Posts Tagged ‘invisalign’

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Invisible Braces For Discreet Straightening For Patients In Liverpool

10th April 2013

Everyone wants that perfect smile. The one that makes other people stop and notice your incredibly straight teeth. But unfortunately the chances are that some of your teeth may crooked or overlap with one another. Of course this can be remedied with braces as we all know. But lets face it, braces aren’t particularly popular- no one really fancies the idea of wearing a brace for three years. So dentists worked hard to come up with a solution, one of which is Invisalign braces treatment, a discreet fast acting system that is easily fitted and practically invisible.

The technology behind Invisalign

Most braces are fitted to the front of your teeth and gradually tightened over time so that your teeth are pulled into place. However, Invisalign is a plastic aligner that can be taken out to eat and brush your teeth. It is customized to fit around the contours of your teeth so it is comfortable and is made from clear plastic so it is only really noticeable up close. You have to wear the aligner for two weeks and then switch to another aligner, which is a slightly different shape. As this process is continued throughout your treatment, your teeth are gradually brought into line in a shorter time frame than other brace systems.

The benefits of Invisalign

As Invisalign is removable, it’s easier to maintain good oral hygiene. You don’t run the risk of getting pieces of food caught in your brace and your brace can be cleaned whenever you like. The clear plastic makes the brace extremely discreet and it is also very flexible so it is comfortable as there are no wires poking you in the gums. Also, as the brace is not fixed to your teeth, it does not cause any damage or discolouration to their surface so once the brace has done its job, there’s no further treatment required to spruce up your teeth. Contact the team at Liverpool Dental Spa for more information.

 

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Modern Braces For The Modern City Of Liverpool

12th February 2013

It is becoming rarer to see young people and adults around with metal bracket braces on their teeth. This is because traditional metal braces that often caused oral irritation, deteriorating oral hygiene, and stigma are being replaced by modern braces solutions.

Modern braces solutions

At Liverpool Dental Spa in the heart of Liverpool we offer individuals choices in modern braces solutions that give discretion, are comfortable to wear, are easy to clean and hygienic, and are effective in straightening teeth affected by mild orthodontic conditions.

The Invisalign braces system is custom-made with clear plastic aligners to correct mild orthodontic conditions such as misaligned, protruding, overcrowded and irregularly spaced teeth. The dentist takes an oral impression and digital images for precise making of the new aligners.

Removable braces

The beauty of Invisalign is that the clear aligners fit over a dental arch similar to a mouth shield and are not obvious to others. The Invisalign system is removable and not fixed to the teeth. The aligners are replaced fortnightly as teeth reposition until full teeth straightening benefits are visible on completion of Invisalign treatment.

Throughout treatment, the Invisalign aligners may be removed for activities such as meals, sports, playing of musical instruments and oral care. Our orthodontist and dental hygienist provide advice on how to look after your Invisalign aligners for your desired results.

Celebrity treatment

Invisalign is versatile and comes in a range including Invisalign Lite and Invisalign Teen, widening treatment options for more people with varying needs. Invisalign is chosen by many world-wide including celebrities because of the system’s discretion, ease in removing and replacing, comfort in oral movement and wear, and faster treatment time.

Within 9 to 24 months, smiles are transformed with Invisalign, improving facial expression and natural beauty. At Liverpool Dental Spa we bring out the best in you.

 

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Removable Braces For Patients In Liverpool: For Life On The Go

23rd January 2013

If we could relive our orthodontic experiences it would be no surprise if many of us opted for the recently arrived fashionable and flexible removable braces—instead of the traditional brackets that were fitted onto many teeth. One of the amazing things is that many people still aren’t aware of such technological advances in teeth straightening such as Invisalign clear braces, ClearStep and Perfect Clear!

Removable braces

If you are unaware of what exactly these braces can do to help you, then read on. Firstly, they provide the wearer with an unparalleled level of discreetness when undergoing orthodontic treatment. We all know that there is not much worse than feeling exposed and unattractive if your mouth is full of metal braces. However, since many of the removable appliances double up as clear alternatives, you can avoid this feeling altogether.

Discreet

In addition to being discreet, removable braces are removable. They can (and should) be taken out before mealtimes, so you don’t have to worry about smiling with spinach-clogged brackets and wires. You also need not worry about any debris becoming trapped between your teeth (one of the main reasons for dental erosion during braces treatment).

Removable braces are also easier to clean. In fact, you can literally see every angle of the aligner to be sure that your device gets a thorough cleaning.

Removable braces might sound too good to be true, but they’re not! While certain cases of severe misalignment require the force of fixed metal braces, many people can benefit from removable braces. To determine which type of brace would be best for you, drop into our practice in Liverpool and we can discuss your options.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Look at them move! An update about my ‘Invisaligned’ teeth

26th November 2012

 

I sometimes find it hard to believe that I started Invisalign treatment nearly a month ago! The aligners have been really comfortable to wear and I must admit, some days I even forget that I’m wearing them. I really can’t thank my dentist enough for all of his help and advice about this treatment.

There have been occasions when I’ve had to stop myself from sipping on a really hot drink as I’ve had to remind myself that my Invisalign aligners are in. It’s so easily done! I’ve been wearing this second set for roughly 11 days now and whilst I haven’t noticed any changes from last week, I have noticed that the overall alignment of my teeth is looking a little straighter. When I go to close my mouth for example, my top teeth seem to be more in line with the bottom set.

Let’s compare from before I started: It’s probably quite difficult to tell any changes from the two pictures, but that is the kind of progress I am seeing so far.

Another thing I have noticed is that when I took them off at lunch one day this week, my jaw felt rather odd. I’ve had problems in the past with a clicking jaw, but this time it felt like my jaw was slightly at an angle and I wondered if the Invisalign had caused this or was repositioning the jaw in some way.

I have heard stories of Invisalign repositioning people’s jaw and that this can happen due to the aligners not allowing teeth to touch, as teeth naturally guide the jaw into position. So perhaps this is what I was experiencing. If I notice any further signs of this, I will be sure to inform my dentist.

I’ve had no problems with asking for any dental advice. I go to the Liverpool Dental Spa for my Invisalign treatment and their expertise truly marks them out as forerunners in the field of cosmetic dentistry. If I have any questions or problems Marius and the rest of the LDS team are always there to provide thorough answers and talk me through a number of possible solutions.

I’m so excited, soon I start on my third set of trays, so I’ll be sure to keep you posted!

~Anna

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I can’t even feel them!

14th November 2012

Hi everyone, it’s Anna and I wanted to share with you how I’m doing on my third week of treatment. Some days I even forget they’re in there as they’re feeling really comfortable now. If you look at my picture you can ‘see’ just how invisible my aligners are! I love them!

I started on my second set of Invisalign trays on Tuesday, making sure to put them on the night before and take two paracetamol before I went to bed. This is a technique which the dental nurse at the Liverpool Dental Spa advised me to do as she herself has been through Invisalign treatment and told me that the initial first couple of days are the worst when it comes to putting on a new tray as they feel very tight.

All of the dental team have been very helpful and as some of them have undergone the same treatments which they offer to patients, it means they can provide recommendations based on personal experience.

Progress with the second set of trays

I’ve now had the second set of Invisalign trays on for around 3 days and I can say they are no longer feeling so tight, which again, can only be a good sign. The good news is that the second set – even in the initial first few days, were nowhere near as tight as the first set. They are easy to take on and off and wearing them for 22 hours a day no longer feels so daunting.

Admittedly, it can be hard to make sure to put it back on straight away after eating and I’m finding that I’m eating and drinking everything I want during this time, so I can avoid having to remove the aligners later on, only to have to brush my teeth.

This has meant that my snacking time has been greatly reduced, though I will admit on Valentine’s Day I did take them off for a bit longer than I was supposed to – (the chocolates were just too tempting!)

Drinking with aligners on

I also learnt last weekend not to drink anything but water with the aligners on. I went to the pub on Friday night and drank lemonade through a straw with my aligners in, which I thought would be ok, as I was reluctant to drink alcohol, in case of staining.

However after a few minutes I could feel the sugar from the lemonade under my aligners and my teeth just didn’t feel all that clean after that! I therefore think it might be safer to take them out if you’re planning on drinking on a night out. I know this can seem like a lot of wasted treatment time, but I think so long as you brush your teeth and put them back on before bed, you should be ok. However this might mean extending your treatment time of each tray by a day or two.

Overall, I’d say my progress has been good although it’s hard to tell if there’s been that much of a difference at this early stage. I will keep you posted by getting some pictures taken which can demonstrate the differences in my teeth (no matter how small).

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My Invisalign Journey – Week 1

1st November 2012

On Monday afternoon, I went to the Liverpool Dental Spa to have my first set of Invisalign aligners fitted. As soon as I was welcomed into the practice I was really impressed with the way I was treated as the whole dental team made me feel at ease. Everyone was very friendly and helpful about any questions I had.

Initial Impressions

I remember feeling nervous as I walked into the practice, but the peaceful music and tranquil atmosphere of their reception area soon put me at ease. It wasn’t until I was called into the treatment room that I realised what I was about to do. Thankfully Marius McGovern, owner of the practice asked me if I was ready to go ahead with the treatment and explained everything to me in detail; that I was to have 21 sets of aligners on my top teeth and 16 on the bottom set, meaning that I should finish treatment around November.

I closed my eyes as the six ‘buttons’ or attachments were bonded onto my teeth, but the process wasn’t painful, despite my initial panic over thinking they would look really noticeable. I promise you, they’re really not that easy to see!

The idea behind attachments is that they provide grip on the teeth and aid in their rotation, so they move into the correct place. There must have been about 10 minutes where these were bonded on, though I didn’t feel anything during this process.

After the attachments were fitted, I had the aligners placed onto my teeth and while I didn’t feel anything at first, I was aware that they fitted snugly onto my teeth and the sensation felt a bit like wearing a gum shield.

One of the dental nurses then brought a mirror over to me so I could have a look at my teeth with the aligners on. The first thing I noticed was the attachments on my teeth – but they were the same colour as my teeth and on closer inspection and barely noticeable. I was shown how to clean and maintain the Invisalign aligners and was asked to practise taking them on and off so I could get used to the feeling. It took a few minutes – but I got there!

We had a joke about Invisalign being the best diet to go on as people tend to avoid snacks and hot drinks when they’re wearing them. This is because hot drinks can warp the aligners and if you snack, you are then required to take them out and brush your teeth/aligners to avoid the build-up of food which can lead to plaque. With regard to cleaning the Invisalign aligners, I was advised to just use a bit of toothpaste on a toothbrush and rinse them out using cold water.

I was also given two sets of trays to store them in to keep them safe when they’re not in my mouth. One of the trays is red and one is blue. The blue one is for during the course of treatment and the red one is for previous aligners.

Here’s what it looks like:

It was a strange feeling taking them off at first and I thought they might snap if I pulled too hard – but I was told just to pull them off, from the left, right and then finally the centre to remove them. I was also advised that my teeth would feel sore with these aligners in for the first couple of days, as the teeth adapt and get used to wearing them.

Pain

At first I thought ‘this is easy’ and wondered what all the fuss was about. For me, the pain didn’t kick in until I’d been wearing the aligners for at least 2-3 hours. The pain wasn’t excruciating, but it felt like a dull ache on my bottom set of teeth – more annoying than anything else. I took two paracetamol however and the pain soon subsided. It did hurt to remove the aligners to eat though and the pain was pretty sharp and somewhat agonising when taking them on and off. I just kept on thinking to myself that it can only get better!

Day 1-2

I’m still finding it slightly difficult to adapt to these aligners. The pain taking them on and off is still there and it feels weird to taste the sensation of plastic in my mouth. I can’t get over how invisible they really are and so far no one has said anything about them or commented that they can see them.

Day 2-3

The aligners are becoming more comfortable and don’t hurt as much to take on or off. They’re getting easier to remove too – maybe my teeth have started adapting to them? The taste of plastic is still there, but I’m getting used to it. I am noticing that I’m lisping slightly, but nothing too obvious.

That’s it so far! So what are my overall thoughts about my first few days of using Invisalign?

I’m really impressed by how virtually invisible they are and now my teeth are adjusting it feels pretty comfortable – and not like wearing a brace at all. I have to wear the first set for about 10-14 days before moving onto the next tray and I’m already feeling pretty excited to see the results. Of course there is a lot of commitment involved – 22 hours of wear a day is required, but so far it’s not been as difficult as I at first imagined.

In the next update I will talk more about my progress during this first set of trays and how I’m adapting to it – plus whether I have seen any results yet.

Thank you Liverpool Dental Spa!

 

 

 

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What Are The Advantages Of Removable Braces For Patients In Liverpool?

25th October 2012

Fixed braces aren’t exactly a thing of the past but, in many cases, orthodontic treatment can now be provided by removable braces. There are several types of removable brace treatment, ranging from Invisalign to ClearStep, but they all share many common attributes.

Basic advantages of removable braces

Firstly, the can be removed at mealtimes. Food can get trapped in and behind fixed braces, but this is not a problem with removable braces as they can be removed when eating. Certain foods are a problem for fixed braces: Hard foods such as crusty rolls can break them, chewing gum can get stuck in them and acidic foods (such as soft drinks) can stain orthodontic brackets. By being able to remove your brace at meal times, you avoid damaging it in this way – only your actual teeth will bear the burden of your diet. Speaking of which, being able to remove braces will also help you maintain basic oral hygiene: Fixed braces can make parts of your teeth difficult to reach and can make the 2 minute ritual that little bit more complicated. Again, all of this is sidestepped by a removable brace. Most removable braces are also more comfortable than fixed braces as fixed braces are noted causes of irritation and gum inflammation.

Advantages of Invisalign

Invisalign is but one brand of removable brace. This type of brace comes with one added advantage however: It is clear. You can wear braces discreetly!

Suitability: Are removable braces for everyone?

In a word: No. Complicated orthodontic procedures are best suited for fixed braces. There are, however, various types of removable braces, some of which are more accommodating than others. Simpli5 braces, for instance, work very quickly; some patients can complete treatment with them in between 3 and 5 months (whereas standard treatment can take up to 3 years). This speed, however, comes at the expense of the range of orthodontic issues they can treat. Simpli5 is best suited for minor corrections. Invisalign and ClearStep, in contrast, can treat a wider array of bite problems.

 

 

 

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The Changing Faces Of Braces For The Patients Of Liverpool

4th September 2012

The perception of the tooth brace to most people is a chunky, ugly and possibly ill- fitting metallic device. However, in recent years, this has changed with many different types of brace being developed, all of which have been designed not just for comfort but for aesthetics.

No longer is there a stigma attached for wearers. Rather, wearers who generally tend to be fashion conscious youngsters can wear them without feeling embarrassed.

Types of modern braces

There are a variety of braces available now which are designed for specific purposes. The one size fits all is no longer appropriate.

Traditional Braces

This type is perhaps the recognisable brace although now they are made from a mixture of stainless steel and nickel-titanium amalgam making them a lot lighter to wear. The bracket is bonded to the tooth and each one is connected via a wire. The brackets themselves can also be decorated.

One of the problems with using stainless steel though is that this can stain the teeth; an alternative is the gold plated brace. This has one distinct advantage over the traditional stainless steel version – it is not as severe looking. They are also useful people with allergies to nickel.

Another alternative to the above are ceramic braces. These tend to be the most popular with adolescents. Moreover they can be designed to blend with the natural colour tooth enamel of the wearer; thus making them less obtrusive.

Lingual Braces

These are fitted to the back of the teeth rather than the front. While they are effective in not being easily seen there are 2 disadvantages. First they can be expensive, and second they are not easily adjusted simply because they can get in the way of the wearer’s tongue. The good thing about these braces is that no one will know that you are wearing them.

Invisalign

This type of brace was designed for people whose teeth problems are not severe or complicated. As the name implies they are also almost invisible, which for adolescents is a great added benefit.

Invisalign braces are used for people where movement is gradual. They also offer better oral hygiene care as they are easily removed.

 

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Adult Patients in Liverpool Looking for Invisible Tooth Straightening Should Look No Further Than Invisalign

20th May 2012

Braces have greatly advanced in recent years and patients are now able to receive orthodontic treatment without the need for fixed and visible metal braces.

At the Liverpool Implant and Aesthetic Dental Spa we provide patients from Liverpool with a range of invisible aligners, which includes the amazing Invisalign treatment.

What is Invisalign and how does it work?

Invisalign treatment involves the patient gradually straightening their teeth using a series of clear aligners that remain unnoticed in the mouth. These aligners are changed every 2 weeks to a new aligner, which is shaped differently to the previously aligner. This change in shape between each aligner gently and effectively moves the teeth into place.

Your aligners are created using a personal mould of your mouth, which is sent off to the Invisalign laboratories where your specific Invisalign aligners will be made.

Who is suitable for Invisalign?

Most orthodontic conditions can be treated using invisalign braces, including:

  • Crooked teeth
  • Crowded teeth
  • Overbitten teeth
  • Gaps between teeth
  • Twisted teeth

However, if you suffer with a complex orthodontic condition you may be best seeking treatment with fixed braces, which are able to achieve a higher level of tooth movement.

What are the benefits of Invisalign?

There are numerous benefits to Invisalign aligners, which includes:

  • They are comprised of clear plastic, so no one will know that you are having orthodontic treatment.
  • They are removable, meaning you can eat comfortably and they are easier to clean.
  • You don’t need to have any dental appliances cemented to the front of your teeth.

If you are interested in Invisalign clear braces please feel free to ring the practice today. We can thoroughly assess your orthodontic condition and find the best brace system for you.

 

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Fool Your Friends this April Fools’ Day with an Invisible Invisalign Brace in Liverpool

1st April 2012

Custom dictates that on April 1st the jokes should really end around noon, lest you look the fool. But what if you kept a trick going for days, weeks or even months? Is it even a trick of you never get the big reveal? For many, the thought of dental braces are no laughing matter. Thankfully, with the Invisalign ‘Invisible’ brace, no one need ever be the wiser.

Benefits are not just cosmetic

Invisalign are virtually unnoticeable clear braces which can help one achieve a naturally straight smile without any apparent change in appearance. Aside from the ability to align teeth incognito, Invisalign can also provide a more comfortable experience than metal braces, which can inflame and irritate the gums. They are also more convenient, allowing one to take them out before eating and subsequently bypassing the age old complaint of getting food trapped between wire and elastic. The ability to remove Invisalign also helps with maintaining oral hygiene during treatment, something which can be neglected with metal braces and lead to future problems.

Suitability

For most orthodontic problems for patients in Liverpool, Invisalign braces are perfectly suited. In more severe cases however, other treatment may be deemed more effective. A patient’s suitability will easily be assessed during the initial consultation.

Standard procedure (in a nutshell)

Following the consultation the patient, if deemed suitable, would have a mould of their mouth taken, as well as several photographs. These would then be turned into a 3D model of their mouth, from which a simulation of their desired mouth position can be constructed. Aligners will be produced based on this model which will be changed every two weeks in order to gradually move their teeth to where they want them to be.

 

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