Conventional Braces vs. Invisalign

Invisalign is one way to straighten teeth. The orthodontic correction is achieved through a series of clear, removable aligners or trays which are worn all the time except when eating, brushing or flossing. Each set of aligners are worn for about 3 weeks. As each aligner is replaced with the next set of aligner trays, the teeth are re-aligned little by little until the desired alignment is achieved. Of course the length of treatment and the number of aligners needed differ with each individual as everyone is different. COOPERATION WITH ALL THE TIME WEAR CAN NOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH!!! Before the aligners can be made, special models are made of the patient’s teeth and sent to an Invisalign lab where they are made. This involves additional costs.

When patients come into our office to learn about Invisalign treatment and if it is a right option for them, we try to educate them on the differences. We have found Invisalign treatment to be an option for those patients who have had orthodontic treatment in the past and did not wear their retainers as they should have and their teeth have relapsed some. What we have found to be true is, although patients have the best of intentions of wearing the aligner trays all the time, they don’t!! Anytime the teeth are moved or re-aligned, the teeth get sore. When the trays are removed for eating, brushing or flossing, and the teeth are sore, the patient does not want to put the aligners back in!! For the proper movement to be achieved the aligners must be worn 22 out of the 24 hours of each and every day or the next set of aligners will not fit as they should. Cooperation with full time wear is the biggest problem we have seen with Invisalign treatment.

We have found that most patients who come to see us regarding orthodontic treatment are most often best served with traditional braces instead of Invisalign treatment. When the braces are bonded or fixed to the teeth, the patient CAN NOT remove them, thus cooperation is not a factor! Dr. Hilgers can control the movement of each tooth with the wires and adjustments he makes to the wires. Also, the total cost of traditional braces is considerably less than Invisalign treatment as the lab costs to fabricate the aligners are eliminated. For those patients where esthetics is a concern, ceramic brackets are an option. These brackets are tooth colored, so they blend in with the color of the teeth, thus making them less noticeable.

If you are interested in speaking with Dr. Hilgers to see what we can do to re-align your smile, please give our office a call and we’ll schedule a NO CHARGE exam to answer all of your questions.