How do you feel about your smile? If straight teeth and an attractive smile would improve your self-esteem and encourage you to share your smile, inconspicuous orthodontics will deliver. In Grant Park, Dr. Abbey Lee offers both Invisalign clear, removable aligners and Six Month Smiles, which involves wearing clear brackets and nickel wires for only six months.

In today’s blog, we’ll compare these two types of orthodontics and review the benefits of each. We want you to understand treatment options so that you can make informed, wise decisions regarding your dental care.

Invisalign Clear Aligners

Clear aligners have revolutionized orthodontics. With traditional braces, brackets are cemented onto teeth and a wire is threaded through them. Adjusting the wire places specific pressure on teeth to move them toward their ideal position. Usually, traditional orthodontics takes about 24 months for treatment.

In contrast, clear aligners are worn over teeth, much like an athletic mouthguard, bruxism guard, or whitening trays. Made of acrylic, Invisalign aligners are pliable and soft, so they don’t irritate soft oral tissues (like brackets do). The aligners apply pressure to teeth to shift them into position but without any fixed component. 

If you and Dr. Lee determine that Invisalign treatment will accomplish your orthodontic goals, the first step will involve taking a digital impression of your teeth. A quick scan accomplishes this. Next, special software will devise your treatment plan, designing a series of clear aligners that will incrementally reposition your teeth. An Invisalign lab will fabricate your aligners. 

Then you’ll visit Smiles 4 Grant Park so that Dr. Lee can give you the first few aligners and explain how to wear and care for Invisalign. In short, you can remove the aligners when eating meals, cleaning your teeth, and for special occasions as long as your daily wear time is 22 hours, minimum. Most cases take 9-18 months to complete. 

Discard an aligner after two weeks of wear, then begin wearing the next one. To clean the aligners, simply use a clear, non-abrasive hand soap. Clean them daily when you brush and floss your teeth. You’ll also need to attend six-month checkups and professional cleanings to ensure good oral health.

After Invisalign treatment, you’ll wear a retainer as instructed to help your teeth retain their new alignment.

Six Month Smiles: White Brackets, Nickel Wires

Six Month Smiles (SMS) isn’t right for every adult patient, but for those who need only cosmetic realignment, it often works well. With SMS, Dr. Lee will cement tooth-colored, ceramic brackets to the teeth that need to be moved. A light nickel wire threaded through the brackets is adjusted to apply pressure to the teeth. In about six months, your smile will look fantastic!

Care for SMS as you would traditional braces, brushing after meals, brushing morning and evening, and flossing after meals and before bed. An interdental brush helps clean away food particles from around brackets. Dr. Lee or one of our talented hygienists can demonstrate the best method for flossing with braces.

Are You Ready for a Beautiful Smile?

If you’d like straighter teeth for a gorgeous, head-turning smile, call Smiles for Grant Park in Atlanta at 404.328.7177. Dr. Abbey Lee will talk with you about goals, expectations, and treatment options after conducting a comprehensive oral exam. We encourage patients to ask questions, because the more you know, the more competent you’ll feel about your dental care decisions.