Adult Aligner Treatment | Before & After
The number of adults seeking orthodontic treatment has exponentially increased in the last decade. Widespread of clear aligner treatment was one of the factors driving individuals fixe their crooked teeth. Most adult patients had some degree of exposure to orthodontic treatment as a teenager.
We often hear that “I lost my retainer or the bar behind my front teeth broke and my lower teeth shifted. How can I fix it?”.
Adult Orthodontic Treatment
Adults are mostly interested in the Invisalign treatment – clear aligner therapy. When we ask why, it’s because they prefer plastic braces over metal ones to straighten their teeth and improve their smile.
Aligner treatment can help fixing overbite, underbite, crossbite, crowded teeth, spacing, openbite and deep bite. Orthodontists often give you multiple treatment options if you have one of these conditions. Clear aligners are not very efficient in correcting some of the mentioned conditions. You might have to wear elastics with your Invisalign aligners.
Invisalign Treatment
People commonly know clear aligner treatment as Invisalign treatment. Invisalign aligner system was the original CAD/CAM manufactured aligners in 20 years ago. Things has changed since. You have lots of different aligner models on the market.
The main focus of aligner treatment is the orthodontist or dentist. They use this tool to straighten your teeth or fix your bite issue.
In dentistry, orthodontic treatment is one of the few services that you can seek for free consultations. These days orthodontists also offer virtual consultations. At the consultations, you want to ask about the treatment options, treatment time, and aligner or Invisalign cost.
Fixing Overbite with Aligner Treatment
Adult patients are interested in either straightening their teeth and improving their smile, or fixing their bite and align their teeth. Can you fix your overbite with clear aligners?
the short answer is yes. The layman definition of overbite is slightly different from the orthodontic language. Basically, you can use aligner treatment to fix problems with overbite, overjet, or other bite issues.
Aligner aka Invisalign Journey for straighter smile
Watch more on patient’s clear aligner journey
Invisible braces an alternative treatments to Invisalign
Hidden braces (lingual braces) are great alternative to Invisalign. These braces are placed behind your teeth. There are multiple types of lingual braces available SureSmile, Incognito, BRIUS, inBrace, and Eline are a few examples.
Adult braces
A group of adult orthodontic patients are interested in wearing braces. The main reason behind this is avoiding life challenges with wearing Invisalign. Orthodontic treatment plan for adult teeth is similar for both braces and Invisalign. Lingual braces is an alternative choice of braces that are instead of being in front of the teeth installed behind the teeth.
Types of braces
Various types of adult braces are available. Traditional metal braces as well as self-ligating braces come in different types like clear, ceramic, and traditional braces.
Braces and clear aligners both require a similar treatment time. This is as long as the patient consistently wears the aligners. The braces or aligners might need rubber bands to correct the bite and build a beautiful smile.
Clear braces
A partially invisible treatment option for adults in clear braces. These ceramic braces are an option between traditional metal braces and clear aligners.
At Home braces
Various companies like AlignerCo offers teeth straightening services. These services start with an impression kit sent to your home.
The treatment process start with sending an impression of your teeth. They use plastic aligners to remotely fix your teeth. New aligners are shipped to your house.
Most companies like Smile Direct Club or CandidCo that used to offer at home aligner treatment failed. One of the reasons is lack of office visits and check-ins by the orthodontists.
In-person visit to evalute oral health while teeth aligners working is important. In-office evaluation of your teeth by dental professional help avoid major issues seen in at home services.
Getting braces as an adult
The American Association of Orthodontists reports that more adults are getting braces or Invisalign these days. Invisalign similar to adult braces can fix different dental problems leading to straight teeth and healthy bite. Gum disease (gingivitis) or other dental health problems could be a reason to fix misalignment of teeth and jaws to improve the overall health of patients. In theory, there is not age limit on braces or aligners.
Cost of braces depends on the insurance coverage, complexity of tooth movement, and the provider (DDS vs orthodontist). Dental insurance partially covers the treatment costs including xrays, visits, orthodontic appliances, and more. Teeth whitening is an example of treatment plan that most insurance coverage plans won’t cover.
Most orthodontic offices offer a down payment and monthly payments with no interst. You should be able to use your FSA or HSA to cover part of your treatment. The payment plans often have no interest. Each clinic has its own payment options of check, cash or credit card.
PORTH aligners & Invisalign before & after
18 months of clear aligners to address sever crowding
Meet Dr. Rooz Khosravi for your aligner treatment
In 2017, Dr. Rooz Khosravi started PORTH Personalized Orthodontics with a mission to deliver tailored orthodontic care. His aim? Crafting perfect smiles for each of his patients. PORTH operates from two modern, fully digital clinics located in Sammamish and Bellevue. Dr. Rooz specializes in providing lingual braces along with a full range of orthodontic services for people of all ages.
Dr. Rooz isn’t new to the world of dentistry. As a second-generation dentist, his childhood memories are filled with time spent at his mother’s dental clinic, learning the importance of patient care.
He was trained at the University of Washington, a well-known institution in the field of orthodontics. He’s also an associate professor at the Univeristy of Washington, where he teaches students at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Beyond orthodontics, Dr. Rooz also has a master’s degree in oral public health and a PhD in bone biology, a combination of qualifications held by less than 1% of orthodontists.
Dr. Rooz holds a diplomate status from the American Board of Orthodontics, an indication of his commitment to excellence. In addition to this, he also conducts research on digital orthodontics and advises various companies on product development for modern orthodontics.
When it comes to aligner treatment, Dr. Rooz has extensive knowledge. He lectures internationally on clear aligner therapy and dental 3D printing. He is the US ambassador at the European Aligner Society. Additionally, he has published numerous article on aligner treatment.
Dr. Rooz provides various treatment options to patients. Read more about a story of adult patient here.
Is Invisalign effective for adults?
Clear aligner treatment or Invisalign treatment is a good choice for adults who wear the aligner for 22 hours daily.
Most cosmetic adult orthodontic treatment limits to one or 1.5 years.
What is the average cost of Invisalign for adults?
The cost of orthodontic treatment for adults independent of the appliances significantly varies. Adult patients have different treatment needs and the cost of treatment depends on the complexity and length of the treatment. The average cost of invisalign for adults is from $2000 to $10,000.
How long does it take to see results from Invisalign?
You should expect to start seeing changes around 6 months into the treatment.
What is the best way to maintain Invisalign?
Regular cleaning of aligners with a toothbrush can help the trays clean. Special solutions are also available to help with this process. Switching every week help to get a new set of aligners fairly quickly.
What are the side effects of Invisalign?
Poor oral hygiene with aligners can results in major tooth decay or gum issues.
What is the difference between Invisalign and Invisalign Express?
These are two different products by the Align technology. The express aligner package includes a small number of aligners and typically requires 3-5 months of treatment.
Can you eat while wearing Invisalign?
No. You can develop dental caries. If you eat with aligners, be sure to clean your teeth and aligners well afterwards to avoid any issues.
How does Invisalign work?
Invisalign appliance includes a series of plastic trays. Each aligner incrementally moves your teeth. A series of aligners are design to fix your bite and help you to straighten your teeth.
Do clear aligners have BPA?
It is important to ask for this. Most clear aligner plastics are free of BPA.
Can I use whitening kit while I am in orthodontic treament for straighter teeth?
You can use whitening kits while you are in aligner treatment. Sometime the attachments block the teeth and you migh have some patches when the attachments are removed.
