At our clinic, we offer Invisalign Weybridge as an alternative to braces for mild to moderate misalignments and cosmetic cases. They have been well accepted and are more comfortable, convenient and often cheaper than standard braces. But how do they work?

A course of treatment with clear aligners involves wearing a set of aligners, each one for about two weeks to reposition the teeth, moving them towards a straighter, better meshing profile.

What is the treatment pathway?

Before you can make an informed decision on whether aligners are suitable, you need to be assessed by our orthodontist and have a conversation about your expectations. Aligners are useful, but have yet to be effective for severe cases, and cannot be used to re-position molars. So, sometimes a metal brace is a better option.

If clear aligners are going to be helpful and you decide to continue on to treatment with Invisalign Weybridge , the first step is to take a 3D scan of your teeth. This can be done directly with a scanner, which is placed inside your mouth or we can send a dental mould to the manufacturer who will scan it in a studio.

This starting scan is used as the baseline in developing a treatment schedule. An orthodontist will use ClinCheck, a software program developed by the brand to re-organise the teeth in the computer model. This re-imagined arrangement will be the end state of your treatment. The program will then predict all the in between movements necessary to get from the starting scan to the idealised endpoint. This involves calculating the forces required to move the teeth and the direction of those forces at each time step; this is known as a force vector map.

The next step is creating a clear plastic aligner which can generate the forces which are required; the set of computer-generated aligners needed to be created in the real world for them to be of any use to you! And with such individualised forms, the only viable manufacturing technique is to 3D print them in UV light-cured resin; not too different from the resins used in bondings and crowns.

Wearing the aligners

You must be committed to wearing your aligner as much as possible, day and night to have the desired effect. You don’t need to remove them while eating, but they should be out of your mouth for no longer than 2 hours per day. Longer gaps will delay treatment and lead to you getting stuck, having to use the same aligner for longer than 2 weeks or regressing and having to go back to a previous aligner.

The everyday routine of using Invisalign Weybridge  quickly becomes second nature. The translucency and streamlined designs make them unobtrusive to use and it is highly unlikely for anyone to notice them.

Do clear aligners hurt?

The plastic form of the aligner does constantly push on your teeth, which can be uncomfortable, but patients who have used both aligners and metal braces report that they are much more tolerable than having a brace tightened.

What about home kit aligners?

At-home kits or any aligner not used under the supervision of a medical professional have been counter-indicated by the BOS (British Orthodontic Society) and so, we cannot condone their use.

Clear and invisible aligners are the newest addition to the club of orthodontic tools that our dentists use to treat tooth misalignment, but there are aligners which are available for at-home use. The market leaders across both types are Invisalign Weybridge and Smile Direct; which is considered better? Let’s take this head-on and get some clarity on these clear aligner manufacturers.

The beginning of the clear aligner began being tested back in the ’70s and was referred to as a dental splint. They showed that the elastic force generated by plastic under tension could move teeth over time, but this seemed initially like a dead end.

In the ’90s, the idea took a great leap forward when two medical students decided to pair these dental splints with computer-guided orthodontics. The role of the computer was to run an anatomically correct model of a generic patient’s mouth. This could later be calibrated to meet the unique dental situation of each patient.

From this model, the quantity of force and time required to move teeth to their new positions could be accurately predicted. Knowing how hard each tooth needs to be pushed or pulled, and from what angles these forces need to be applied allows an aligner to be created which can apply those forces when under tension.

The aligners themselves, although deceptively simple in appearance, are extremely personalised and have to be used in the correct sequence to be effective. This created a manufacturing problem of how to cheaply make one-off items. It was the early 21st century and the rise of 3D printers that proved to be the solution.

With all of the technical hurdles crossed, we soon had our Invisalign Weybridge. Allowing us to provide aligners, the task of an aligner manufacturer and dentist is complementary by working inside of dental clinics like Weybridge Orthodontics as partners. The invisible brace company can rely on the expertise and guidance of our dentists to help patients through their treatment. It’s in the interest of the manufacturer, the clinic and the patient that the treatment with these braces is effective.

Our dentists provide the initial assessment and present these clear aligners as a possible solution to orthodontic issues. If treatment is pursued by the patient, carrying out an oral scan or taking a dental mould which is used to calibrate the computer model is typically the next stage.

Aligners that are not provided by dentists in practices do not operate in the same manner. Advertising directly to potential patients via TV and online, there is little motivation in them exploring any other orthodontic solutions other than the aligners that they manufacture. The reliance on home moulding kits introduces a lot of uncertainty into the effectiveness of the finished aligners, as a poorly taken mould will result in an incorrectly calibrated computer model and less, or ineffective aligners. 

The volume of passion that many online manufacturers have compared to staff like ours is lower. As a local Invisalign Weybridgepractice, losing that one to one service that is associated with good quality dentistry and higher levels of care also results in the loss of personal responsibility for patients, which we pride ourselves with having as a community family dentist.

If you are looking for Invisalign to straighten your teeth we at Weybridge Orthodontics can work to achieve the most favourable result with your treatment. Invisalign is designed to straighten teeth in the same way as braces, however it will be done discreetly. At Weybridge Orthodontics we offer a range of treatments to solve our patients’ dental issues. Invisalign Weybridge is a popular solution to fix misaligned teeth and improve an individual’s smile. We provide custom-made clear aligners for a patient to wear throughout the treatment process. If you are wanting to look further into this treatment, do not hesitate to book a free consultation to talk to us about Invisalign Weybridge.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign Weybridge consists of a clear, transparent aligner which is designed and manufactured specifically for a patient’s teeth. Each time an aligner is removed and replaced with a new set, the teeth structure starts to change and develop. This will occur until the teeth are in the prescribed alignment that the orthodontist had recommended. These invisible aligners will be changed regularly, every two weeks, to adjust the current structure of the patient’s teeth.

For those individuals who prefer an invisible look when considering braces Invisalign is highly recommended. Invisalign braces have the ability to be removed, this can be in situations such as eating and drinking. They can also be removed when a patient wants to clean them. Since the sets of aligners are made from high quality material, the aligners will work effectively to achieve the desired result.

Who is Invisalign suitable for?

At Weybridge Orthodontics we will check whether Invisalign is the appropriate method to use when meeting a patient at the first consultation. This will take a series of 2 steps to put this to test.

Step 1 will consist of an initial scan of the patient’s teeth which will usually happen at the first consultation. This will create a 3D virtual illustration of a treatment plan that will be best suitable for the patient. This will present aspects such as what movements of the teeth the treatment will entail and the final result of how it will turn out. This is also referred to as Clincheck. This will also include the duration and length of time the treatment process will take.

At step 2 the results will be able to form the suitable clear, shaped aligners for the specified patient; these are custom made. When the patient is happy to proceed with the treatment plan an initial deposit will need to be paid to produce the Invisalign aligners. This can be paid over 18-24 months through the use of monthly instalments. At Weybridge Orthodontics we also provide a fee guide for individuals to find out the prices of monthly payments, this will be available on request.

Treatment aftercare

After an Invisalign treatment it is highly advised to wear a retainer, however there are several steps that can also be taken in advance. Daily brushing and flossing should be maintained as per usual; patients can also use a fluoride mouthwash if possible. It is also recommended to visit our dentist and get regular check-ups to make sure that both the gums and teeth are monitored. Another form of aftercare treatment is to maintain a healthy diet and try to avoid eating sweets and sugary drinks, to make the most of your new smile.

Invisalign in Weybridge is a relatively modern alternative to braces; not surprising when you consider that the metal orthodontic brace has been in clinics for more than a century. The clear aligners are a set of 3D printed, UV light-cured forms which are worn on the teeth to progressively straighten them. They are both lightweight and see through, making them very subtle and extremely easy to wear.

How do you get clear aligners?

An assessment has to be performed; there is a good range of conditions clear aligners can help with and few restrictions on using them, but an orthodontist will still need to check if they are appropriate for you.

If you decide to proceed, a 3D model of your teeth is made. This used to be done by producing a dental mould, but now we use an intraoral scanner and construct the model directly from your teeth.

The scans are uploaded into a specialist piece of software, ClinCheck, and an orthodontist digitally moves the tooth positions and orientations until they are aligned. ClinCheck then uses the final tooth position and the original tooth position to calculate the required forces and directions of those forces, the vectors, to achieve the planned alterations.

Only then can the aligners be designed to apply the correct force vectors to the teeth. Each aligner can only apply force dependent on its elasticity, which is only effective over very small distances. As the teeth move, the aligner must be replaced with the next one in the sequence, pushing the teeth to their final positions.

How to get the most from aligners

The aligners must be worn as often as you can, except when eating, up to 21-22 hours per day. The presence of the aligners will prevent the natural flow of saliva over your teeth, so it is important to brush your teeth after eating before you replace your aligners to prevent cavities.

For most people, wearing aligners becomes second nature and it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them. They are very thin and are unlikely to affect your speech. Most of the time Invisalign Weybridge is just overlooked.

Does Invisalign hurt?

Using Invisalign Weybridge on many patients, we have noticed that the way these aligners constantly apply force to the teeth causes much less discomfort than a metal brace. This seems to be due to the more giving nature of the plastic, and the way the minimum forces are being applied to move the tooth. This is dictated by computer modelling which is used to design the aligner.

Virtual visits

If you’re interested or wondering if a clear aligner might be right for you, we are offering virtual visits and consultations with our orthodontists. These are free and no obligation, which can be helpful for nervous patients or those who are self-isolating during this difficult time.

To find out more you can call us or refer to our website where there is more information on how we can help you with Invisalign Weybridge.

If you have spent any time online looking up orthodontics you have probably seen something about clear aligners. Our Invisalign in Weybridge service is the only clear aligner we offer, but why?

The clear aligner is not a new idea, there had been attempts to find an alternative to braces using plastic from the 1970s onwards, but those dental splints were eventually abandoned. Rubber gum shield aligners worn over a brace to reduce overall treatment time were briefly experimented with. This did reduce the need for braces, but never had widespread use as they were impractical for many patients to use.

There had to be a few breakthroughs in material sciences and manufacturing before invisible aligners were viable. So a small start-up proposed the idea of making moulds of a patient’s teeth and digitalising them in a scanning studio. Then, using the resulting 3D model and an anatomically correct simulation of a mouth, they would be able to predict the quantity and directions of forces required to move the teeth to new positions. These vectors were then used to digitally create an aligner that would generate those forces when placed in the patient’s mouth.

The digital aligner was then 3D printed; this was very novel in the 90s and the use of computing in dentistry was seen as cutting edge, therefore a patent was awarded. As 3D scanning and printing boomed, the cost reduced and quality rose, only improving the methods championed by this brand of invisible braces.

Our Invisalign Weybridge makes full use of the power of computing in dentistry. The newest versions of ClinCheck, the software developed by this brand of brace, is used in our clinic. It has the capacity to show you predicted outcomes of using clear aligners.

Despite their patent, some competitors have entered the clear aligner market in recent years, many using direct TV and online advertising. They promise rapid results and are happy to provide aligners based on DIY dental mould at home and completing a questionnaire. This business model has been condemned by the British Orthodontic Society, who have warned that the use of clear aligners without the supervision of a clinician could cause long term damage and questions the motivations of suppliers who operate without dentists.

Invisalign Weybridge is provided via our dental staff giving us full oversight and allowing us to advise each patient on the suitability of clear aligners for them. We would only use aligner manufacturers who exclusively work within dental clinics.

The communication with your local dentist is an important part of the effectiveness and safe use of any aligner. Your initial consultation with our orthodontist for Invisalign Weybridge will be free and without obligation.

If you have any further questions or would like to book a consultation with us feel free to contact us by telephone or email us. We are happy to see you in person, but following government guidelines with infection prevention and control, please contact us before you arrive at the clinic. We will ensure a safe tooth straightening journey with Invisalign.