Correcting misalignment could improve not just the beauty of your smile, but the overall health and function too. Instead of using metal braces, we could offer a more cosmetic approach to straightening smiles. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about using our custom clear aligners!
The Value of Orthodontic Treatment
We urge you to consider orthodontic treatment, even if your misalignment appears minor. Crooked, crowded, and overlapping teeth could not only impact your esthetics, but could make thorough brushing and flossing more difficult, increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Malocclusion also strains the jaw joints and causes poor bite balance, boosting the risk of TMJ disorder and bruxism (chronic teeth grinding). By addressing your uneven smile, you improve overall health and function too!
An Approach without Braces
While braces are effective, especially for more severe cases of misalignment, our team opts for a more cosmetic approach. Instead of metal brackets and wires, we will employ a series of clear plastic aligners, which gently shift the teeth over a period of about a year in most cases. The exact time will depend on the extent of your misalignment and whether you wore the aligners as prescribed.
We’ll begin by taking a series of digital images of your smile from multiple angles, and combining them to create a detailed 3D impression. At a special lab, experts will use the impression to design and fabricate the finished product. When your aligners are ready, you will begin treatment. The process is simple. You wear a set for about 20 to 23 hours on average, for a period of about two weeks. At which point you move on to the next set in the series. Over the treatment period, the teeth begin to be repositioned and your smile’s alignment and balance is improved.
The Benefits of Removable Aligners
Unlike metal braces, these can actually be removed! Which means you can take them out before meals. You no longer need to avoid certain foods or worry about bits of your meal becoming stuck on your orthodontics. In addition, you can take them out before you brush and floss, so caring for your smile is much easier too. Finally, as long as they’re worn as prescribed, you can remove them for special occasions like graduations, first dates, job interviews, and more. If you have any questions about the benefits of the removable and clear clear system, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Questions About Cosmetic Orthodontics?
We would like to help you smile with confidence and enjoy good oral health as well. If you would like to learn more about correcting an uneven smile, then schedule a consultation by calling Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS, in Astoria, NY, today at 718-728-8320.
