Invisible Braces Buyer's Guide

Invisible braces which are also referred to as clear aligners are sought out by many adults that are invested in undergoing orthodontic treatment but don’t want their invisible braces to be overly noticeable. As opposed to traditional braces, with invisible braces, you’ll be able to easily remove your aligners whenever you eat, will have an easier time brushing and flossing your teeth, and you’ll be able to reap the benefit of the added flexibility that comes with taking care of your consultations with your orthodontist before you actually even wear the invisible braces. 

Most often, a 3D scan will be generated for your teeth, which is then used for making all necessary customizations to the invisible aligners before you actually receive them. Additionally, invisible braces are often made of high-quality plastic that serves to ensure you aren’t troubled by painful cuts inside your cheeks and/or problems with properly cleaning your gums which are more common when using traditional braces.

We'll now take a closer look at how your orthodontist virtually services your treatment, how eligibility works for invisible braces, what invisible braces are effective at correcting for, what the FDA guarantees, the general results you can anticipate upon the completion of your time with invisible braces, and common additional services offered with invisible braces. We'll also consider the typical length of treatment with invisible braces, the types of invisible braces, the impression kit for your invisible braces and how they work, and the lifestyle adjustments that you may need to make with your invisible braces. Lastly, we'll look at how the typical insurances work for invisible braces, various financing options for invisible braces, invisible braces discounts, and the typical customer support that you can expect for your invisible braces. 



Process





Orthodontist

With invisible braces, you are provided maximal flexibility when it comes to how your orthodontist services your treatment. By their design, invisible braces are customized based on a 3D scan of your mouth before you even receive them for usage. So, oftentimes you’re able to choose to be monitored exclusively remotely. This can serve as a great benefit for anyone with a packed schedule. Should you elect this option, your orthodontist will remotely monitor your progress with your invisible braces treatment plan by having you download a secure smartphone app, which will then provide you instructions for how you can properly send weekly photos of your teeth to your orthodontist. However, there are certain invisible braces programs that provide you the opportunity to schedule in-office visits in addition to the services that they provide you remotely as part of your treatment plan as well. 

Target Areas 

You’ll know that you’re an ideal fit for invisible braces if you have an underbite, overbite, crossbite, open bite, or have gaps or crowded teeth. In general, it’s best that you meet with your orthodontist before you sign up for invisible braces so that you can confirm that invisible braces are a good fit for you. Additionally, you should note that you’ll need all of your “adult teeth” before you can use invisible braces. If you still have a baby tooth or two, you’ll likely need additional orthodontic work before you can use invisible braces.

Guarantee

Most invisible braces companies will offer you a treatment guarantee which ensures if your teeth move out of alignment after you’ve completed your first invisible braces treatment, you’ll then receive additional impression kits, new treatment plan options, and also aligners that will work to correct any present misalignment issues that won’t cost you any extra money.

Additional Services

Oftentimes upon the conclusion of your invisible braces treatment plan, you’ll still be advised to wear a retainer, to brush at least two times daily with fluoride toothpaste, and to floss at least one time a day. As far as teeth whitening goes, you’ll generally be advised to wait at least 6 months before you consider signing up for a teeth whitening regimen. This is because your teeth will need time to regain their strength, and the actual discoloration that might be present in your teeth will oftentimes improve naturally over time.



Treatment





Length

The average length of treatment for your invisible braces is generally between 4-6 months, however, if you opt for the night-only invisible braces, you’ll need to wear them for closer to 10 months. You’re more likely to be an ideal fit for night-only invisible braces if you’re a milder case when it comes to any instances of teeth crowding, gaps, underbite, overbite, crossbite, etc.

Types

You’ll be able to choose from traditional clear aligners as well as night-only aligners. Traditional clear aligners are able to gradually and effectively shift your teeth by applying light and continuous pressure for at least 20 hours a day. Night-only aligners differ in that you’re only required to wear them for at least 10 consecutive hours. However, the catch here is that 10 hours may end up being an insufficient amount of time to generate the necessary prolonged pressure to work at shifting your teeth. This can ultimately contribute toward a lengthier timeline in terms of how long it’ll take you to achieve your desired results.

Impression Kits

An impression kit will contain everything that you’ll need when it comes time to make your dental impression. This includes molds of your teeth, which are made by having you bite into a putty-like material that hardens. These molds are then scanned and digitized to generate a digital copy of your teeth. The digital copy of your teeth is used to create a treatment plan which will include any dental treatment that you’re identified as needing to have done.

Food & Drink

It’s best to remove your aligners whenever you eat. Otherwise, you'll run the risk of getting food trapped in your aligners in addition to potentially breaking the actual plastic, warping the customized mold, or damaging your aligners in another way. In terms of drinking various fluids while you have your aligners in, you’re completely fine to drink water as long as it’s not too hot or cold, but you should note that if you consume sodas, teas, or coffee with your aligners in you might stain your aligners. Additionally, you shouldn’t chew ice with your aligners in. The more extreme temperature exposure combined with the impact that comes from ice can significantly damage your aligners. Lastly, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t chew gum with your aligners in.



Customer Support





Insurance

If you have standard health insurance, this generally won’t cover cases involving traditional orthodontic treatment like normal braces or an at-home invisible braces option. Health insurance plans operate independently from dental insurance plans, and will most often only cover serious and medically-imperative procedures on your face and jaw. A standard health insurance plan won’t cover routine cleanings, fillings, and orthodontic work. However, if you have dental insurance as well, sometimes your dental insurance plan will include orthodontic benefits that include offering coverage for at-home invisible braces. It’s ultimately a matter of whether your insurance company considers invisible braces a “do-it-yourself” treatment option. The easiest way to determine whether or not your insurance company provides coverage for invisible braces is to head over to an invisible braces company website's “Insurance” page. From there, you’ll usually be prompted to fill out the necessary information about your insurance company, and they will then do the rest of the work to determine if you have coverage or not.

Financing

Invisible braces companies will often offer numerous payment plan options for whatever ends up being the best possible fit for your financial situation. Financing with an invisible braces company will generally feature 100% guaranteed approval and usually require a down payment. Sometimes, the invisible braces company will also offer payment plan options that require no down payment through various companies like Affirm or CareCredit. Your best course of action is to work with a customer support representative at the time of your invisible braces checkout to determine what the best payment plan is for you. Additionally, when it comes to what you can expect in terms of an average pricing range for the overall costs associated with different invisible braces treatment plans, it typically ranges anywhere from $1,800 to $2,000, while the monthly cost can range from $80-100 with a down payment that usually totals between $250 to $300.

Discounts

If you're interested in learning more about a specific invisible braces company's discount opportunities, you should reach out to their customer support team by email or through their chat portal to determine whether you fit the company's requirements. 

Support

Fortunately, it’s generally not a big deal if you misplace your invisible braces. All that you usually need to do is contact your invisible brace’s support team to order a replacement. If you’ve signed up for a protection plan, you’ll likely be able to get your invisible braces replacement for free.

FAQS



Will the invisible braces follow the contour of your gums?

In most cases, no. Instead, the invisible braces will make a straight line across. This ensures that the invisible braces can effectively grip your teeth while simultaneously applying the gentle pressure that’s needed to straighten your teeth.

Can you use invisible braces if you have veneers?

Yes, invisible braces can move veneers and crowns as long as they’re not placed on your molars. You can assess what your potential, personalized treatment plan looks like once you buy and send back your impression kit. If you end up not being a valid candidate, you’ll be refunded the whole cost of the impression kit.

Can you have dental work done during the course of your invisible braces treatment plan?

In general, you’ll be advised to not have any dental work done throughout the duration of your treatment plan. Even with a procedure that’s as simple as a filling, the shape of your tooth can be transformed during the process, which can then result in your invisible braces not being able to fit from that point onward. You should also note, that oftentimes any non-emergency dental work that you have done will effectually void your Satisfaction Guarantee for moving forward.  



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