We’ve all heard about the downsides of traditional braces. These metal brackets and wires may straighten teeth, but they also cause discomfort and annoyance for patients. If you need braces but want an alternative without all the hassle, try clear aligners! These clear plastic trays help straighten smiles without discomfort. At Healthy Habit Dental Care, we offer clear aligner treatment for patients with mild to moderate misalignments. Not sure if you qualify? Book a free consultation with us to determine if clear aligner treatment is right for your smile!
Your Braces Alternative: Clear Aligner Treatment
While metal braces can be uncomfortable, hard to clean around, and time-consuming, clear aligners are the opposite.
Clear aligners are smooth plastic trays that we customize to fit the exact contours of your mouth. Your treatment plan involves wearing a sequence of trays that slowly guide your teeth into a better position over time. When you switch to the next tray, your smile moves closer to where it needs to be.
The advantages of clear aligner systems include:
Better convenience: Braces’ metal brackets are glued to your teeth and stay in for the duration of treatment. Every time you eat or try to clean your smile, braces are in the way. In contrast, clear aligners are removable. In fact, you’re supposed to remove your aligner to eat and to clean your smile! That way, you can eat all the foods you love with no restrictions.- Better comfort: Clear aligners are made of smooth plastic. Because they don’t use any metal, patients don’t have to deal with discomfort from wires poking cheeks or gums.
- Better appearance: As the name suggests, clear aligners are clear. When worn, these thin plastic trays are practically invisible. For patients who want to straighten their smiles without making it obvious to everyone around them, clear aligners are an excellent option.
Clear aligners are a great alternative to braces because they are just as effective but without all the hassle. While some cases may require metal braces, we find most patients can stick with clear aligners for treatment.
How Long Do You Have To Wear Braces vs. Clear Aligners?
Another advantage of clear aligner treatment is that it’s often faster than traditional braces.
Where metal braces take about two years on average, these clear plastic trays take as little as 6 months!
Clear aligners follow a very specific treatment plan. Switching between trays moves you further along in the process, but each tray is made well ahead of time. During your free consultation with us, we will assess your smile and the complexity of your case. In most situations, we find clear aligners to be a great treatment option for straightening your smile.
Once you decide to move forward, we’ll develop a custom treatment plan that slowly moves your teeth into place! We’ll design and fabricate each aligner tray, ready to switch every 1 to 3 weeks depending on your case. To stay on track with the treatment plan, you must wear your aligners for around 22 hours a day. While we do require you to take them out to eat or brush your teeth, they’ll need to be in place otherwise. Not wearing your aligners enough can put you behind your treatment plan. In that case, we may need to fabricate a whole new sequence of aligners to complete your treatment.
However, most patients have no problem following this plan. In the easiest cases, clear aligners may take only 6 months to straighten your smile. While they can take as long as two years, that timeline is less common in clear aligner treatment.
To learn if you’re eligible for clear aligners, book a free consultation with us at Healthy Habit Dental Care!
In Need of a Braces Alternative? Visit Us in Temecula, CA!
Traditional braces help straighten teeth, but they’re not the best solution for everyone. If you’re looking for a way to straighten your smile comfortably and efficiently, clear aligners are a great braces alternative! Healthy Habit Dental Care offers clear aligner treatment for patients with mild to moderate misalignments. These smooth plastic trays are convenient and discreet, making them a great option for most patients. To learn if you’re eligible, book a free consultation with us in Temecula, CA.
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