Invisalign

Dr. R. Ben Alexander, DDS is an Invisalign® Dentist, treating patients throughout Texas. Invisalign® is an excellent way to straighten your teeth and adults of all ages often prefer it over traditional metal braces. If you want to improve the appearance of your smile, call our office or go online to schedule a consultation and see if Invisalign® is right for you.

How does Invisalign® work?

As an Invisalign® dentist, Dr. Alexander straightens teeth using a series of aligners. First, he will take an impression of your teeth to create a series of aligners. The Invisalign® aligners themselves are made out of a thermoplastic material that is strong and at the same time flexible in order to be comfortable when worn for long periods of time. The material is virtually invisible. Dr. Alexander recommends that patients remove their aligner and rinse it with warm water on a daily basis. You may also want to brush them with a soft toothbrush.

The aligners should be worn for 22 hours a day and are switched out with the next one in the series every two weeks. Over a period of months, the aligners will slowly move teeth into place, making one minor adjustment at a time that is targeted to specific teeth. This helps your teeth to remain comfortable as they are moved into position at a manageable pace. Once you are done wearing your aligners, your teeth should be perfectly straight.

Benefits of Invisalign®

  • Patients may prefer wearing Invisalign® because of how convenient it is in comparison to wearing traditional braces.
  • Invisalign® aligners are clear so no one can tell you are straightening your teeth.
  • They are only worn for 22 hours a day so you can take them out to eat dinner, go on a date, or make an important presentation at work.
  • You can brush and floss your teeth like normal, and no additional tools are required.
  • There is less of a risk that your teeth will become stained as compared with wearing metal braces that can be difficult to clean.
  • The procedure is more comfortable than metal braces since the Invisalign® aligners move teeth into place slowly and only focus on a few teeth at a time.
  • Aligners are easy to take care of, and you only use the same aligner for a couple of weeks.

Invisalign® Attachments

Some patients need to wear attachments or ridges in order to ensure that their teeth move into place perfectly. An attachment is a clear bump that is made of an enamel colored composite and secured to the teeth. Bumps on your aligners will grip them in order to hold the Invisalign® aligner in place. Ridges work in a similar way only an indent is created instead of a raised bump. This can be necessary for more complicated cases to ensure that a particular tooth, or several teeth, move into place like they should.

Invisalign® Check-ups

At R. Ben Alexander, DDS, we recommend that patients visit Dr. Alexander for regular check-ups to ensure their teeth straightening properly. Fortunately, since the Invisalign® aligners are made at the beginning of the procedure, these appointments are less frequent than if you were wearing metal braces. As an Invisalign dentist, Dr. Alexander sees patients less frequently because the check-ups are not to adjust anything, just to make sure that the procedure is working. This is far more convenient for patients with busy schedules in Texas.

Treatment Time

For most patients, the Invisalign® procedure takes around twelve months. The exact timeframe will depend on your situation, and only Dr. Alexander can tell you how long they will need to be worn. Overall, the Invisalign® treatment time can be less than with metal braces. This is in part because you do not have to schedule appointments to keep your teeth moving. Simply pull out a new aligner.

Finding an Invisalign® Dentist

Not all dentists offer Invisalign®. You have to receive special training in order to provide it to patients. To learn if the procedure is right for you, call our office or go online to schedule an initial Invisalign® consultation with R. Ben Alexander, DDS.