Invisalign – Marysville, OH

Clear, Unnoticeable Trays

Invisalign aligners are transparent and virtually clear. While some people may be able to tell you have trays over your teeth if they’re very close to you, it’s likely that most people won’t! This makes Invisalign treatment an excellent option for teens and adults looking to maintain their individual and professional appearances.

Improved Dental Hygiene

Having to brush and floss around cumbersome metal brackets and wires can be very hard. That’s why so many people undergoing orthodontic treatment using this traditional method experience cavities and other dental problems throughout their journeys. Invisalign trays are completely removable, allowing you to brush and floss your teeth exactly how you normally would—simply take out your aligners first!

Greater Confidence

Due to their discretion, many people feel much more confident undergoing orthodontic treatment with their Invisalign trays. This is because they’re not glaringly obvious in photos, on first dates, and in other important professional and social settings. As a result, patients feel more comfortable smiling bigger and more often.  

Quick Follow-Up Visits

As you move along in your treatment, you’ll need to visit your dentist in Marysville for routine check-in appointments. While this sounds like an inconvenience, rest assured that it’s a minimal commitment! Each of these visits is fast and easy—so much so that you can even schedule them during your lunch break. Your dentist will check on your teeth to make sure they’re adjusting as predicted and provide you with your next trays in your series.

Enhanced Comfort

In addition to being clear, Invisalign aligners are also completely smooth. Many patients who undergo metal braces experience oral sores and wounds on the inside of their lips and cheeks due to the sharp edges of the brackets and wires. With aligners, you won’t have to worry about that. The trays are smooth and won’t snag on your oral tissues, allowing you to forego the orthodontic wax completely.

Treatment That Doesn’t Interfere with Life

When you consider all of these unique advantages, you’ll quickly learn that starting your smile straightening journey doesn’t have to mean enduring countless changes to your day-to-day life. Invisalign allows you to do everything you normally would, including eating all of your favorite foods, playing wind instruments and sports, and much more.

Wearing Your Trays

Wearing your trays consistently is extremely important. After all, your entire treatment plan centers around the 20-22 hour-a-day wear time. In other words, in order to stay on-track with your treatment plan, you need to keep your aligners on for the vast majority of the day.

If you’re not sure how to track your wear time, try using the stopwatch on your phone! You can also set reminders to make sure you put them back on shortly after eating or completing your oral hygiene regimen.

Cleaning Your Aligners

You’ll be happy to hear that you don’t need to invest in any expensive oral hygiene tools to keep your aligners clean. In fact, many patients use just two things: a soft-bristled toothbrush and clean, cool water. If you find that stubborn stains are starting to surface, go back to the basics (i.e., not drinking coffee with your aligners in, rinsing your trays when you take them off, brushing your teeth after each meal).

Eating & Drinking

Navigating coffee dates with friends, lunch meetings at work, and dinners with loved ones is easy with Invisalign because there aren’t any dietary restrictions! All you need to do is take your aligners out beforehand, which you can do discreetly by simply excusing yourself and going to the restroom. Even brushing after your meal is easy with the help of an on-the-go dental kit filled with travel-sized oral hygiene essentials.

Losing a Tray

Since Invisalign aligners are removable, there is a chance that they can get lost. For that reason, we recommend always putting them in the same place when you take them off. If you look down and they aren’t where you thought they would be, then retrace your steps, taking the time to look in “random” places like the trash can. If you can’t find them, then call us so we can determine what to do next, like having you wear your previous trays until a replacement arrives.

Routine Check-Ins

Although you’ll be able to progress through your treatment plan at home for weeks at a time, you’ll still need to come in periodically so we can see how your teeth are tracking. If they are moving as anticipated, then we will give you your next batch of aligners and see you at your next appointment. If they aren’t moving as anticipated, then we will need to make some changes to your treatment plan.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Invisalign

There are three main factors that our team at Northwest Family Dental Marysville will take into account while putting together the estimated cost of your Invisalign treatment, including:

• Whether You Will be Straightening Both Arches: In most cases, we recommend straightening both of your arches together to minimize the chances of developing a bite problem, which can more easily occur if you just treat one arch. However, if your specific case only involves the treatment of a single arch, it will be less costly.
• The Complexity of Your Case: Invisalign aligners can address a wide range of orthodontic issues, ranging from simple aesthetic problems like slight misalignment to more functional issues like bite problems.
• The Length of Treatment & Number of Aligners Necessary: Directly tied to the complexity of your case is the length of your treatment and number of aligners you’ll need. Simpler cases typically take less time to correct and fewer trays, making them less costly.

Invisalign vs. Smile Direct Club™

While mail-in aligner systems may seem tempting due to their convenience and pricing, it’s important to look at the facts and not just the cost. When you undergo Invisalign treatment, your entire process will be overseen by a trained professional, from the impressions being taken to each progress check to make sure the aligners are working as intended. With mail-in systems like Smile Direct Club™, you won’t have this comfort or professional oversight, leaving more room for errors to occur, like oral health issues developing as a result of ill-fitted trays. In the long-run this can be the more costly and anxiety-inducing option, despite it having the lowest up-front price tag.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Invisalign?

The great news is that many dental insurance plans offer some type of coverage for Invisalign aligners. Although, this can vary from plan-to-plan, so you’ll need to contact your insurance provider directly to find out if this is the case for you. At Northwest Family Dental Marysville, we’re proudly in-network with several major dental insurance companies, from Delta Dental to Bluecross Blueshield and more. This means that you’ll receive maximum savings when you choose us as your trusted dental office if your plan’s benefits cover orthodontics services.

Options for Making Invisalign Affordable

If you’re uninsured or underinsured, or your plan doesn’t cover Invisalign, we also partner with trusted third-party financers like CareCredit and Cherry to split the cost of treatment into manageable monthly payments. Our In-House Membership Plan is a great alternative for those without dental insurance coverage as well. When you pay a flat annual fee, you can receive coverage for all of your basic services as well as a 20% discount on other treatments, like Invisalign.

Can You Eat with Invisalign?

While you won’t have any metal wires and brackets in your mouth, this doesn’t mean you can eat at any time during the process. You should always remove your clear trays before enjoying a meal or drinking anything other than non-flavored water. Not only can this stain your aligners, but the pressure can also damage and ruin them, interfering with or delaying your treatment. As long as you don’t have your clear trays in your mouth, you can feel free to eat whatever you want. Just be sure to store your aligners in a protective case while you chow down.

How Long Does Invisalign Take?

It can typically take patients around 12 to 18 months to completely straighten their smiles with Invisalign. Of course, the exact timeframe will depend on a wide variety of factors, including the complexity of your bite misalignment and your level of commitment to your treatment plan. Milder orthodontic problems can often be completed in as little as six months. On the other hand, more severe misalignment might require 18 months for proper adjustments. This is still four months shorter than what you’d expect from traditional braces, making Invisalign an incredibly popular option.

Does Invisalign Hurt?

Unlike metal braces that consist of wires and brackets, Invisalign aligners are made of dental plastic that is specifically designed to fit your unique smile. Since the material is smooth, you won’t expect any mild discomfort or soreness while wearing them—other than the gradual movement of your teeth. This is only the gentle pressure placed on your pearly whites to get them in their proper positions. And while it can take some time to get used to each new series of clear trays, they should begin to feel more comfortable in no time. If necessary, feel free to take over-the-counter pain relievers and/or use an ice pack.

What Are Invisalign Attachments?

Before, only those with milder instances of bite misalignment were qualified for undergoing Invisalign. Now that we have attachments and buttons, patients who are struggling with more severe orthodontic problems can also be eligible for the process! Invisalign attachments are tiny bumps that are fused to your teeth with composite resin. They’re virtually invisible and specifically designed to help grip your pearly whites to guide them into their proper positions. Buttons, however, are made to attach or support elastic bands, which can make the treatment more enjoyable for patients with malocclusions. Even with all these accessories, your aligners will still be entirely removable, meaning you can enjoy benefits like munching on your favorite meals.