Treatment that Fits Your Life
Consider Invisalign or Spark clear aligners from Designer Smiles to get the beautiful straight teeth you’ve always wanted — without braces.
The Clear Aligner Process
Removable aligners like Invisalign and Spark are much more comfortable than traditional metal bracket braces and can give you stunning results. What are the steps to get started?
First, you’ll come to Designer Smiles so we can take photos and X-rays to create a 3D image of your mouth. Dr. Benton prescribes your first set of custom-fitted aligners from these images, and then you begin the process of straightening your teeth.
You'll most likely wear Invisalign or Spark aligners for 9–15 months and typically use 18–30 sets during your treatment.
You wear the trays for about 22 hours a day but can remove them for brushing your teeth and eating. Based on your individual needs, you will wear several sets of trays throughout your orthodontic treatment at Designer Smiles, but you’ll begin to see changes within only a few months!
Invisalign® and Spark take a modern approach to straightening teeth. They use a custom-made series of aligners created for you and only you.
You’ll wear these smooth, comfortable, virtually invisible plastic aligner trays over your teeth.
Wearing the aligners will gently move your teeth into place little by little, based on the exact movements your Dr. Benton plans for you.
There are no metal brackets to attach and no wires to tighten. You just pop in a new set of aligners about every two weeks until your treatment is complete.
You’ll get a great smile without a treatment that gets in the way of your daily life. The best part about the whole process is that most people won’t even know you’re straightening your teeth.
This nearly-invisible option to straighten teeth is truly changing how people around Oxford and Pell City, AL see orthodontic treatment.
Both Dr. Benton and Dr. Barry have a lot of experience treating patients with Invisalign and Spark, and we’re excited to offer this technology to our patients at Designer Smiles.
No More Goopy Impressions
The iTero Element Scanner is a state-of-the-art digital impression system that eliminates the need for messy putty in your mouth.
Our iTero Element Scanner at Designer Smiles lets us digitally capture a detailed 3D model of your teeth and gums.
This process is far more comfortable than the old putty-based impressions, but it's faster and can help us do a better job for you.
Differences Between Clear Aligners & Braces
Unlike traditional braces, smooth plastic Invisalign and Spark aligners don't have metal components that can irritate your mouth. Because you take out the trays before you eat, you won't have to watch what you eat like you would when wearing braces (bring on the popcorn and peanuts)!
In fact, you’ll need to remove your clear aligners to eat or drink anything other than water. You need to ensure you’re willing to do that before deciding on clear aligners at Designer Smiles.
To prevent staining, you’ll need to clean your teeth before putting the aligners back on after each time you eat. Of course, brushing and flossing are much easier than with traditional braces since you don’t have to work around any brackets and wires.
Caring for Your Clear Aligners
It’s essential to wear your aligners for at least 22 hours each day for them to do their job and straighten your teeth. But, with Invisalign or Spark, you can remove your aligners for special occasions.
Take proper care of your aligners and practice good oral hygiene to keep your aligners clean, invisible and odor-free. You can easily remove your aligners to eat and drink, but clean them properly after, or it can result in discoloration and bacteria buildup.
To keep your aligners clear, periodically clear debris with a soft toothbrush and water. Don’t use toothpaste because it has abrasives that can create micro abrasions that will make your aligners look cloudy and dull.
Do not use denture cleaners to clean aligners, and do not soak your aligners in mouthwash. These products can damage the surface of the plastic, causing it to become more visible, sometimes making the teeth look somewhat yellow.
Do not eat or drink (anything but water) while wearing Invisalign. Many foods and drinks can stain or discolor your aligners.
And remember, using toothpaste to clean your aligners will scratch the plastic and dull your aligners. These scratches can also create small traps in your aligners for bacteria to dwell.
- Rinse your aligners when you remove them. Dry saliva and plaque create a perfect breeding ground for foul-smelling bacteria.
- Brush and floss your teeth before reinserting your aligners. Proper oral hygiene is key to maintaining healthy teeth and avoiding cavities and decay.
- Brush your aligners gently. Vigorous brushing can scratch your aligners and leave visible etchings. Brush carefully!
Talk to Us About Clear Aligners
Like with traditional braces, you will generally need to wear a retainer after Invisalign or Spark clear aligner treatment to maintain your new alignment—and your confident new smile.
Dr. Benton may not recommend Invisalign and Spark clear aligners if you have bite issues or complicated problems with alignment or bite issues.
Schedule your free consultation at our office in Oxford or Pell City, AL office to learn if clear aligners are right for you.