Straightening your teeth is a much easier process than it was a couple of decades ago. While full metal braces are often still necessary for individuals with significant misalignments, invisible aligners have not only become more commonplace but also more accessible.
Invisible aligners are so popular because you get your teeth discreetly. Even though braces are often seen on both children and adults, metal braces make it obvious that you’ve decided to pursue some sort of orthodontic treatment. Many people prefer not to discuss their teeth or their reasons for straightening them so invisible aligners are preferable.
For an even more discreet option, you can choose aligners that you wear at night only. The process is the same as daytime aligners in that you have a clear plastic tray that you wear over your teeth to slowly move them into alignment. There are some minor differences in treatment and in order to get the best results, it’s important to follow all recommendations from your care team.
1. Plan Ahead to Meet Your Goals
There are many reasons why someone might want straighter teeth. Some people feel self-conscious about the way that their teeth look. Some people have a big event coming up, like a wedding, where they want their teeth to look great in photos. Whatever your goals are, it’s important to be realistic about how much time it will take for invisible aligners to work. If you plan to purchase night-time wear aligners, then keep in mind that treatment time is a little bit longer. Aligners that you wear all day take about six months or straighten your teeth while aligners worn only at night will take closer to nine months. If it’s important to you to have your teeth straightened by a certain time and you want to wear a night-time aligner, give yourself a minimum of 12 months to account for any shipping delays or unexpected incidents that could prevent you from wearing your night guard.
2. Wear Your Aligners for the Correct Amount of Time
Night-team wear aligners are the most discreet teeth straightening option because you only wear them while you’re asleep. You don’t need to worry about taking the tray out to eat during lunch at the office or at dinner with friends. However, that means it’s important to be diligent to wear your aligner for the correct amount of time each night. A night-time wear aligner requires ten hours of continuous wear each night to meet your teeth straightening goals. Because you wear this guard for about half the time of a day-wear aligner, the process of straightening your teeth will take a little longer. With either day or night aligners, if you aren’t consistent with your treatment, then your treatment time and results will likely take longer or be more difficult to achieve.
3. Know the Long-term Effects
Now that you’ve achieved the smile of your dreams and made a big impression at your special event, what’s next? It’s important to remember that everyone’s teeth shift over time whether due to gum disease or other health conditions or simply aging. The purpose of teeth aligners is to make your natural smile straighter which means that you are teaching your teeth to be in a new position. For most people, if you don’t continue to wear your guards at night to maintain your smile, your teeth will probably shift back, at least somewhat, to their original position. This isn’t noticeable for some people while it is very noticeable for others. It’s important to discuss your long-term care requirements with your orthodontic team to make sure that your desired results last. Plus, your orthodontist can suggest more options for you to improve your smile, such as getting dentist Brentwood. It all depends on what your end goal is.
To get the most out of your overnight aligners, follow your care plan to the letter.
