Why Invisalign might be right for you
Written by:Invisalign is a dental procedure that is growing in popularity due to its many advantages over traditional braces. In her latest article, leading London-based dentist Dr Behnoosh Bidar offers her expert insight into this procedure, and answers your most frequently asked questions.
How quickly do teeth move with Invisalign?
This depends on how many teeth we move and how severe the misalignments are. The treatment can take between six months to one year, but we typically finish the treatment much earlier.
Patients used to have to change the alignments every two weeks, but now we ask patients to change it once a week, which speeds up the process. A lot of research has been done on Invisalign, and with the help of the smart force attachments, the treatments are more predictable and much quicker. Some patients see changes after just two weeks.
Is Invisalign painful?
No, Invisalign is not painful, but you might feel some tenderness or some pressure. This usually lasts for just a couple days. This sensation is caused by the teeth that need to be moved and pushed to certain positions. However, it is not painful. I have never had one of my patients say that they needed to take painkillers for example. If it is your first experience with a teeth aligner you may feel discomfort, but it should be gone by the next day.
Does Invisalign cause changes in your face, especially the mouth area?
Yes, it can cause changes. This depends on many factors. If a patient has an overbite, an underbite, or if the teeth push the lips forward, then once we push the teeth back and retract them, we can see quite a change. But this change is always for the better.
When a patient is considering Invisalign, we don’t just look at the teeth themselves, we look at the whole face. If you imagine a patient with a tooth that's obviously sticking out and pushing the lips forward, once we push the tooth back the lips become more harmonious with the whole face.
How much does Invisalign cost?
The cost of Invisalign depends on how many aligners you need, and how long the treatment will go on. It can start from £2500, upwards to £4800 – £5000. On average, I would say between £3000 – £4000.
Once it’s complete, how long do Invisalign results last?
If properly maintained and if the patient consistently wears their retainers, the results can last a lifetime. When I first see a patient, I always tell them that you need to be really committed to have lifetime retention.
We know these days that our teeth are always moving, and our face changes when we age as well. With the use of a proper retainer, and if patients take care of their teeth and visit the dentist regularly, the results can last a lifetime.
Do you have an Invisalign patient success story you can tell us about?
For me, every patient is a success story.
I remember a young woman who never smiled, and she was quite a shy person. Once we finished the treatment, she changed her job and I could see that she smiled more and more. She said that she smiles every morning when she wakes up and looks in the mirror. Her friends also told her that she was smiling more than before, because before she was hiding her teeth. I saw her again last week, and she has gotten engaged.
It's amazing to see my patients’ confidence improve so much, and every patient tells me that they wish they had gotten Invisalign sooner, so that is lovely to hear.
If you are interested in Invisalign, or any other dental treatment you can book a consultation with Dr Bidar today via her Top Doctors profile.
