Increasing numbers of Houston orthodontists are using Invisalign braces instead of traditional metal braces.  Metal braces have all sorts of drawbacks, chief among which is they are simply too noticeable to make it easy for a person to comfortably or confidently smile.  However, new technology now makes it possible to correct alignment problems discretely, painlessly, and affordably.

 Invisalign braces can do all that previous generations of braces did without the painful eyesore of metal in the mouth.  No more jokes, no more embarrassment, and no more pain.  This new technology can straighten your teeth using a series of clear, removable devices known as aligners.

Aligners are custom made in our Houston Medical Center Dental office to fit the mouth of the individual patient.  The treatment itself involves a series of dental visits where progress is monitored and new Invisalign aligners are manufactured and fitted for the next step in the procedure.

Each procedure is highly customized, because every patient is an individual with unique, individual needs.  During the course of the treatment, few people, if any, ever know our patients are wearing aligners.  After treatment, they are able to smile with new confidence with what often appears to be an entirely new set of teeth.   

Invisalign aligners are made right here in our Houston office using 3-D computer technology.  The dentist examines the patients bite and sees where alignment needs to be corrected.  The computer also models what the persons bite will ultimately look like once the alignment problems are corrected.  Using the differentials between these two sets of date, the dentist can then make the Invisalign braces necessary to correct all maladjustments step by step.

In most instances, a patient will wear a set of aligners for approximately 2 weeks.  They are worn throughout the day, and are removed only by the patient when eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing. 

New aligners are made with each successive step in the treatment using the same process described above.  Bit by bit, Invisalign moves the teeth back into place. 

Most Houston patients who come to use require a total treatment time of about 9-15 months.  The number of sets of aligners can range between 18 and 30, but this is highly subjective based upon the individual patient.

The greatest cosmetic benefit to Invisalign braces is that no one can really tell a person is wearing them.  Because they are made from clear plastic, they are for all intents and purposes completely invisible.   Unlike metal braces, they can also be removed, so a person who is being treated with aligners can enjoy a normal lifestyle and continue to eat a healthy diet.  Dental hygiene is better with removable braces as well, because there is nothing to get in the way of brushing and flossing.  Finally, the comfort level is so much greater there is simply no comparison.  There is nothing to rub against the cheeks or lips to cause abrasions, and gone are the days of pain that used to follow having your braces tightened.   

These devices are 100 percent bio-friendly.  They are made of strong medical grade plastic.  In some ways they resemble clear tooth-whitening trays, but they are much more discreet and almost impossible to see because they are custom made for the persons teeth. 

Cosmetic Dentistry is a specialized field that requires extensive knowledge and experience to be done correctly. The Medical Center Dental Group in Houston, Texas brings all of that and more to the direct benefit of each and every patient we treat. Although we are located in the world famous Houston Medical Center at Scurlock Towers, we routinely see dental patients who travel from Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Beaumont Midland and Houston, Texas to see Dr. Dale Brant, Dr. Charles Campbell or Dr. Elizabeth OSullivan-Winslow for their cosmetic denistry services. 

For any other questions related to cosmetic dentistry, you can Contact Us at 713.795.5905, visit our Dental Blog or Ask the Dentist