What advantages does Invisalign have over other systems?
The three main advantages are the aesthetic that is increasingly valued. When you have the splint on, it goes almost unnoticed and is very comfortable, there is no pain or any type of discomfort. It has the great advantage of being removable, so that eating and drinking can be done with total normality. The hygiene does not suppose any problem, since when extracting you can brush the teeth and use thread or dental floss. In addition, its removable format facilitates its withdrawal when each patient deems appropriate, either to eat or for any other social need. Although it is best to wear the splint as long as possible.
How long does it last?
At the beginning the treatments lasted approximately the same as with the brackets or a little less. A couple of years ago there was an improvement in the type of plastic polymers that are being used so that due to their properties we can reduce the time of use. Before it was every 15 days and now we can change them weekly with which the total time of the treatment can be reduced to half the time and we can talk about half the time with braces. We also have a great predictability in the treatment since we can know how the treatment is going to end, how the teeth are going to be and we see how this is amazingly fulfilled.
Can you eat and drink normally with Invisalign?
You can eat and drink normally as always. They take off and you become a patient without orthodontics.
Annoying when speaking?
Does not bother anything. I even have patients who are language teachers and give their classes with the aligners on and pronounce perfectly. There is always a day or two of adaptation, that maybe you saliva a little more and you have the language to learn to grasp that small difference of position of the edge of the tooth but nothing more.
Is it painful?
Absolutely. A little tension the day you wear it, but it's nothing comparable with other systems. Of course there are no ulcers or sores or urgencies or other problems common in other orthodontic treatments.
What do you do when you break a splint?
If the covers are broken, it must be taken into account that it is not a single cover but a sequence. Usually if the patient calls us and tells us that the case has been broken or lost, we tell him to put on the next one because the patient at home does not only have a sleeve but the covers that we have given him for the month. Then the next or previous one is placed and we continue without any problem the treatment.
What care do you need?
Practically you have to keep it clean for a week or a little longer and that's it. Brush with the same brush and toothpaste, rinse and put one back on.