Invisible aligners: Modern orthodontic solution for adults and children

Article Author

Author: Ana Mikuličić , dmd

15.06.2021

A large number of people, including children and adults, face the problem of irregular teeth. Irregular teeth, in addition to aesthetic ones, also cause functional problems such as increased plaque and tartar accumulation, difficult oral hygiene, gum withdrawal, excessive tooth wear, jaw pain, etc. Nowadays, braces are more common in adults, and the opinion has changed that braces are reserved only for children.

With the awareness of dental health also came the care about the dental aesthetics (ie transparent braces or splints such as Invisalign, F22, etc.), including smile design, ceramic veneers and teeth whitening.

We must not forget that according to some research, teeth and a smile are the first thing we notice in the interlocutor during the first contact.

Aligners: Combination of aesthetics and functionality

Aligner orthodontics is based on mobile orthodontics because splints, which correct teeth, can be removed. Today, there are several types of transparent braces, and we at Rident use Invisalign as the first brand to appear on the market and F22 as its accompanying brand.

The biggest advantage of aligner treatment is their transparency. The splints are transparent and hardly change the appearance of the face during therapy. Therapy is planned using software, after taking classic fingerprints or after using an intraoral scanner that is more comfortable and faster for the patient. Another great advantage of splints is that the patient changes them at home every 2 weeks, which means that the number of visits to the orthodontist is reduced. Today, thanks to the intraoral scanner, it is easier to monitor the course of therapy and motivate the patient.

Maintenance and oral hygiene

Maintaining oral hygiene is also easier than with fixed orthodontic appliances. There is no special protocol, except that it is essential that the aligners be washed before putting them back in the mouth.

The aligners are worn for 20-24 hours a day (optimally 22 hours). They are removed only before meals and during brushing, i.e. several times a day but for a short time.

In aligner therapy, the patient changes splints at home every 2 weeks; it is a set of splints. It is very important that the patient is motivated and persistent because otherwise the desired result is missing. The number of splints depends on the anomaly being corrected, so the time of therapy is individual.

When changing aligners, the patient may feel slight pain, but significantly less than when wearing a fixed orthodontic appliance. This takes a few days until the teeth get used to the pressure.

There is no age limit for this type of therapy.