What Benefits Does Invisalign Offer?

Advancements in dental technology allow for the usage of other tools besides metal braces to correct a faulty smile. Some people feel dread at the thought of getting braces installed on their teeth. The thought of being different, or having an even uglier smile before it’s corrected can be too much. Invisalign offers a more attractive alternative to braces. Invisalign is essentially a pair of clear aligners that are meant to align your teeth to correct their bite and give you a beautiful smile.

About Invisalign

A dentist in Pearland, TX can install these clear aligners in a quick orthodontic treatment that involves x-rays and photographs of your current teeth. A series of clear aligners will be personally made just for you. These aligners border invisible, are made from BPA-free plastic, and since they are made just for you, they fit perfectly and comfortably.

This comfortable fit is important because you will be wearing Invisalign almost 24 hours a day. You simply remove them during meals while you are eating or snacking, brushing or flossing your teeth, or for a special occasion. This flexibility is a huge benefit over braces, completely cutting out the annoying fact that food gets caught in them on a daily basis.

If you have braces, you are instructed to avoid anything hard or sticky that could pull them loose or damage them. Food stuck under braces can also cause significant problems to your oral health including tooth decay and gum disease. Thankfully, these plastic aligners offered by Invisalign can be removed before any meal or snack. That means you don’t need to change your diet whatsoever. Also, since you remove them before brushing your teeth, you don’t need to worry about changing your brushing techniques to remove food stuck under your braces.

Benefits of Invisalign

Invisalign aligners offer the following benefits:

  • Oral health becomes much easier to maintain
  • The aligners are almost invisible, meaning you won’t notice them like braces
  • You don’t have to change your diet
  • You don’t have to change your oral health routine.

These benefits are more than enough for most people to prefer Invisalign over traditional braces. If you want to make an appointment, you can be helped by your local dentist in Pearland, TX.

What Happens During a Dental Exam?

If you haven’t had one in a while, getting a dental exam could seem daunting. Many people in America today don’t think that they aren’t necessary, but regular dental exams are important when it comes to your oral hygiene and preventing tooth decay. Your local dentist has your best health in mind and having a regular dentist visit can prevent infections and even oral cancer.

During a typical exam, the dentist will clean your teeth and check your mouth for cavities, plaque, and gum disease. They will evaluate your risk of developing dangerous diseases such as oral cancer. Sometime before or after checking your teeth and mouth, your dentist or hygienist will typically question you about your diet and oral habits. They may ask you how much sugar you typically consume, how often you brush and floss your teeth, and similar questions. This helps them determine the reason for any dental decay.

It is also likely that they will demonstrate proper brushing and flossing techniques along with giving you a complimentary toothbrush, floss, toothpaste, or mouthwash. The dentist isn’t there to berate you, scare you, or scold you. They only ask you questions about your habits and give you suggestions so that you will know how best to take care of your mouth which will lead to better overall health.

A dental exam may include more intensive procedures such as a dental x-ray, or dental impressions. This may be because you have a jaw misalignment, or your teeth are arranged in a way that can be damaging, or to see how far along your wisdom teeth may be. These dental impressions or x rays may be necessary to begin a process that will end with a better smile and better health.

Dental Implants and You

If you have missing teeth, there are several options available for improving your smile. One highly effective and popular solution is dental implants, which consist of metal posts or frames positioned into the jawbone with replacement teeth placed onto the posts. This procedure provides you with a restoration comparable to your natural teeth in terms of both usage and aesthetics.

Benefits of Dental Implants

    • Broader usage of teeth.-While bridges, crowns, and dentures may work effectively to replace teeth, they have the drawback of slipping and shifting and thus preventing the full enjoyment of certain kinds of foods. Dental implants, on the other hand, are much more stable and therefore allow the patient to eat and speak with confidence
    • Do not depend on natural teeth.-Because bridges and crowns are placed on natural teeth, those teeth must be shaped or ground down, potentially weakening them in the long run. Dental implants are fused directly into the jawbone, which is a much more solid foundation and preserves the structure of the remaining natural teeth.
    • One or all teeth can be replaced.-The longer the range of missing teeth is, the longer the implant will be. That means that fewer implants are needed – a full set of teeth can be replaced with just four strategically-placed implants.
    • Can last for years.-While other dental devices may require the occasional replacement, dental implants are built to last and, with the proper care, can last a lifetime.

Dental Implant Procedure

Before beginning the procedure for placing dental implants, your dentist will make sure that you have adequate bone to support the implants, as well as healthy gums. Once this is assured, the process will take several months, starting with making an incision in the gum line in the site of the missing tooth. The bone is then prepared for the implant, which is screwed into place. The gum tissue will then be stitched closed and left alone for approximately four months to give the bone time to fuse with the implant. Once this process is complete, the artificial tooth/teeth are attached to the implant.

With proper placement and care, you should be able to get years of usage with your implants, without the worry of cavities or tooth decay.