What are the advantages of invisible braces?

Category: Braces · 11 November 2018

Transparent yet effective? That’s the promise made by the manufacturers of invisible braces. They are a medical device that can correct misaligned teeth and jaws.

In this article you’ll find everything you need to know about the aligner method.

Invisible braces: no wires, easy dental hygiene

“Finally, no more wire scaffolding on my face, and neither pain nor fiddling about when it comes to dental hygiene. These braces make everyday life easier and give you perfectly aligned teeth.”

This is made possible by transparent aligners that are used to correct the teeth. They’re called aligners – from “to align”, meaning to bring into line.

Three advantages at a glance:

The transparent plastic aligners are virtually invisible. That makes them especially popular not only with celebrities but also with anyone who cares about their appearance.
Unlike conventional braces, the aligners can be taken out at any time for brushing or flossing. This ensures good oral hygiene.
The aligners are comfortable: no metal wires or brackets that could irritate your mouth.

How the system works

The process that gives you perfect teeth is straightforward. After a consultation, the treating doctor takes digital impressions of your teeth. At the Eltz Institut für Zahnregulierung we use iTero for this, a state-of-the-art device in imaging technology. The data is fed into a computer that realistically simulates the course of treatment. This divides the treatment, from the start to the final position of the teeth, into individual intermediate steps. What’s particularly interesting about this system is that your orthodontist can show you the end result of your treatment on screen.

Each intermediate step has its own aligner, which is worn for 2 weeks on average. However, this doesn’t mean the patient has to come to the practice for each of these stages: thanks to the simulation, the doctor can provide the patient with aligners for approx. 8–12 weeks and, at the end of that period, check whether the treatment has progressed as planned. If necessary, adjustments are made for the next aligners.

On average, patients wear the plastic aligners 22 hours a day. The advantage is obvious: better oral hygiene than with conventional braces, and no wires to cause pain.

“Are the aligners really invisible? Yes, they’re almost impossible to see!”

Removable invisible braces: what are the disadvantages?

At first, wearing the aligners takes a little getting used to and may slightly affect your speech. However, this soon passes, as does the slight feeling of pressure that some patients experience.

The second disadvantage: invisible braces aren’t suitable for every problem and can’t correct severe malocclusions. However, we can use them for most malocclusions in adults and teenagers. Very good results are achieved with gaps and crowding, and even more complex problems such as an overbite, a deep bite or even a crossbite can be treated.

Sounds interesting? We’ll be happy to advise you. Write to us…

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What are the advantages of invisible braces?

Invisible braces: no wires, easy dental hygiene

How the system works

Removable invisible braces: what are the disadvantages?

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