Invisalign has been offered as a clear, effective alternative to braces for over two decades now. Since then, there have been several advancements to make the treatment even more efficient. Here at Lakeshore Dental, Dr. Patel use iTero Scanner technology in order to make sure your Invisalign treatment has the best results possible. To schedule a consultation and learn more about modern Invisalign in Virginia Beach, contact us today.
In the early days of Invisalign, the only way to get an impression of your teeth was with dental putty. While this substance is safe to hold in your mouth, it’s also very messy and prone to error; the impression could easily come out wrong if your jaw moves or if there’s too much saliva in your mouth. Nowadays, a dentist in Virginia Beach can use advanced 3D scanners such as the iTero scanner to create extremely accurate models of your mouth that can be used to create high quality Invisalign aligners.
iTero uses a compact, handheld wand to scan your teeth with a radiation-free laser. A full digital impression of your teeth and soft tissues can be created in as little as two to three minutes using this technology. These 3D images serve as extremely precise blueprints – far more accurate than traditional impressions. That means there’s much less of a chance that the impressions will turn out incorrectly and need to be redone.
Most patients will also find iTero to be far more comfortable than a traditional putty impression, which can involve sitting still for a long period of time while the gum substance slowly hardens around your teeth. A digital scan avoids such inconveniences.
Today’s Invisalign treatment is not the same as it was twenty years ago. For example, the average length of the Invisalign process is usually about 12 months or longer; however, nowadays there are some situations where we might be able to get that treatment time down to about 6 months depending on the severity of your case. The material used to make the aligners themselves has changed as well, having been updated so that it’s more predictable in the way it moves your teeth and is generally more comfortable to wear.
Other changes include special Invisalign trays designed for teenagers. In the past, Invisalign was mainly used by adults in order to avoid the embarrassment of wearing Invisalign to important business meetings or on a date. Today, there’s Invisalign Teen; these special aligners have indicator strips that make sure that your teenager is wearing the aligners for the required amount of time. This helps improve compliance from even the most absentminded teen.
Curious about modern Invisalign treatment and the advancements that can help make it a success? You can schedule a consultation with Dr. Patel to learn more about the treatment and what you can expect moving forward.