Invisalign® in Ellicott City, MD
Advancements in dentistry have allowed patients to skip braces when they want their teeth to be straightened and use Invisalign®️ instead. Braces are not as aesthetically pleasing, and the metal makes them inconvenient to live with. Brushing and flossing are arduous with braces, and they also restrict you from consuming many common foods and chewing gum.
Here at Excel Dental Care in Ellicott City, MD, we understand that there is a better solution to braces, one that will not give you cuts inside your mouth. Invisalign®️ is a type of invisible clear aligner that can straighten your teeth without metal braces. You wear a series of custom-made plastic trays that gently move your teeth into the right position and address orthodontic issues like overbite, crossbite, crowded teeth, underbite, etc. It does not require as many appointments and adjustments as braces, either. Our staff is fully qualified to help patients with the Invisalign®️ procedure, not only in Ellicott City but also in the surrounding locations, including Woodstock, Catonsville, West Friendship, Columbia, Baltimore National Pike, Turf Valley, Clarksville, Elkridge, Centennial Park, and Marriottsville.
Assessment for Invisalign®️ in Your Area
The Invisalign®️ process begins with an evaluation. Not all patients are good candidates for this treatment, so we perform Invisalign®️ procedures on a case by case basis after meeting with patients.
Molding Your Invisalign®️
Once you have been cleared for the Invisalign®️ process, an appointment will be scheduled to gather the required data. Your dentist Ellicott City, MD will take some pictures and x-rays of your face to determine your bone structure. They will also make impressions of your teeth with iTero® 3D digital teeth scanning system and consult with you on exactly how you want your teeth to look at the end of the process. From there, these x-rays and impressions will be sent to Invisalign®️ near you, along with detailed instructions for how those impressions should change at the end of the Invisalign®️ process.
Invisalign®️ will scan the impressions of your teeth into the computer and print out a 3D model to work with, allowing them to move your teeth to the desired end positions and see what shifts need to happen along the way to that smile. This process involves several back-and-forth meetings between Invisalign and our dental clinic here in Ellicott City, MD. We provide feedback on their models, and they make revisions until it is just right.
Wearing Invisalign®️ Trays
Once the movement and end model is completed according to patient specifications, Invisalign®️ will make several tray sets for the patient’s mouth. This process takes roughly one month to complete.
When the trays arrive, patients will largely be in charge of their care. This makes Invisalign®️ treatment far more convenient than braces, which require regular visits to your dentist in Ellicott City, MD, for tightening. Each tray should be worn for two weeks. The tray will be about 1/10 mm straighter than your teeth, so it will apply pressure to your teeth in the direction they need to move to straighten. This means that each new tray will be a little straighter than your teeth currently are, but after the two weeks, your teeth will match that tray.
The Invisalign®️ trays must be worn at all times, except, while eating, brushing and flossing your teeth. If you don’t leave the trays in while you are sleeping and going about your daily routine, your teeth won’t shift the way they need to by the end of those two weeks. As a result, your final trays will not fit into your mouth at all.
If your teeth are not perfect at the end of the process, this is not something to worry about. Invisalign®️ regularly requires some extra maintenance trays, and your Invisalign dentist in Ellicott City can help prepare them. These are usually provided as part of the process at no additional charge if you have been following your routine perfectly. If you’re ready for a straighter smile with affordable Invisalign orthodontic treatment and searching for “Invisalign dentist near me”, call our dentist today!
