Invisalign

Invisalign is a custom-made aligner that is interchanged roughly every two weeks for a period of six to eighteen months, or longer depending on the severity of misalignment. Similar to a mouth or dental retainer (which is designed to keep teeth from shifting out of place), an Invisalign® aligner is used for orthodontic treatment as a technique to move and properly align teeth for a beautiful smile.

This clear aligner is usually computer generated from a mold (or impression) of the patient’s teeth—taken by either a dentist or an orthodontist—and the fitting is unique to each patient only.

Various types of Invisalign
• Invisalign Full is the most commonly prescribed treatment as it can be used for complex cases and will include several aligners throughout the course of the treatment. Most practices prefer and recommend this type because it can treat the most severe and complex cases. Furthermore, an unlimited number of aligners are included in this option making it the best value.

• Invisalign Lite is best suited for mild to moderate cases that will benefit from treatment with clear aligners perhaps combined with crowns. This type is not as highly recommended because of the limited number of aligners provided with this option. I recommend getting the Full option instead since it provides the patient with a better value and doctor with unlimited possibilities to treat any case. The cost difference is minor but the benefits are great.

• Invisalign i7 is a newer development that shortens the time of treatment for patients with minimal orthodontic needs, such as one crooked tooth or a setback in orthodontic treatment. Being a relatively new product, it is costly and provides limited benefits. I do not recommend this product.

• Invisalign Express only provides 10 aligner trays which is usually not enough to treat a case. Therefore, I also don’t recommend this product due to its limitations.