Teeth Aligners

If you want to have a perfect alignment, without wearing standard braces, there is a solution now. Teeth may be straightened by aligners. Aligners are transparent foils for gradual teeth straightening.

As a first step, the orthodontist examines the patient and analyzes diagnostic scans and photographs. After that, a digital scan is made by means of modern 3D intraoral cameras.

The advantages of digital scanning are precision, speed and unmatched comfort for the patient. Based on all the data gathered by scanning and analyzing the images, the orthodontist makes an individual treatment plan. 

All data are entered in the software designing our patient’s smile and planning the treatment process (what teeth are to be shifted and in what order), with a view to achieving an ideal position both in terms of aesthetics and health. It is important to know that all teeth are shifted and not only those which are visible when we smile. 

Upon designing your smile and making a treatment plan, a set of transparent foils (aligners) are made, aimed at gradually straightening the teeth. 

While wearing aligners, the patient feels mild pressure on the teeth, as a result of which they shift. For aligners to be efficient, you need to wear them 22 hours a day. In other words, they are removed only while eating. Each set of aligners is worn 7-14 days, after which the next set is worn. In time, teeth will be repositioned according to the treatment plan. The number of aligners needed to straighten the teeth varies and is planned individually for each patient. 

While wearing aligners, it is not possible to eat or drink anything but water. If coloured fluids (juices) are retained within the aligner and are in contact with your teeth, it may lead to the discolouration of your teeth and/or aligners, or even to developing dental caries. It is important to know that aligners, unless they are in the mouth, need to be kept in the box. They should never be left on napkins, tissues or within reach of children and pets. If you lose your aligners, you need to contact your orthodontist in order to continue the treatment.   

The advantage of aligners is that they are almost invisible and that they can be removed. Therefore, when you want to brush your teeth, to floss, to have lunch or merely not to have aligners in your mouth due to some social activities, just remove them for some time. 

Just like with brackets, upon finishing the treatment, the patient needs to wear retention foils in order to maintain the results achieved. 

We need to point out that aligners are not the right solution to every orthodontic problem and that in some situations it will be necessary to place brackets. Wearing aligners could include placing tooth coloured attachments on the teeth, to be removed after the treatment. The purpose of attachments is to ensure the efficiency of particular teeth movements.