Invisalign® – Brampton, ON

How is Invisalign Teen Different?

The clear plastic trays of Invisalign Teen are designed to fit snugly over your child’s arches to apply enough force to gently shift their teeth over a designated period. Because they are removable, it’s essential that your teen wear them for at least 20 to 22 hours daily to prevent their teeth from reverting to their previous positions. Then, after a week or two, they’ll need to switch to the next pair of aligners in their series to account for the ongoing movement.

Invisalign Teen is created with little blue dots on the trays that fade over time, letting your child know when it’s time to change them out. This can help them remain on track to complete their treatment within the anticipated timeframe.

Is Invisalign Right for Your Teen?

Invisalign Teen can potentially help any youth straighten their smile to improve their confidence and dental health. However, that doesn’t mean it’s the right solution to meet everyone’s unique needs. If you’re wondering whether it’s the best option for your child, the only way to know for sure is to schedule a consultation appointment at our office in Brampton. Dr. Salvaggio will examine your teen’s mouth to verify if it’s a feasible solution to meet their needs. For instance, if your child has a more severe bite misalignment, Invisalign Teen might not be the most effective method to correct it.

Our team will also ensure that no pre-existing issues, like cavities or gum disease, interfere with the results. If we find any areas of concern, we will treat those before proceeding.

The Benefits of Invisalign Teen

There are many unique advantages for patients using Invisalign Teen, including:

• Preserves oral health. It’s easier to maintain a twice-daily dental hygiene routine with removable trays than traditional braces, which prevents tooth decay and periodontal problems.
• Improved appearance. The transparent aligners allow your teen’s teeth to shine through, so they don’t feel as self-conscious about their looks as with standard orthodontics. They’ll be smiling confidently for every yearbook photo!
• Adherence to guidelines. The little blue dots fade when it’s time for your teen to switch to their new trays, helping them stay on track with their treatment timeline.
• Faster follow-ups. They’ll need to visit Dr. Salvaggio periodically to ensure their teeth are shifting as anticipated. These visits can be as brief as 15-30 minutes and don’t I involve making painful adjustments to wires bonded to their teeth. That means they’ll miss less school, which can improve their grades.

Discreet Appearance

One of the first things others notice about you is the condition of your smile, and dental misalignments can make you feel self-conscious about your looks. Unfortunately, metal braces further detract from your appearance.

Thankfully, Invisalign utilizes a completely transparent plastic material, so the trays are much less noticeable and you’re less likely to worry about being judged.

Comfortable Trays

The clear aligners are not more discreet, but they’re also usually considered less painful than standard braces. This is because the smooth trays won’t cut the tender tissues inside your mouth, like the sharp edges of metal brackets and wires.

Furthermore, the plastic material is customized to fit snugly over your arches to exert enough consistent, but gentle, pressure to shift your teeth more comfortably than traditional orthodontics.

Less-Invasive Method

Another reason so many patients choose Invisalign is that this treatment doesn’t interfere as completely with their daily habits and routines. Unlike metal braces, the plastic trays are removable. That means you don’t have to worry about dietary restrictions, and it’s much easier to keep your mouth clean to avoid potential oral issues.

Improved Oral Hygiene

Braces are notoriously difficult to brush and floss, and tend to trap leftover bits of food that attract harmful bacteria. This increases the risk of developing cavities, gum disease, or other concerns during treatment.

Fortunately, you can maintain your regular twice-daily dental hygiene routine of brushing and flossing like usual with Invisalign. Simply remove the trays to complete your regimen, then be sure to also gently scrub their surfaces with a soft-bristle brush and clear dish soap, and rinse them off before reinserting them.  

Boosted Confidence

Some people with bite or tooth misalignments develop anxiety or depression because they’re overly worried about being judged. This service can help improve your self-esteem because the transparent plastic allows your natural enamel to shine through.

That means you’ll be showing off an already-straighter smile as you proceed through your treatment timeline, which can boost your confidence.

Faster Follow-Ups

You’ll need to visit our office in Brampton about every six to eight weeks so that we can monitor your progress and provide the next trays in your series for you to wear. These visits are usually much briefer than adjustment appointments with braces; they can sometimes be as fast as 15 to 30 minutes!

Wearing Your Trays

In order to stay on-track with your treatment plan, you need to wear your aligners for 20+ hours a day. The easiest way to accomplish this goal day after day is by finding a routine that works for you and sticking to it. For example, you can dedicate 30 minutes to breakfast, 30 minutes to lunch, 60 minutes to dinner, and another 10 minutes to oral hygiene throughout the day. Using the stopwatch on your phone to track your wear time will help immensely!

Cleaning Your Aligners

Keeping your Invisalign aligners clean is crucial. If you don’t, then stains will quickly surface and your chances of developing common oral health problems, like tooth decay, will increase. So, make sure that you clean them each morning and evening with a soft-bristled toothbrush, clean, cool water, and mild, clear dishwashing liquid. Soaking them daily in a dentist-recommended clear aligner solution will also help prevent stains and odor from developing.

Eating & Drinking

Eating and drinking with Invisalign is really easy because the aligners are removable. So, there’s basically only one rule: you need to take your aligners off beforehand (with the exception of water). When you take them off, rinse them with clean, cool water to remove saliva and other debris from the surface. Then, gently place them in their designated storage case to reduce the chances of them accidentally getting misplaced or damaged.

Losing or Damaging a Tray

In both situations, it’s important to contact our Brampton dental team right away. That way, we can quickly determine what the next best steps are, reducing the chances of unwanted treatment plan delays in the process.

Tip: If you lose your aligners, make sure to look in “random” places when re-tracing your steps. There’s a good chance they fell into the waste bin, are in the center console of your car, or somewhere else unexpected.

Routine Check-Ins

Your routine check-in visits are crucial because they allow us to continuously monitor how your teeth are responding to the aligners. If everything is progressing as anticipated, then we will answer any questions you have before giving you your next batch of trays and scheduling your next appointment. If something is wrong, like one of your teeth isn’t moving, then we can adjust your treatment plan slightly to get you back on track.

Crowded Teeth

Crowding occurs when there isn’t enough space in your mouth for all of your pearly whites to fit properly. This can lead to overlapping, twisted, and misaligned teeth, making it harder to perform oral hygiene and increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Invisalign aligners gently shift crowded teeth into evenly spaced positions, creating a healthier, more aligned smile without the discomfort of metal braces.

Gaps Between Teeth

Gaps between teeth, also known as diastemas, can affect the appearance of your smile and allow food to easily become trapped in the spaces, leading to greater risk of oral health issues. Invisalign works to close these gaps by gradually moving your teeth closer together. With consistent wear, Invisalign can help you achieve a more uniform and aesthetically pleasing smile, reducing the risk of dental issues and boosting your confidence!

Overbite

An overbite is what happens when your upper front teeth overlap the lower front teeth more than they should. This misalignment can lead to excessive wear on your enamel, jaw pain, and even speech issues. Invisalign aligners can correct an overbite with the help of SmartForce attachments and elastics by moving your upper teeth back into a more balanced position, improving both function and appearance. 

Underbite

If your lower teeth extend beyond the upper teeth, it’s called an underbite. This issue is often genetic and can interfere with chewing, speaking, and even increase your risk of sleep apnea. It may also cause the teeth to wear down unevenly over time. Luckily, Invisalign is an effective solution for many underbite cases. It uses custom aligners to shift the lower teeth back or the upper teeth forward to prevent long-term damage. 

Crossbite

A crossbite often occurs as a result of losing baby teeth prematurely. This causes some of your upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth rather than on the outside. This misalignment can cause tooth wear, gum recession, and even bone loss over time. Invisalign aligners help realign the teeth by gradually shifting them outward and in line with the bottom teeth, reducing the risk of long-term complications.

Open Bite

An open bite is a condition where your upper and lower teeth don’t meet when your mouth is closed, creating a gap. This can make biting and chewing difficult, affect speech patterns, and cause back teeth to crack or chip more frequently. Invisalign can correct an open bite by guiding your teeth and jaw into proper alignment, allowing for better function and a more aesthetically pleasing smile.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Invisalign

At your consultation, our Brampton dental team will complete a comprehensive oral exam to determine:

• If any preliminary treatments are needed
• How severe or complex your case of misalignment is
• If single-arch treatment is possible
• How many aligners need to be made
• If rubber bands or any other orthodontic accessories are needed

Once they have all of this information, they can begin working on your custom treatment plan and provide you with a price estimate.

Invisalign vs. Mail-In Aligners: Which Costs More?

If you’ve seen the advertisements for mail-order aligners on social media, then you know that most of their messaging focuses on the lower upfront cost. While Invisalign typically does require a higher investment, there’s a good reason for that. In fact, there are several! While mail-order alternatives usually skip the initial exam, rely on DIY impressions, and don’t have a licensed dental professional overseeing the treatment process, we always begin with a consultation, take highly detailed impressions, and handle everything from the first appointment to the creation of your retainer.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Invisalign?

If you have dental insurance, you’ll be happy to hear that we accept and file claims for most providers! At your consultation, we can even answer any questions you have so there aren’t any unwanted surprises along the way. If you don’t have dental insurance, don’t worry – there are other ways to make the cost of Invisalign more affordable.

Options for Making Invisalign Affordable

Don’t have dental insurance? Then ask us about the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), which is a federal government program that offers coverage to Canadians who have an adjusted household net income below $90,000 a year and are unable to obtain dental benefits. You can also apply for low-interest financing through DentalCard to avoid a significant strain on your finances.

If you have any questions for us about the cost of Invisalign or you’d like to get an estimate of your orthodontic treatment, it’s time to take the next step: schedule a consultation at our office!

Does Invisalign Hurt?

Let’s start with one of the most common questions: does Invisalign hurt? If this has been a concern of yours, then you’ll be happy to know that the clear aligners are crafted from smooth plastic, which makes them quite comfortable. Plus, any discomfort you feel from the pressure of your teeth being guided into their properly aligned positions can be combated by taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, avoiding crunchy foods, and sipping on cold water.

What Happens After Invisalign?

Many patients are so focused on their clear aligner treatment that they completely forget about what the next step is: retainers. Fortunately, these orthodontic appliances are more discreet and comfortable than ever before, which makes wearing them significantly easier. By committing to wearing them nightly, you can help reduce your chances of experiencing orthodontic relapse (the phenomenon where your teeth begin to drift back into their previous positions). Since roughly 50% of patients experience orthodontic relapse to some degree within 10 years of completing their treatment, it’s important to make wearing your retainer a lifelong best practice!

What if My Invisalign Broke?

If you’ve broken an aligner, the next step is simple: call our team. Once we take a look at your treatment plan, we can determine if you should go back to your previous tray, move onto your next one, or come in so we can get a replacement made.

Note: do NOT use superglue or other household items to “repair” your aligners. These products contain toxins that are not safe to ingest, and damaged aligners cannot properly guide your teeth into their properly aligned positions.

Is Invisalign Cheaper than Braces?

In short, there’s no flat fee for traditional braces or Invisalign; each treatment plan is 100% customized to the patient’s dental needs. If you’re interested in learning more about the cost of each of these orthodontic treatments, then we encourage you to schedule a consultation. That way, we can provide you with an accurate estimate, taking into account important factors like the severity of your misalignment.

How Do I Clean My Invisalign?

Fortunately, you can clean your Invisalign aligners in a few easy steps. After rinsing your trays with room-temperature water, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently clean each surface. Then, rinse it again and you’ll be all set!

If your aligners are turning yellow or you simply want to give them a deeper clean, you can use the cleaning crystals that came with your welcome kit. To do so, simply place a packet of them in some warm water and carefully place your aligners in the mixture. Gently shake the cup or glass to dissolve the crystals and allow them to soak for 15 minutes. After that, you can rinse your aligners, and they’ll be clean!