The great thing about our dentists is that they are here to guide you towards the appropriate treatment – not to sell you a product or service, as we know all treatments have their pros and cons despite their growing popularity. So, let’s take a level-headed look at Invisalign W1.

Effectiveness

The effectiveness of Clear Aligners as a group has been questioned, but we at Harley Street Dental Clinic have found that to be an overgeneralisation, with there being a significant quantity of aligners that are misused, usually through home treatment kits and online dentistry. This branded aligner has never permitted their products to be used outside of a fully-qualified dental practice and only operates out of licensed surgeries. This gives both the oversight of a dentist maximising treatment effectiveness, as well as the support of the manufacturer to the local surgery.

In this context, Clear aligners have been shown to be effective at correcting mild to moderate misalignment in good time and with fewer unpleasant side effects.

Comfort

Historically, orthodontic treatment has not placed comfort as the highest priority. That has changed and even the traditional metal brace has had to adapt to patients’ expectations, with comfort being a factor. Invisalign W1 takes this to new heights. Traditional orthodontic braces  need to be adjusted or tightened; this is usually done with six weeks intervals, but it could be done more often, producing the inconvenience of travelling to the clinic and limited surgery time with increased treatment costs. Clear aligners are used for 2 weeks before moving on to the next aligner in the series. This is the equivalent of having a brace corrected, with smaller and more regular corrections which are far more tolerable, making aligners more comfortable. Most patients report a consistent pressure on their teeth which soon becomes normalised, leading to them forgetting whether they are wearing their aligner or not.

Visual impact

Finally onto the clear part of clear aligners. One of the best aspects of this orthodontic technique is its minimalism; by using the elastic deformation and its resulting pressure to move teeth, clear aligners do not require brackets, archwires, rubber bands or any of the other things that a traditional brace needs. They function just as well in any colour, but by being translucent with clean lines and tightly fitted to the teeth, they are close to invisible.

Maintenance and lifestyle impact

Maintenance of Invisalign W1 is quite different to that of other braces; they are removable from your mouth although it is only recommended to take them out sparingly just to eat and clean teeth. That said, the majority of maintenance and hygiene associated with traditional braces is around eating and the extensive cleaning after eating.  By being able to remove your aligner in order to consume food and then brush before returning it, much of that rigmarole is avoided.

The presence of the aligner does reduce the flow of natural saliva around the teeth, increasing risks of cavity formation and the build-up of plaque. Care should be taken to improve brushing technique and general oral hygiene.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to get in contact with our surgery and we would be happy to explain more about clear aligners and how they could help you.