Clear Aligners

Clear Aligners –  A “braceless” alternative to traditional metal braces!

Have you ever wished for a straighter, healthier smile, but not looked forward to all the metal wires and bands that often go along with braces? At Marshall Orthodontics we can make your dream of having a new smile come to life. Dr. Marshall is a certified orthodontist, giving patients a “clearly” effective and incredibly comfortable way to straighten teeth! To learn more about clear aligners and to find out whether you or your child is a candidate for Interceptive (Phase I), Teen, or another clear aligner product, contact our office today to schedule your complimentary clear aligner evaluation.

What Are Clear Aligners?

Clear aligners use a series of customized aligners to straighten teeth with fewer office visits and shorter office visits than traditional braces. For many patients, using clear aligners result in faster treatment times than with braces.

• Fewer office visits – With aligners, we can usually go longer between appointments.  Another great benefit is our use of Virtual Appointments. By sending in photos of your teeth Dr. Marshall is able to give you treatment instructions without you having to come in to the office, which decreases the number of in-office visits even more than with braces!
• Shorter office visits – With aligners, there’s no need for wire changes, tie ins, etc., so your appointment at the office is usually shorter compared to appointments with braces.
• Almost invisible – Despite having composite attachments placed on teeth for treatment, aligners and attachments tend to blend in pretty well with your teeth.  Sometimes, friends, family, and co-workers may not even know you are undergoing orthodontic treatment!
• Comfortable to wear – Aligners are much less irritating to your mouth, lips and cheeks, especially compared to braces.
• Less pain – Aligners move the teeth in a more controlled incremental fashion than braces, which usually means less tooth pain as the teeth move.
• Customized just for you – Your clear aligners are customized to fit your mouth and teeth. Dr. Marshall uses advanced 3-D computer imaging technology to replicate an exact model of your mouth and teeth.  Then, she customizes the aligner treatment for you.
• Removable –Unlike traditional metal braces, you can remove your aligners to eat, drink, brush your teeth, floss, and for special occasions. There’s minimal change to your lifestyle with clear aligners!  One of the biggest advantages of aligners is the ease of brushing and flossing; it’s basically almost like normal.  It’s rare to see white scar formation on teeth from clear aligner treatment, compared to braces treatment.
• Retainer practice – Some parents are concerned when Dr. Marshall recommends clear aligners to their children.  After braces though, your child will need to wear removable retainers.  Sometimes, we have patients who are excellent braces patients, but then they utterly fail at wearing their removable retainers and the teeth relapse.  We rarely have this problem with clear aligner patients because they are already used to wearing removable appliances by the time they need to wear retainers.  But did you know that we usually get the best compliance from our early interceptive (Phase I) patients?  They are the ones that still have a mixture of baby teeth and adult teeth and are undergoing early interceptive orthodontic treatment.
• Effective – Sometimes, patients tell me they’ve heard horror stories from friends whose aligner treatments had gone awry.  Clear aligners may get a bad rap, but it’s probably due to unqualified dentists providing clear aligner treatments without understanding fundamental orthodontic concepts and orthodontic mechanics of tooth movement.  As an orthodontist, Dr. Marshall knows which cases can be done with clear aligners and which cases should be done with braces.  Although clear aligners have come a long way, the appliance is still just a tool to be used by the orthodontist; the proper setup of the aligner treatment by Dr. Marshall is critical for the best treatment outcome.  You will not get the same result with clear aligner treatment any where you go.  That is a big misconception.  Dr. Marshall will ensure your aligner prescription is to her liking and specificity for your optimum treatment results.  In the worst case, when there’s a stubborn tooth that doesn’t move correctly with clear aligners alone, Dr. Marshall has other tools in her tool bag to overcome these problems.

Why Consider Clear Aligners?

People everywhere are beginning to experience the benefits of clear aligner treatment. Here’s why people just like you are choosing clear aligners over traditional braces:

• With aligners, you can have a straighter, healthier smile without all the noticeable wires and brackets of traditional braces.
• Clear aligners are removable making it easy for you to enjoy the foods you love without worrying about breaking or bending your brackets and wires. You can also remove your aligners to brush and floss regularly.
• You don’t need to change much about your current lifestyle! Clear aligners are great for professionals, athletes, adults, and parents.
• One of the biggest reasons Dr. Marshall likes clear aligners for teenagers and children is that brushing & flossing is a breeze, compared to traditional metal appliances (like braces).  With braces, it’s always a disappointment for Dr. Marshall to see white scars (early cavities) on teeth at the end of treatment.  With clear aligners, it’s rare to get white scars because the oral hygiene is much easier to maintain.
• Office visits are easier, faster, and more comfortable.  Fewer appointments are required throughout your entire treatment.
• Some patients will get better results with clear aligners over braces.  Just like some patients will get better results with braces, others will get better results with clear aligners.  This has to do with differences in mechanics of braces vs. clear aligners.  So, depending on your case, Dr. Marshall may only offer clear aligners as a treatment option.

How Do Clear Aligners Work?

When you begin your aligner treatment you will receive your custom fit aligners. Each aligner is usually worn for one week.  After one week, you switch your aligners to the next aligners and continue straightening your teeth. You may be instructed to wear elastics (rubber bands) during treatment.  Over time, you will notice changes in the alignment of your teeth, making progress until you have a straighter, healthier smile!