Invisalign

Instead of wearing conventional braces, patients of Barsky DDS straighten their smiles with clear, removable alignment trays. The doctor is an Invisalign certified provider, making it simpler and easier than ever for our patients to enjoy healthy, straight smiles without visible wires.

At Barsky DDS, we offer Invisalign braces for our patients that require realignment of their bite – either due to aesthetic or functional reasons. Bite discrepancies not only interfere with aesthetics – they also impact the overall wear and health of the teeth. Straightening the teeth into a harmonious relationship limits the amount of therapeutic or restorative care needed later on.

For nearly 20 years, Invisalign has been one of the leading treatment options for clear adult orthodontics. What once began as a comfortable, clear alternative to traditional braces has revolutionized itself into one of the most effective treatment options yet.

Straight teeth are a key component of a perfect smile. Adults and teens who want to straighten their teeth without the hassles associated with traditional braces increasingly turn to Invisalign.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a method of straightening teeth that is practically invisible. Patients are fitted with easy to use, transparent, and removable aligners specifically designed for their teeth. The result is straight teeth without braces, and an improved smile.

Invisalign Video

How Invisalign Works

The Invisalign process uses a digital scan of your smile to create a 3D replica using our state-of-the-art treatment software. The doctor then makes adjustments to the 3D image, creating a smile that is properly aligned, one tooth at a time. This information is then transferred to Invisalign laboratories, where your aligners will be made.

Each set of crystal-clear aligners will gently guide your teeth into a desirable position. The doctor carefully oversees the process to make changes as necessary. As you progress onto the next set of removable aligners, your teeth are guided even further along. Step by step, the aligners reposition your smile using mild pressure without the use of bulky appliances. Once you’ve reached your final set of aligners, you will have the straighter smile.

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Who Makes a Good Candidate for Invisalign?

Invisalign is designed for teens and adults that have all of their permanent teeth. Additionally, Invisalign may not be the right option for some patients, depending on the severity of their particular issues. Dr. Barsky will be able to determine if a given patient is a good candidate for Invisalign.

Using Invisalign, the doctor is able to correct a number of aesthetic and functional concerns, such as crowding, overbites, crossbites, and more. He may even recommend Invisalign for patients who suffer from TMJ pain or disorders due to an unhealthy bite relationship.

Being an Invisalign patient requires a commitment to wear the aligners as prescribed. Forgetting to change them out or wear them an adequate amount of time each day will prevent progress. Fortunately, most patients of Barsky DDS are committed to their home care instructions, providing them with successful results every time.

In most cases, Invisalign allows us to eliminate* the need for traditional orthodontic therapy, yet provides identical results. Even more complex situations can successfully be treated with Invisalign in a minimal amount of time.

The best way to determine whether or not you are a candidate for Invisalign is to schedule a visit with the doctor. Together in our private consultation suite, you will discuss what corrections can be made, as well as the estimated duration of your treatment.

Generally, Invisalign can help with:

• Cross-bite
• Crowded teeth
• Gapped teeth
• Overbite
• Under-bite

Invisalign vs Conventional Braces

With Invisalign, the doctor can transform your smile’s position, alignment, and function. Patients of The MIAMI Institute find that Invisalign is a much more comfortable alternative to conventional orthodontics, providing them with more freedom and flexibility throughout their normal daily activities.

Wearing fixed braces can make it difficult to keep your teeth as clean as they should be, which frequently leads to unwanted complications like “white spots,” gingivitis, and increased tooth decay. Choosing Invisalign means you can straighten your teeth without the added burden and maintenance of metal braces.

Because each set of aligners is custom molded to fit around your individual teeth, you will not have to worry about irritation to your lips or cheeks. The thin aligners refrain from interfering with speech or smiling, almost as if you weren’t in braces at all.

What are the Benefits of Invisalign?

Patients who have used Invisalign have reported many benefits. In addition to fixing cross-bite, crowded teeth, gapped teeth, overbite, and under-bite, as well as generally improving a patient’s smile, Invisalign also has unique advantages over traditional metal and clear braces.

1. Faster treatment timeframe – the unique characteristics of the Invisalign system can correct teeth faster
2. Enhanced comfort – patients who have tried both traditional braces and Invisalign have reported that the Invisalign trays are much more comfortable.
3. Removable – traditional braces can only be taken off by a trained orthodontic specialist. Invisalign is removable so patients don’t have to wear them all of the time. This also allows patients to enjoy the foods they love that they can’t have with braces.
4. Facilitates better oral hygiene – braces can make brushing and flossing difficult, and require additional maintenance. Invisalign lets patients brush and floss normally with no extra work.
5. Not Clearly Visible – clear “invisible” braces that are not typically noticed.

Many patients have found that the benefits of Invisalign make it more desirable, and in many cases more effective, than traditional braces.

Invisalign Before and After

Actual Invisalign patient of Dr. Barsky.

What to Expect with Invisalign

The Advantages of a Prosthodontists for Invisalign

The Invisalign Process

Wearing Invisalign is extremely simple. The doctor recommends that you keep your aligners in for at least 20-22 hours per day. This provides you with enough time to remove your aligners during meals or for oral hygiene purposes.

After two weeks, the patient will change the aligners out with the next set in the series. Patients of Basrky DDS are able to bring several sets of Invisalign aligners home at a time, limiting the number of visits you need to schedule at our office. The doctor will assess your bite every 6 to 8 weeks to ensure things are progressing, as they should.

Although Invisalign is different for everyone, the majority of our patients complete their treatment within 12 to 18 months. The doctor will be able to provide you with an estimated duration during your initial consultation.

Step 1: Data and Crafting

Once Dr. Barsky and a patient have determined that Invisalign is the best option, the process can begin. The first step is an appointment where the patient’s teeth are x-rayed, dental impressions are made, and pictures of the patient’s teeth and face are taken. This information is then sent to Invisalign, where a technician will use it to create a 3D model of the patient’s mouth, and begin to design the trays to move the patient’s teeth to Dr. Barsky’s specifications. Once the results are perfect, the trays will be sent and the next step can take place.

Step 2: Moving Through the Initial Trays

Once the trays have been received, the patient can begin using them. The trays are used in sequence, with each tray straightening the teeth a bit more. Typically, teeth move about 1/10mm per tray. The patient will wear each set of trays for two weeks before moving to the next tray. Invisalign is removable, but in order for the process to be effective it needs to be in as much as possible. Patients should be wearing the trays for around 20 hours per day. This process will continue, with the patients changing trays every two weeks until they have used all of the trays.

Step 3: Refinement

In some cases there will still be teeth slightly out of place. In these situations, a new impression is taken and new trays will be made and delivered. This process usually takes another 3-4 weeks, after which the patient repeats the process until the results are perfect.

Other Important Process Information about the Invisalign Process

There are some other steps that may need to take place for the Invisalign process to work. Sometimes patients will need attachments, or small, discreet bumps of tooth colored material that the aligners can attach to, and that also help provide pressure at key points. Other patients might benefit from rubber bands to help rotate a specific tooth or correct bite. Some patients may also benefit from using a retainer after the Invisalign process is completed to protect their perfect smile.

Invisalign Maintenance during Treatment

Unlike traditional metal and clear braces, Invisalign can be removed for cleaning. Patients should remove the trays to brush and floss their teeth normally, and also to clean the Invisalign trays. They can be cleaned with a toothbrush while the patient is in the normal process of brushing their teeth. This helps prevent tooth decay and periodontal disease.

How to Maintain Your New Smile

It is easy to maintain your new smile after Invisalign therapy. The doctor will have a custom retainer created for you to wear each night. This prevents your teeth from relapsing into their previous position. If we combine additional services as part of a smile makeover, we will update your retainer to fit appropriately.

Using Invisalign in Conjunction With Other Treatments

If the doctor is completing a smile makeover or full mouth rehabilitation, he may choose to use Invisalign prior to the delivery of any fixed cosmetic services. This creates a harmonious relationship between the upper and lower jaws, so that they bite together properly.

When the teeth bite together in a healthy way, it limits the amount of pressure exerted onto misaligned teeth. As a result, the doctor can use less invasive cosmetic techniques to enhance the appearance of your smile without worrying about them chipping or wearing away.

One example of this would be using bonding or a porcelain veneer instead of needing a full coverage crown. This minimizes the amount of adjustments needed on your natural teeth, yet provides the most dramatic results possible.

Many of our patients choose to use Invisalign as a part of their smile makeover because of its enhanced oral health benefits.

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The Advantages of using a Prosthodontist for Invisalign

A prosthodontist has years of additional, specialized training to help people get the best smile possible. This training includes medical and cosmetic practice. Invisalign trays need to be custom made, and the process of fine tuning the tray designed to produce the best smile possible is the type of task that benefits greatly from the added training and experience patients receive from a board-certified prosthodontist.

Should I Get Invisalign?

If you are an adult or teen who has crooked, gapped, or crowded teeth, or have an overbite, under-bite, or cross-bite, then you may be a candidate for Invisalign. Teeth straightening is a decision that is best made in consultation with a qualified prosthodontist, and Dr. Barsky has the skills and experience to help you determine if Invisalign is right for you.