable aligners also make it as simple as normal to clean your teeth; with traditional braces, it’s harder to clean around the brackets and wires.
  • Invisalign is made of a soft, flexible, and comfortable plastic that’s not likely to irritate your mouth, unlike the way metal wires and brackets can.
  • Aligners will also function as a thin type of nightguard that can protect your teeth from teeth-grinding or clenching.

HOW INVISALIGN WORKS

While the purpose of Invisalign remains the same as traditional braces – applying carefully controlled forces to move teeth into a better position – the way they operate is vastly different. The Invisalign process works by following these steps:

  • First, a patient will visit our office so we can determine if he or she is a candidate for Invisalign; Invisalign isn’t always a good fit for every patient.
  • If the patient is a suitable candidate for Invisalign, we’ll take pictures, X-rays, and impressions of the patient’s teeth so we can create 3D images of them.
  • Our specialized computer software will take these 3D images and create a series of aligners, which contains anywhere from 12 to 48 sets of aligners.
  • The patient will wear each set of aligners in their designated order for two weeks each; these aligners will gradually shift a patient’s teeth over time.
  • After the last set of aligners is worn, the intended result will be achieved.

INVISALIGN FOR TEEN​​S

In the recent past, Invisalign wasn’t recommended for children or teenagers because of two problems: some teenagers’ molars wouldn’t have fully come in yet, and there was also concern that teens wouldn’t actually wear the aligners the required amount of time. With the invention of Invisalign Teen, both these problems have been completely solved. Invisalign Teen features special “eruption tabs” that hold open the appropriate amount of space necessary for molars that haven’t fully grown in yet. The second problem was fixed with “compliance indicators” that are built into the aligners and will gradually fade with wear. This allows the patients, parents, and dentists to recognize if the aligners aren’t being worn enough.

CARING FOR YOUR TEETH DURING TREATMENT

Since the aligners are removable, you’ll just simply brush, floss, and care for your teeth like you normally do. We recommend brushing after each meal to make sure that food and plaque doesn’t get stuck in the aligners. However, the main difference is that you’ll also have to clean your aligners regularly. To do this, you’ll have to brush the aligners and then rinse them with lukewarm water.

CONTACT YOUR MUNDELEIN, IL DENTIST TODAY!

If you’re in or around Mundelein, IL and interested in Invisalign or any of our dental care, feel free to give us a call at (847) 566-2811 or fill out our online appointment request form. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to seeing you and helping you achieve a brighter and more beautiful smile!