We provide a mixture of orthodontic services, including Invisalign Wimbledon, one of the most successful non-brace orthodontic tools. How does it stack up as an alternative to braces?

All orthodontic tools are based on the same premise; with a bit of force consistently applied to your teeth, you can alter their position. How the tool applies this force is directed by a dentist; when you attend brace adjustment sessions using a traditional metal brace, the dentist assesses how your teeth have responded and tweaks tension in the archwire. Thus, keeping your teeth moving towards a straighter and better aligned smile.

Invisalign Wimbledon, the service we provide, turns this on its head. Rather than the dentist having to see the patient regularly throughout the treatment in order to guide the movement of teeth, all of the movements are performed at the start of the procedure on a computer simulation of the patient’s teeth! In order for that computer model to accurately represent the patient’s mouth, we need to take an extremely accurate image of the starting position and condition of the patient’s teeth. Using a 3D scanner inside the patient’s mouth is the most effective and convenient method of gaining an accurate 3D model.

From this simulated rendition, a set of aligners can be determined. These will encourage your teeth to move in the same way as those in the simulation, taking your teeth from their starting position to the ideal one crafted by your dentist. Each of the aligners that you wear will sequentially represent a milestone in the treatment, and act almost like the adjustments performed with a brace. Initially, the aligners are tight and then become looser as the teeth adopt their new positions, only to repeat the process with the next aligner. This takes approximately 2 weeks and will vary depending on how stubborn your tooth positioning might be.

Everyday use of clear aligners

Our patients have found their aligners to be much more convenient in daily life. One of the big advantages of aligners is that you can remove them at any time. This is recommended when it comes to eating and does not affect your food choices in the same way as fixed braces. You have to brush your teeth before returning your aligner, as it blocks the natural flow of saliva over your teeth and without brushing after a meal, this could lead to the formation of dental cavities. But this is much easier than the post-meal cleaning required with a metal brace and having to avoid certain types of food out of fear of getting them jammed in your brace.

The limitations of an aligner

Invisalign Wimbledon is not a silver bullet for orthodontic issues; there are particular limitations on the range of treatments with it, which is significantly less than with a traditional metal brace. The range of treatments that a brace can handle is relatively restricted compared to full headgear and yet the majority of patients would prefer a brace over full headgear and an aligner over a brace. What is more important is selecting the treatment option which is best suited to your level of misalignment.