Orthodontics

Orthodontics is a field of dentistry that is concerned with the treatment of jaws and teeth that have been misaligned due to various reasons. Orthodontics as a field of dentistry has only really established itself in the past 300 years, despite that even ancient Greek physicians like Hippocrates have already described orthodontic conditions. Prior to the widespread use of the metal braces everyone knows today, orthodontists have used headgears and braces that consisted of a precious metal band wrapped around each tooth. A major breakthrough in orthodontics was the invention of dental adhesives, which facilitated the widespread use of stainless steel braces with brackets. This allowed a significantly wider range of society to have access to orthodontic treatment due to the reduced costs. Today, metal braces are not the only option for patients who would like to straighten their teeth. There are now numerous alternatives, such as invisible aligners, lingual braces and clear braces. If you are interested in getting Invisalign in Welwyn, you should consider booking a consultation session with Neel Dentistry.

Invisalign – how does it work?

Invisalign – as the name suggests – is a brand of invisible aligners, which have been developed during the late 1990s due to a pressing need for alternatives of metal braces. These aligners are moulds of a patient’s dental arches, which fit perfectly on them. During the treatment multiple aligners are made to adjust for the progression of the treatment. The aligners are made out of a transparent plastic, therefore their visibility from external perspectives is significantly reduced compared to metal braces with brackets. Before the treatment starts a 3D image is created based on a patient’s mouth using a special device developed by Invisalign called iTero. An important benefit coming with the use of this device is that it does not use any harmful ionising radiation, like traditional X-rays do, which can cause lesions in your DNA and predispose you to the development of certain cancers. Instead, this device uses visible light to create a detailed 3D image of the mouth. If you are interested in getting Invisalign in Welwyn, you should book a consultation session with Neel Dentistry to find out whether you are a suitable Invisalign candidate.

The benefits and drawbacks

As it was mentioned above, Invisalign aligners are almost entirely invisible from an external perspective, which is a significant benefit when it comes to aesthetics. But the benefits do not stop here: these aligners have improved comfort due to the smooth plastic surface. Moreover, the aligners can be removed easily, which means that you can prevent them from getting stained, clean them and eat what you would normally eat without any additional hassle. Another important benefit is that the imaging technology used prior to the manufacture of your personalised aligners does not use ionising radiation, therefore you do not have to worry about any adverse effects. Unfortunately certain tooth types and certain more severe orthodontic conditions can mean that a patient is not suitable to be treated with Invisalign, as in these cases the aligners could not get an appropriate grip on the teeth. In these cases, traditional metal braces or clear braces can solve the issue.