Dr Dayanyev, can you tell us what exactly is Invisalign ® and who is a suitable candidate for an Invisalign ® treatment?

Invisalign is a set of transparent aligners that are calibrated to your exact requirements using computer technology and will gradually through continual use apply pressure to your teeth that will realign them to a way in which they make your teeth look straight or less crowded. Patients choose Invisalign ® over traditional metal braces because they want their orthodontics to be discrete. Invisalign ® is the most popular orthodontic treatment in the US today and we have performed hundreds of these procedures over the past 5 years.

Every set number of weeks we schedule an appointment so that the patient comes in and we give them their new aligner. These aligners are made in a series and you simply replace the old one with the new one very few weeks. Every set number of weeks your change your aligner because they are molded to each individual patient's teeth. So that you can simply replace one with the next in the series every few weeks, gently moving your teeth over time. Generally, they are taken out for eating and cleaning and prevent the common problem of getting food stuck in braces.

In terms of whom as a patient is a suitable candidate there are many different types of categories of patient that we see every day. They may be patients with overcrowded teeth, spaced teeth , underbites, overbites, or crossbites. They are other types of cases but these are the main ones. Generally speaking people requesting Invisalign are patients that are conscious about the way their teeth look and decide it’s time to fix it. Sometimes we actually advise patients to choose Invisalign ®. Sometimes we may see an issue with overcrowding in the patients mouth. This is a problem for the patient as crooked teeth or teeth that don’t fit together properly become harder to clean. This inadvertently increases the risk of gum disease and tooth decay. We can also identify other health problems that are attributed to crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw. This can also include extra stress being put on the chewing muscles while masticating. Believe it or not this is why people with this condition complain about headaches and shoulder and back pain.