At McDonald Orthodontics
Dr. McDonald is proud to help all his patients with their smile objectives.
Invisalign and Other Alternatives to Braces
Traditional orthodontic treatment remains synonymous with the image of teens and pre-teens beaming with smiles that reveal metal wires and brackets. People look for an opportunity to use metal braces, Invisalign clear aligners, and other tools to get the smile they dream of.
While many of our patients benefit from traditional braces, clear aligner trays and other design innovations offer an advanced and discreet alternative to traditional metal appliances.
We proudly offer these options, along with other advanced orthodontic solutions that bring the best of worldwide innovation in non-surgical orthodontics to your neighborhood. If you are looking for an alternative to metal braces, read on to learn more.
What is Orthodontics?
Dr. McDonald is proud to help all his patients with their smile objectives. The reasoning behind this specialized treatment is very straightforward.
Orthodontists focus on people’s teeth and jaw alignment. Suppose there are problems with the position of your dental structures. In that case, an orthodontist focuses on exploring all the non-surgical options available to them to pull, push, and otherwise rotate teeth into the desired place.
As specialists in dental alignment, we strive to help patients achieve an ideal relationship between dental structures and other personal factors.
Some of the tools we use are well-known. Some of them include traditional braces, clear aligners, self-ligating braces, ceramic braces, retainers, space maintainers, and much more.
As time progresses and our tools are ever more refined, we like to remind our readers about the many alternatives available for their orthodontic care.
Let’s talk about what you can find here at our practice. Remember, if you are looking for the best orthodontist Keizer residents have at their disposal, you can trust us to deliver excellent care.
Before You Start Treatment With Invisalign or Another Appliance
When people start considering all their options for treatment, Invisalign is not necessarily the first thing they think of. Most people wonder about the age at which they start treatment. Parents are especially worried about when they should take their children to the orthodontist.
According to our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), parents should bring their kids to an orthodontic specialist around age 7.
The idea is not to immediately install braces and hope for the best. Instead, we can carefully monitor your kid’s dental development to ensure that everything is going well. We refer to this type of early care as two-phase orthodontic treatment.
Regardless of your age, careful monitoring with the help of a specialist can help you solve orthodontic issues and the resulting dental health complications.
What Are the Alternatives to Braces?
If you want well-aligned straight teeth, you may require consulting with an orthodontist about your personalized treatment plan. Usually, the first option is to consider regular braces. These appliances have been around for a long time and have proven their reliability.
Still, there are alternatives to braces you should consider. Metal braces are the most affordable and durable option. Their stainless steel composition ensures little risk during your care, but they are not necessarily the most appealing option.
You can consider ceramic braces as a viable alternative to braces. The material differs mainly from metal brackets in that it is far less notorious when you smile. Lingual braces and self-ligating braces offer you all the benefits coming from design innovations. Likewise, clear plastic aligners, such as Invisalign, offer a nearly invisible alternative to work on misaligned teeth.
You should feel free to ask your orthodontist about the materials used to manufacture these orthodontic treatment options. Saying “ceramic” and “plastic” is an oversimplification of the fantastic feats achieved in materials science. Still, you should know that none of these are harmful to the user.
You may also want to ask about the cost of braces and their alternatives, how often your office visits will be, and treatment time or length.
Please note that not all candidates are eligible for the same treatments. If you suffer from complex issues with your teeth and jaw alignment, you may not use some appliances, making metal braces your most viable treatment option.
Patients looking for the best orthodontic treatment Keizer offers can trust Dr. McDonald with various innovative alternatives. Let’s review first how other alternatives to braces, such as Invisalign, measure up against traditional metal braces.
Metal Braces vs Invisalign: Which option is right for me?
Invisalign clear aligners and metal braces both straighten teeth. Our Keizer orthodontics practice uses both treatments to address teeth that are:
- Gapped
- Misaligned
- Crowded
- Crooked
The treatments can also address some instances of overbite and underbite. Most of our patients are candidates for both treatment options.
In general, patients with significant alignment problems, such as large gaps, may benefit from traditional metal braces. Patients who seek the more comfortable and discreet treatment that Invisalign offers have to wear their aligners for 22 hours per day. Don’t believe us? Check out the official Invisalign FAQ.
If you seek clear aligners for your teenager, Invisalign provides a special product for teens that alerts parents when the young patient fails to wear them for at least 22 hours per day.
Failure to adhere to the compliance rule could result in delayed treatment or less than satisfactory results.
Patients who are fine with traditional metal braces should be willing to regularly clean and maintain their appliances. Without proper oral hygiene, patients may be at higher risk of developing tooth decay.
There is no clear cost difference between the two treatments. Depending on the severity of your teeth misalignment issues, either option may be slightly lower in cost compared to the other. Only after undergoing a comprehensive evaluation, Dr. John will provide you with those details.
Dr. John offers complimentary orthodontic consultations for new patients. We recommend visiting with questions in mind. Typical questions include:
- How long will my orthodontic treatment last?
- How much will it cost?
- What cosmetic results can I realistically expect from treatment?
- Are there aesthetic issues that braces or Invisalign cannot fully address?
What Is Invisalign?
Clear, virtually invisible, and removable are not common words you might think of when you think or research orthodontic treatment options in Keizer.
However, with Invisalign and McDonald Orthodontics, you are in luck! We have the perfect solution for you if you are looking for a treatment no one will notice.
By using advanced digital imaging, our doctors and staff can make 3D models of your teeth and jaws to see their current position and develop a personalized treatment plan just for you!
Invisalign in Keizer is suited to fix, straighten your teeth, and align your jaw, just like traditional braces but with certain advantages only available with Invisalign clear aligners. Let’s take a closer look at Invisalign, who it’s suitable for and much more.
Who Is Invisalign Suitable For?
Invisalign is suitable for almost anyone who wants to have that perfect smile of their dreams.
- Teens: Invisalign can help correct most misalignments in teenagers’ teeth. Invisalign braces are ideal for teens because they use clear aligners to achieve a glowing smile and improved dental health. This is particularly useful as teenage years are so often fraught with self-consciousness. With shorter treatment times and easier use, Invisalign is an ideal treatment for teenagers.
- Adults: More and more adults are choosing correctional dental work and taking control over their health. Invisalign is ideal for adults who want flexibility with their alignment procedure and want to improve their smile without using highly visible metal braces. Invisalign fits the adult lifestyle in mind. Virtually invisible to the untrained eye, these clear aligners give you the freedom and confidence to be yourself, making wearing traditional orthodontics and feeling self-conscious a thing of the past. Have an important meeting? Or Dinner? Remove your Invisalign aligners without a problem.
Possible Limitations With Invisalign
Because Invisalign is not made from metal wires and brackets, it does not possess the same strength as traditional braces. This lack of force might present some limitations when it comes to treating certain malocclusions.
Due to the conveniences that Invisalign offers as it is not disruptive and uncomfortable, Invisalign may not deliver as efficient results for the following issues:
Certain Tooth Shapes
For Invisalign to perform at its best, the patient’s teeth should fit well inside of the aligner. If the teeth are too short, pegged, or round, they may not have a good grip on the aligner, which reduces the efficiency of treatment with Invisalign.
Raising and Lowering Teeth
The Raising and lowering of teeth, also known as intrusion and extrusion of teeth, raises or lowers the position of teeth to bring them to an even level that is aesthetically pleasing.
Traditional metal braces can place a considerable force on teeth, moving them back into the desired position. However, Invisalign has a limited capacity and will impact only your front teeth.
Positioning of Teeth
Aligning treatments are commonly used for overcrowded mouths where teeth have rotated to fit. When the angle of this rotation is extreme, it is difficult for Invisalign to properly grip the tooth and move it into the correct position.
Benefits of Invisalign Treatments
Beyond comfort and convenience, the best benefit of Invisalign treatments is the drastic cosmetic results delivered along a predictable timeline. An attractive smile is one of the best gifts you can give yourself or a loved one.
Let’s take a look at other benefits that only come hand in hand with Invisalign treatment in Keizer:
Say Goodbye To Sticking To a Braces-Friendly Diet
With Invisalign, there are no food restrictions. When you choose traditional methods for straightening your teeth, there are plenty of food items that you can’t consume.
Some of your favorite items might even be on the list.
You will have to avoid eating food that is too sticky or hard. However, with Invisalign, simply remove your aligning tray before eating, and enjoy!
Improved Dental Health
A clean mouth is a happy mouth, and with Invisalign, it is easier than ever to keep your mouth and teeth in optimal condition.
Since Invisalign is removable, it makes it easier to brush and floss your teeth after every meal, with much less hassle than when using traditional metal braces.
Because it will be easier to maintain a proper dental hygiene routine, you will have better overall oral health.
Virtually Invisible
Another great benefit of Invisalign is that the aligner trays are transparent, meaning most people won’t be able to tell that you are wearing them.
Most people think braces look unappealing. With Invisalign, you will not have to worry about friends or family seeing wires or brackets when you smile. It is a great option for teens and adults as they can confidently smile while undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Other Considerations
We recommend regularly washing the trays with water and a toothbrush. Using toothpaste will leave a white film on the surface of the plastic.
Invisalign trays are more comfortable than metal braces because the pressure that moves teeth is distributed evenly across the tooth’s surface.
As you place each new tray, you’ll feel the pressure more prominently. Placing new trays before going to sleep is one way to “sleep off” this brief moment of discomfort.
In the end, Invisalign is the perfect solution for having a beautiful smile.
Schedule Your Invisalign Consultation Today
We look forward to delivering the smile of your dreams. To schedule your orthodontic consultation, please call (503) 585-5400 or set up an appointment online.
Dr. McDonald will help you evaluate available your preferred orthodontic alternative to braces, the length of treatment, and the estimated cost. We’re here to help you achieve your smile goals, get in touch with us, and we’ll get this journey started.
