Invisalign® Clear Aligners
What Is It: Patients with mild to moderate crowding can utilize clear teeth straightening trays to achieve their desired smiles. Successive trays are used to reposition crowded teeth or teeth that are out of place. Minimal movement is made per tray, making treatment generally comfortable.
Procedure Description: First you’ll meet with Dr. to discuss treatment and assess your smile. Impressions and photos are taken and sent to Invisalign with the prescription for treatment. Then ClinCheck®, a proprietary software, is used to digitally display the projected changes from the start to finish of your orthodontic clear aligner treatment before you even begin care! This can be perused by both the patient and Dr. . Once approved, the trays are fabricated. You’ll then have an appointment to place any orthodontic attachments (composite material that allows the trays to more effectively move the teeth) and receive your first aligners with instructions to begin transforming your smile. You’ll have routine check-ups with Dr. to ensure everything is going as planned. Once treatment is complete, it is paramount to retain teeth in their final position.
Why You Would Need It: Clear aligner trays can correct a multitude of issues with your smile, including open bites, crowding and mild crossbites. It is not for all situations, but it is very effective for many orthodontic corrections.
Dental Veneers
What Is It: Bonded to the facial surface of a tooth, a veneer serves to improve the cosmetic appearance of teeth that are otherwise sound. Often completed to assist with shade uniformity, position correction or morphology changes, veneers can change a patient’s smile forever. Case selection is important as some may not be the best candidates for veneers due to a more conservative procedure being just as effective or full coverage crowns being needed instead.
Procedure Description: You’ll come in for your consult with Dr. and he will evaluate your smile. Often, this includes taking impressions of your teeth from which a mock-up or diagnostic wax-up can be completed to mimic what your end result could look like. When approved, a preparation appointment is set and the teeth are then prepared to accept the veneers. An impression is made and sent to the lab for your permanent veneers to be created. In the meantime, temporary veneers are worn. This gives the patient time to get used to the changes made. If you would like small alterations to be done, they can easily be changed in the temporaries and that change can then be communicated with the laboratory via an impression of the changed temps. On seat day, the temps are removed and the permanent veneers are seated and evaluated by the patient. If ideal, the veneers are bonded in placed. Often, a follow-up visit is performed to make sure the bite is ideal.
Why You Would Need It: Veneers are used to cosmetically change your smile. They can correct miscolored teeth, gaps between teeth, ill-shaped teeth, and teeth that are the wrong size or alignment. This is a very transformative procedure that you will not regret!
Enamel Microabrasion
What Is It: The removal of discolored surface defects resulting from altered mineralization or decalcification of the superficial enamel layer.
Procedure Description: Using a pumice and acidic solution, the non-uniform surface defects are “buffed” out of the enamel. This allows the unsightly look of teeth to be improved comfortably and dramatically within minutes.
Why You Would Need It: If you have white spots or brown spots that reside in the external layer of enamel of your front teeth.