Align your smile
Have you ever felt that your smile lets you down? Your teeth are bright and white enough and you love smiling however, the position and alignment is not working out for you? You should consider straightening or aligning teeth to achieve a better functioning and looking smile.
Uncomfortable and painful metal or ceramic braces considered the only teeth aligning methods are now history. Here at Smile Design Mumbai we offer you the latest in orthodontic therapy namely Clear or Invisible Aligners.
Clear aligners are a series of clear, removable aligners, custom made to fit your teeth to provide a virtually irritation-free treatment option with minimal adjustment and discomfort. Clear aligners are nearly invisible, minimally invasive and resistant to clouding from wear. With clear aligners, there are no brackets to come off or wires to break and poke. These are an ideal solution for adults as they can be removed for eating, drinking and special events. Additionally, oral hygiene maintenance is not an issue, as these aligners can be easily removed prior to brushing and flossing, thus allowing you to clean your mouth effectively before putting them back in.
Clear aligners are made after our orthodontist takes three-dimensional impressions or digital impressions/scans of your teeth.
Second step is to fabricate them into your custom-fit clear aligners using state of the art computerized technology and 3D Printing. Now they are ready for you to be tried on and evaluated for fit and suitability.
A series of clear aligner sets are custom made for your teeth – and your teeth only – to move them little by little each time. The number of aligners will depend on the severity of your orthodontic problem. You will have to wear your aligner for a minimum period of 20 to 22 hours each and every day. The only time these are to be removed is when you have to eat, drink (anything besides water) or brush your teeth. Each aligner is worn for about two weeks before being replaced by the next, until the final position of your teeth is achieved. With each new aligner set, your teeth slowly adjust and gradually realign to your desired smile. At periodic visits, our dentist/orthodontist will provide the next aligner set and evaluate your progress throughout treatment. Revision aligners may be required at the end of the first set of aligner treatment for a finer correction of movement.
frequently asked questions
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Are braces the only way to align my teeth?
NO. Besides braces, even clear aligners provide an excellent alternative to aligning your teeth. In certain cases where a major correction is not required, dental veneers or multiple crowns can provide an excellent option for alignment of teeth and these can be done in a much shorter time frame than orthodontic correction.
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Is fixing crooked teeth without braces safe?
YES. Even though braces or invisible aligners are the most effective means of straightening your teeth, there are other means by which mild cases of improper teeth alignment can be corrected. These methods use dental veneers or dental crowns. However, this decision is made by your smile designer at Smile Design Mumbai and would entail permanent alteration of certain teeth and hence an in-depth analysis of your current bite, jaw position and teeth alignment will be carried out as a part of treatment planning.
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How long do you need to wear braces for alignment?
This depends purely on the severity of your case and the amount of tooth movement required to achieve your best smile. The average duration however ranges from 8 months to 12 months and sometimes can be as short as 3 months or as long as 2 years.
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Do braces fix teeth in their new position permanently?
Braces are a means by which teeth are guided into a new favourable position in the safest way possible. However, once removed, teeth do not have the support of braces to hold them in the same position. Even though we balance the teeth in a way that shift in teeth is negligible certain conditions change the balance e.g.:
Bruxism/Clenching – Some people have the habit of grinding or clenching their teeth with a lot of force especially when they are stressed or sometimes unintentionally at night. This excessive movement can cause a shift in teeth as well as damage other structures of the oral complex.
Poor gum health – Bad oral hygiene and poor gum health leads to weakening of the structures that support the teeth. Damage to these structures can lead to tooth movement.
Presence of wisdom teeth (Third molars) – these teeth tend to shift and erupt at a later stage in life leading to untoward movement of other teeth. It is always better to have these removed prior to orthodontic therapy or as and when they seem to pose a threat to the adjacent teeth. -
Do Clear Braces go yellow?
Yes, this is a possibility if you do not follow good oral hygiene during your treatment. This could also happen if you do not remove your aligners while eating or drinking. We highly recommend that you maintain good oral hygiene (brushing twice daily, flossing regularly, rinsing your mouth after every meal etc) and remove your aligners before eating or drinking anything.