Winnetka Clear Aligner experts
Brady Orthodontics is your trusted expert when it comes to straightening smiles for patients of all ages in Winnetka, Glencoe, Evanston, and surrounding communities. If you’re a teen or adult who wants the same results you can get with traditional braces but with more freedom and flexibility, clear aligners could be the answer.
What is involved in Winnetka Clear Aligner treatment?
Clear Aligners have been proven to be just as effective as traditional braces at treating many of the most common orthodontic issues when it is used as directed.
The clear aligner system uses clear, removable aligners to align teeth and improve your oral health. We’ll use X-rays and digital impression to create a precise 3D image of the teeth at your free initial consultation. We use this to build a customized aligner that is specific to each patient’s smile. The trays are constructed of a smooth, comfortable material that fits firmly over your teeth. These trays are designed to be switched out every 1-2 weeks to keep up with the teeth as they move into their desired new positions.
What are the benefits of choosing Winnetka Clear Aligner treatment?
One of the biggest benefits of clear aligners besides being nearly invisible is the fact that you can remove them. They’re designed to be removed before brushing and flossing, so it’s much easier to access your teeth and maintain a good oral hygiene routine, which is especially important while you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment. Also, because aligners are designed to be removed before eating or drinking anything other than water, you’ll never have to worry about food getting stuck in brackets or wires.
Since you can take your clear aligners out, you won’t have any food restrictions. This is usually one of the biggest learning curves with traditional braces. With clear aligners, you don’t have to stop eating any of your favorite foods while you’re working on a straighter smile! However, aligners do need to be removed before all meals in order to avoid staining. They should also be cleaned and rinsed out with warm water at least once or twice a day.
There are no pesky wires to poke out make your mouth sore and uncomfortable when you wear aligners. You won’t have any adjustment appointments either. Wearers can still expect to attend follow-up visits about every 6-8 weeks, however, so that Dr. Brady can be sure everything is progressing on schedule.
How does the Winnetka aligner system work?
The aligner system is pretty straightforward. You’ll wear each aligner for about two weeks. You should only take them off to eat, drink, brush, or floss. After two weeks, you will replace the aligner with the next in the series. Your teeth will move gradually until they reach their final desired positions.
During visits with Brady Orthodontics, we’ll check to make sure treatment is progressing as planned. Skipping your appointments or not changing aligners as scheduled can quickly undo any progress that we have made. You have to keep up with changing the aligners on time and need to always wear them as directed. This is the most critical element to the success of your Winnetka clear aligners. Your trays will be custom designed to fit your unique dental needs and will need to be changed frequently in order to keep up with the shifting of the teeth as they begin to straighten.
Though the average length of time tends to be somewhere between 6 and 18 months, this can vary widely from case to case. The timeframe also depends a great deal on patient compliance. It’s important to remember that every patient will respond to orthodontic treatment in their own way. Clear aligners work in a different and less invasive way than braces to straighten your teeth, so it can be hard to say for certain how long a patient will need to wear them before they see results.
Clear aligners can only work if you follow the program we set for you. The average treatment time is calculated based on patients following the recommended guidelines by wearing their aligners at least 20-22 hours every single day, during your treatment. Any deviation from this, however small, can add extra time to the overall process.
To learn more about Winnetka clear aligners, or to find out if you are a good candidate for the aligners, please contact our office to schedule a complimentary consultation.