If you need to correct something with your teeth — i.e. Straightening them, aligning them, or putting them in their correct positions — dentists typically offer traditional dental braces. One obvious disadvantage is their interference with patients’ everyday life because of their visibility.
Thanks to the advancement of technology, especially in the field of orthodontics, innovations like Invisalign in Reston VA are now available as alternatives.
How Invisalign Works
First off, it’s important to know that not all orthodontic problems can be treated with Invisalign. This treatment, though, has been proven to be effective in treating overbites, underbites, acute crossbite, gaps between teeth, and crowding. If you have one of these issues, you can be eligible for this kind of treatment.
For starters, Invisalign is composed of a series of aligning trays customized depending on the situation of the patient. Made of thermoplastic material, these trays exert gentle pressure on the teeth to help them move to their supposed position. Every several weeks, these virtually invisible trays are changed to fit the improved tooth configuration.
This treatment can last anywhere from eight months to more than one year, depending on the patient’s condition.
Why Opt for Invisalign Treatment
Invisalign in Reston VA offers some perks, that is why more and more patients are attracted to choosing this teeth-correcting measure.
The benefits of this treatment include:
Being virtually invisible
Comfort and convenience
Removable
Easier to clean and maintain
Versatile
Cost-effective
Requires lesser follow-ups
So, How Old Should A Patient Be For Invisalign?
Invisalign treatment is not applicable if the patient has not lost all of his or her baby teeth yet. So if the patient is a child, you need to wait first for his or her permanent teeth to grow completely.
Apart from this, there are also other factors to consider. These include:
Bone density
Actually, it is not age that determines if this treatment will be effective for a patient or not — it’s bone density. As older patients tend to have issues with their bone density, it might be more difficult for them to wear aligning trays.
When you take a bone mineral density test, you will see if you have bone loss in the jaw, osteoporosis, bone fracture, and more.
Quality of oral health
One’s eligibility for Invisalign in Reston VA is more of a case-to-case basis. Though this is not a universal rule, older patients usually need to wear the aligning trays longer compared to younger ones. This can be mainly attributed to younger patients’ relatively healthier mouths.
However, even if you are still young but the quality of your oral health is not that high, you may also be ineligible for Invisalign treatment.
Level of maturity
It’s also important that the patient is mature enough to handle this kind of dental treatment. If he or she is too young, he or she might be overwhelmed if he or she will wear aligning trays for 22 hours a day and will be obliged to brush and clean them regularly.
If you’re considering getting Invisalign in Reston VA, contact our experts at Stang Family Orthodontics today. We provide the highest quality care to help bring back your perfect smile.
