04 Nov Widely Spaced Teeth: Is Invisalign an option?
When there are gaps between teeth, patients may wish to enhance their appearance by closing unwanted spaces. This can be done most easily through orthodontic care, and Invisalign clear aligners are a very popular option for teens and adults.
Widely spaced teeth might occur due to slow development of the permanent teeth, which can be determined through a dental exam, including dental x-rays, if that is the case. Whatever the cause, you can choose to have teeth straightened.
Invisalign clear aligners provide a solution that offers many advantages over metal braces:
Clear – the aligners are virtually undetectable making this form of teeth straightening very popular for teens and adults.
Comfortable – metal braces can result in abrasions of soft oral tissues, and broken wires can poke. With Invisalign, the aligners are made of a material that is strong enough to gently shift teeth to their proper alignment, but will not result in mouth sores like metal braces.
Removable – with Invisalign aligners, the patient can continue to eat all the foods they love. They simply remove the aligners for snacks and meals. There are absolutely no food restrictions.
And since the aligners are removable, the daily oral hygiene regimen of brushing and flossing can be done without any impediments. Brushing with metal braces can miss a lot of food debris; and flossing through the wires is so tedious, many patients will just simply not floss. This increases the possible incidence of decay or developing gum disease.
Convenient – being able to take your “braces” out as needed while still enjoying the benefit of teeth straightening is another big advantage of Invisalign clear aligners.
A consultation with our dentist will determine if you are a candidate for correcting your widely spaced teeth with Invisalign. Unlike a malocclusion that exists due to lack of jaw space, shifting teeth into available space is much easier than creating jaw space to move teeth.
That means most patients treating widely spaced teeth will likely be able to complete treatment in less time than more severe malocclusions.
Upon treatment completion, the patient will wear a retainer to keep teeth in their new corrected location. This is a critical step in teeth straightening as it allows teeth to develop a memory of their new position; the retainer is very similar to the aligners so this final step is easy to follow.
Call our office today to schedule your appointment with our caring dental team to decide if Invisalign is right for you!