Clear Teeth Aligners and Invisalign
The Orthodontic Center LA Clear Aligner Difference
*Actual Patient
For many people, crooked teeth are a frustrating and seemingly unsolvable cosmetic issue.
Since there is no way to remedy or improve the structure of your teeth the same way you can diet to lose weight or exercise to tone muscle, the only solution is to turn to orthodontic treatment.
People who turn to treatment have often dealt with years of smiling through closed lips during photos, hiding laughs behind a hand, and self-consciousness when talking in close proximity with other people. For some time now, traditional braces have been the go-to treatment for people looking to rid themselves of these insecurities. Unfortunately, braces come with a whole new set of insecurities of their own; impeded speech, noticeable hardware, and dietary restrictions are just a few of the new problems that braces introduce.
What is the best clear teeth aligner in the world?
The secret to achieving a naturally beautiful smile and functionally healthy bite is an art and a science.
Orthodontic Center – Retainers
Commercial companies like Invisalign, Staumam Ortho, and scores of others like to advertise that their brand is the best and that their clear plastic is better than their competitors.
Most of these companies have technicians, with various levels of expertise, many abroad, eg. in Costa Rica, that are not qualified/licensed to diagnose or treat you, but are charged with “straightening“ teeth on a computer. Sometimes algorithms are used, based upon averages. Clear Aligners are then manufactured, often in bulk. Non orthodontic specialists are allowed to direct the movements remotely. Some non orthodontic specialists hired by direct to consumer companies, don’t ever meet the patient.
It is vitally important for anyone considering correcting their teeth or bite to be carefully examined, in person ongoing, by a board certified orthodontist with extensive experience in jaw and bite disorders.
The experienced orthodontist must personally diagnose your individual condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan for you, often in conjunction with a team of allied specialists. He or she must then carefully monitor and adjust your teeth and bite and jaw during treatment, using their comprehensive preferred analysis, including a cephalometric analyses, 3-D imaging, bite registrations, laminographs, airway and sinus analyses when applicable with progress records. The teeth, smile, bite, jaw/TMJ, and airway are intimately related and any correction requires very careful analysis before and during the correction process. Fortunately, when correctly diagnosed, monitored and treated, exceptional results are possible.
FORTUNATELY FOR ALL OF US, TEETH AND BITES CAN BE CORRECTED AT ANY AGE.
It’s not too late to get your teeth and bite corrected.
Clear Teeth Aligners vs Braces
Who should I use to get my Clear Aligners, ClearCorrect, Invisalign or braces? A dentist? An orthodontist? Which orthodontist?
Many dentists are now offering Invisalign or Clear Correct or clear aligners or braces to their patients and are NOT orthodontist specialists. They are licensed dentists and may be exceptional dentists, trusted and admired and loved by their patients but it is very difficult to be good at everything (eg all aspects of dentistry and orthodontics). Dentists are trained in dentistry. Orthodontic specialists are dentists that were selected and have gone back to university and chosen to specialize only in orthodontics and they do not do general dentistry, only orthodontics.
Choose a University-trained orthodontist that is an exclusive specialist instead. There are many good reasons for this:
- An orthodontic specialist is much better qualified and much better trained and much more experienced provided you choose an orthodontist that is university trained with formal specialized training of at least two to three years. Then choose an orthodontist that has been in practice for many years with extensive experience. If an orthodontist has been practicing orthodontics for more than 20 years and has had a chance to treat and see his or her results, 20 or more years after treatment is completed – he or she will generally have a much better appreciation for what works for your individual case.
- Choose an orthodontist specialist that is kind and interested in showing you options and alternatives and willing to spend time educating you, and help you decide what may work best for you or your children.
- If it is for your children, an orthodontist and his staff (team) that is exceptional, can have an enormous impact on your child’s development. Each visit he or she can also spend lots of time, encouraging, educating, inspiring, teaching and reinforcing good oral hygiene habits and excellent compliance.
Parents, and children, as they grow up, have told us about the enormous impact their orthodontist had on their lives and how much they enjoyed the experience. Others have commented how mediocre or negative their experience was, for numerous reasons, including poor results and extended length of time wearing braces. Modern technology and an exceptional orthodontist can make the world of difference. Treatment times can be significantly reduced, with stellar results and the experience can be very positive in every respect.
Candidates for Clear Teeth Aligner Treatment
Anyone looking to perfect the shape of their smile is a candidate for Clear Teeth Aligner treatment, but here are a few of the most common issues it can treat:
- Crowded teeth
- Overbite
- Underbite
- Crossbite
- Teeth gaps
- Open bite
Questions:
- Which braces are best?
- What about Invisalign, or Clear Correct or Smile Direct or Byte or Snap Correct or Candid Company or The Invisible Orthodontist or 360 Orthodontics?
- Which is the cheapest?
- Does consumer direct, or do-it-yourself kits or Smile Direct work?
- What are the dangers?
- Should I let a dentist rather than a specialist (orthodontist) do my Invisalign or braces? Why not?
- Is a dentist good enough to do Invisalign? Is a dentist cheaper than a specialist (orthodontist)?
Answers:
Invisalign vs Braces. Which is better?
The best way to find out is to contact me, either online digitally or in person (call 310-454-0317 or e-mail orthodontist227@gmail.com). You can schedule an online conference call or send me a photograph of your teeth and smile and face and schedule a follow-up telephone consultation.
I have proprietary simulation software and a comprehensive library of over 5,000 patients, immaculately documented, including ‘like and similar’ cases to yours, that I can compare your case to. I also have extensive experience treating thousands of patients and tracking their short term and long term results over more than 30 years. I can also give you a very good idea of the cost and time to improve or correct your teeth, smile and/or bite and options of treatment.
What orthodontic treatment is best? What is the most cost-effective?
The key to straightening your teeth correctly – including making certain that your bite is optimal and functional for your health and well-being over your lifetime, is always, selecting the best orthodontic specialist (not general dentist) and not selecting consumer-direct companies that advertise or companies that advertise that they use a dentist or orthodontist for their setups and then send the aligners to you or hand them to you to wear.
Why?
There are literally many thousands of combinations of corrections possible for any one person. You may think that there cannot be so many variables to correcting e.g. a simple set of slightly crowded teeth. But there are. Choosing that optimal combination for variables to correct your teeth or smile or bite is so important and can often be done in less time and with less cost if analyzed and Rx correctly. It truly is an art and a science.
The correct combination of variable incorporated into your correction makes a big difference. Optimally it can designed to last a lifetime, feel good, look natural and function optimally for your unique condition. This is true for Invisalign or braces or any orthodontic appliance or clear aligner.
Some people believe that the results of Invisalign by one doctor will be the same as the results of another doctor, and this is NOT so. That is like giving two artists the same oil paint and brushes, with the same model and model lighting. The results will be very different.
Clear Teeth Aligner vs Braces Effectiveness
It is not the plastic aligners or Invisalign plastic that is critical to the success of your treatment. It is the specialist, of course. It is what the specialist chooses to do with the plastic aligners or braces or Invisalign that is important. And there are literally thousands of different possible combinations including nuances, some significant and some less so, that can be incorporated into your results.
Generally, plastic aligners are NOT as efficient at all tooth movements than traditional braces. However, a very skillful and highly experienced orthodontist can learn how to manipulate clear aligners and Invisalign aligners in a way that he or she can obtain excellent results. That specialist will specifically study and prescribe exactly what he or she recommends. You may be surprised to know that there are literally thousands of combinations of variable outcomes to consider and specify in correcting even simple amounts of misalignment. A specialist must take a detailed history, and complete a detailed personal examination, with appropriate records in order to arrive at a diagnosis, and formulate his or her individualized treatment plan and then incorporate bite balancing and teeth and jaw adjustments that are best done by a highly trained, and very experienced specialist.
Orthodontic Center Los Angeles Clear teeth Aligners
What Are the Benefits of our Custom made Clear Aligners and Invisalign®?
Beautiful pearly whites don’t look quite as attractive when the teeth don’t line up nice and straight. Crooked teeth can be annoying and discouraging, but you have options for straightening them. Have you tried traditional braces before but disliked the look? Are you unhappy with your smile but feel braces may be more than you need? While traditional braces are still recommended for complex issues and bite correction, Invisalign® is an effective way for adults to straighten their teeth without the inconveniences of traditional braces.
No Metal in the Mouth
Our Custom made aligners and Invisalign® aligners are made out of medical-grade thermoplastic polymers. They are flexible, so they feel better in your mouth more than traditional braces. With our custom-made clear aligners or Invisalign®, there are no metal wires to poke you in the cheek and no metal brackets to irritate your lips. Soreness from adjustments is also reduced because the change is more gradual than with traditional braces. In all, our custom made aligners and Invisalign® is a more comfortable option.
Orthodontic Center LA Clear Teeth Aligners Are Less Restrictive
Eat What You Want
While it’s recommended that you wear your custom made clear aligners or Invisalign® aligners at least 20 to 22 hours a day, you are free to remove them periodically. Removal during meals allows you to freely eat foods that are restricted when wearing traditional braces. Foods like popcorn, gum, and other crunchy snacks have to be avoided when wearing conventional braces to prevent food getting stuck or damage to the braces; however, with custom-made clear aligners or Invisalign®, you no longer have to worry about any of that!
Look Professional
The ability to remove your custom made clear aligners or Invisalign® aligners can also help you maintain a polished, professional look when necessary. If you need to attend a formal social function, go to a job interview, or have an important meeting with a client, you have the option to avoid having your teeth hidden by traditional braces with Invisalign®.
A Shorter Timeframe for Treatment
Custom made clear aligners can actually reduce treatment times, compared to traditional braces.
A talented and highly experienced orthodontist and multidisciplinary team can use proprietary State of the Art 3-D CBCT hard tissue imaging and 3dMd soft imaging with advanced proprietary technology to meticulously set up a highly customized and individualized result.
This must also include specific attention to:
- Functional and structurally optimal teeth positions within your Maxilla (upper jaw) and Mandible (lower jaw)
- Optimal natural facial and smile aesthetics.
- Optimal skeletal relationships in all 3 places of space.
- Optimal TMJ position.
- Optimal Airway (Our on-site ENT will evaluate your oxygen saturation, nasal air passage, sinus health and drainage and retro-glossal airway for optimal health.)
Then a personalized treatment plan can be formulated to reduce treatment times but more importantly, to achieve superior results using a proprietary clear aligner integrated modified Bioprogressive, biomimetic system.
You Can Visualize Your Results
When you begin your custom made clear aligners or Invisalign® treatment, Dr. Jacobson will perform a 3D mapping procedure of your teeth. His office is one of the best-equipped centers in the country and utilizes a proprietary digital laboratory and 3D software to provide excellent results. From there, a correction strategy for your treatment plan will be developed. You will see a live time-lapse of your teeth being corrected at each stage of the treatment to let you envision the end result of your custom made clear aligners or Invisalign® treatment. Your aligners are created in our “state of the art” onsite laboratory and you can begin treatment immediately. Patients traveling from out of state or out of the country, can leave with your Clear Aligners the same day as your appointment. (Please let us know that you are traveling from out of state or out of the country when you call, so we can accommodate you.)
Cost
Smile Direct and other consumers to Patient direct companies say that they use dentists and orthodontists to help them achieve good results. What am I missing?
Beware! Don’t be misguided!
A highly trained and experienced orthodontist specialist must personally talk to you, examine your teeth and personally evaluate a host of complex factors that can directly impact the health and longevity of your teeth and smile and bite.
Questions your orthodontic specialist should ask and ascertain during a detailed evaluation include the following:
- How much bone is around each tooth?
- He or she will use a cone beam volumetric tomographic image of your teeth with carefully prepared sectioning that can be analyzed and studied. (A carefully taken series of periapical and bitewing images plus a lateral and frontal cephalometric image and panorex image with tomograms of the tmj can also be used.)
- What is the condition of the periodontium (gums and supporting tissue)?
- What is the condition of the connective tissue?
- Where is the cementoenamel junction of every tooth?
- Where is the center of rotation of each tooth?
- What is the size and shape of the roots?
- What is the condition of the pulp (including the nerves and blood vessels)?
- What is the size, shape, color, contour and emergence profile of each tooth?
- What is the position of each tooth relative to the jaws?
- What is the position of the jaws relative to the cranial base and to each other?
- Is the lower jaw positioned correctly?
- What is the condition of the temporo-mandibular joint?
- Is the disk (meniscus) in the correct position?
- Is the head of the condyle in the correct position?
- What is the direction and amount of growth and development and what impact will aging have based upon your stage of life?
- This is vitally important to the decisions made and appropriate accommodations can be made.
- What are the axial inclinations of each tooth, the amount and degree of rotations and extent of marginal ridge height disparities, proximity to adjacent and opposing teeth in centric occlusion and centric relation and the torque and angulation of each tooth in the maxillary and mandibular arch?
These are just a few examples of the bare minimum basic information that cannot be ascertained, except by a comprehensive examination and an in-person consultation with a specialist equipped with excellent appropriate records.
Highly trained and experienced specialists do this well and much faster and better than less experienced clinicians or dentists that are not specialists. Direct to patient companies that bypass the in-office care, invite immeasurable compromise and unknown dangers. Problem can manifest at any time, sometimes unexpectedly and sometimes long after treatment is rendered.
Saving money. Looking for that bargain?
Highly trained specialists can discuss your budget and formulate a treatment plan appropriate for you often at a similar or better fee but safer.
Amazingly, a highly trained, experienced orthodontist specialist can usually provide you with a better result in less time at a better cost than any direct-to-consumer company or any dentist. If you see or hear about a cheaper option — be skeptical. Select only a trusted orthodontist specialist and he or she can easily explain your options and alternatives, including lower cost options if you so choose.
Which is the cheapest? Do consumer direct or do-it-yourself kits work? What are the dangers?
Always consider what is safest and best for you.
There are so many complex variables that are instrumental to the health of your teeth, bite, and jaws that can be affected by any appliance you use in the mouth. Consider all factors.
Amazingly a highly trained specialist can create a treatment for you comparable to the cheapest deal advertised by Smile Direct or Byte or Snap Correct or Candid Company or The Invisible Orthodontist or 360 Orthodontics — but can do it much safer for all the reasons listed below.
Buyer beware.
Ask representatives of the American Dental Association, or the American Association of Orthodontists, or your doctor or specialist or a university trained and experienced orthodontist about the dangers and disadvantages of going direct.
If you are interested in learning more about Clear Teeth Aligner treatment options, please call our office to set up your consultation with Dr. Jacobson. We can be reached at (310) 454-0317.
What to Expect During Your Clear Teeth Aligner Consultation
Clear Teeth Aligners use a unique mapping technique to make the process as painless and possible. One of our doctors will take a 3D image of the patient’s teeth, which is then used to create a correction strategy. Once the imaging has been processed, a live timelapse will be available to demonstrate the progress of the smile at different stages of the treatment. After the strategy has been finalized, trays are then created from the images and provided to the patient to begin their treatment within a week; however, the process can be expedited to receive trays the same day as the initial appointment.
CLEAR TEETH ALIGNERS Before and After
Benefits of Using Clear Teeth Aligners
Traditional braces place a lot of restrictions on a patient’s lifestyle and create a surplus of maintenance obligations. Invisalign® foregoes these inconveniences, providing an effective treatment that allows the patient to resume their life per usual. Patients can continue to eat all their favorite foods, engage in all their favorite activities, and brush and floss without any hassle. Additionally, no metal wires or hardware means there are significantly fewer emergency visits during treatment.
Common Questions About Clear Teeth Aligners
How long does Invisalign® treatment usually take to complete?
A typical Clear Teeth Aligner treatment usually ranges between 3 and 12 months with exceptional compliance.
How many hours per day should I be wearing my aligners?
For best results, it is highly recommended that aligners are worn 20 to 22 hours per day. Patients should feel free to take them off during regular meals or at important events like interviews or weddings.
What are the aligners made of?
Invisalign® aligners are made of flexible plastic to perfectly fit every individual smile and tooth structure.
Will anyone be able to tell when I am wearing aligners?
Clear Teeth Aligners are virtually unnoticeable, so most people will not be able to see that you are wearing them.