Incognito - Hidden Braces
Incognito Hidden Braces have a unique design and fit. They are contoured to hug the lingual (or tongue-side) surface of your teeth for optimal comfort and performance. They are designed one patient at a time and one tooth at a time so no two brackets are exactly alike.
What are Incognito Hidden Braces?
Incognito Hidden Braces is a new way to straighten your teeth. This technology was developed in 2001. These braces attach to the lingual or tongue side of your teeth instead of the facial side.
Incognito Hidden Braces are invisible to the outside world. Only you know that you are wearing braces.
Incognito Hidden Braces use custom-made brackets that fit only your teeth. Each bracket molds to the tooth surface providing optimal comfort and performance. No two brackets are alike. The wires are designed and bent using robotic technology so they will move your teeth efficiently and effectively.
No other lingual braces offer the comfort and performance of Incognito Hidden Braces.
Here is an adult patient before and after four months of treatment. Treatment is not yet complete.
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How are Incognito Hidden Braces made?
1. Preparation
We take a very precise impression of your teeth and then send your impression along with our prescription to Incognito Hidden Braces. They use the impressions to pour stone models and then fabricate brackets and wires to adapt to your teeth.
2. Making Your Customized Incognito Hidden Braces.
Incognito Hidden Braces uses new CAD/CAM and rapid prototyping technologies to design and fabricate your customized Hidden Braces with a highly durable dental gold alloy. A set of precision wires is also designed and then bent using robotic technology created by OraMetrix.
3. Getting Your New Hidden Braces.
Your custom-made Hidden Braces usually arrive at our office five weeks after your impressions are taken. We use a very precise process for preparing your teeth in order to attach your new braces (brackets). After your braces are on, you need to return for monitoring and progress appointments until we complete your treatment.
<<Back to topWhy chose Incognito Hidden Braces?
- They are aesthetic because no one knows that you are wearing braces.
- You experience minimal discomfort and speech interference.
- They are customized to fit your teeth for best results.
- Customized wires that do not require adjustments mean fewer appointments and less discomfort throughout treatment.
- Your treatment may finish sooner.
- You see immediate results with Incognito Hidden Braces.
Who can wear Incognito Hidden Braces?
Most teens and adults who have all their permanent teeth should be able to wear Hidden Braces. During your FREE CONSULTATION, we will recommend the best treatment modality for you.
<<Back to topWhat is the advantage of Incognito Hidden Braces?
Hidden Braces are customized to fit each individual tooth. No two are alike. Other lingual braces are not customized but are a generic prescription that many times requires frequent adjustment.
Hidden Braces are up to 70% smaller than other lingual braces making them more comfortable with less tongue irritation and less impact on speech. It is easier to maintain good oral hygiene.
A gold alloy is used to make the brackets, which reduces the risk of nickel-related allergies.
The custom fit reduces the risk of detaching brackets, which reduces the number of emergency appointments required to re-bond them.
<<Back to topDo I need to be referred?
No, you do not need to be referred by a general dentist to Dr. David Alpan, an orthodontist at Aesthetic Orthodontics, although many general or family dentists refer many of their patients to us. If you have concerns about the health or appearance of your or your child's teeth, smile, or facial development and would like a FREE ORTHODONTIC CONSULTATION, call our office now or schedule an appointment now. Our phone numbers are listed on the top and bottom of every page.
<<Back to topDo we still need to see our family dentist?
Yes, you still need to see your general dentist for check-ups and cleanings. Patients with braces or other orthodontic appliances can find it difficult to keep their teeth clean. Your family dentist will advise you as to how often to come in for check-ups. Check out Cleaning Tips for more information on how to keep your mouth as clean as possible.
<<Back to topWhat foods do I have to avoid?
Fortunately, there are only a few foods that should be avoided while in braces - primarily hard foods and sticky foods. For example, foods such as peanut brittle and candied apples can not only be very difficult to clean from braces but can even loosen bands and brackets or break them and bend or break the arch wires. There are many more foods that you can eat than those you can't.
If you qualify for invisalign treatment, you will not have to avoid any foods because there will be no fixed brackets, bands or wires to loosen, break or bend. You may still feel more comfortable eating soft foods at times.
<<Back to topHow long will the treatment last?
There are a number of factors that determine how long you will wear braces, but in most cases you'll be ready to show off your new smile in about 18-24 months. With today's modern orthodontic appliances and techniques, treatment is getting faster, easier and more comfortable for the patient all the time.
Braces are used to straighten your teeth gradually, not overnight, so a little patience is needed. Just remember, any discomfort you may feel will be brief.
Your beautiful, healthy smile, however, will last a lifetime.
<<Back to topWill a retainer be necessary?
Wearing a retainer after braces is an important step, because it keeps the teeth stable after the active orthodontic appliance is removed at the end of treatment. Without retainers, your teeth would return to their old "crooked ways." If you want your teeth to remain in their ideal positions for the rest of your life, it would be best to wear a retainer that long. Some retainers can be put in permanently. The ideal one is made of a clear plastic removable material that fits on your teeth like a glove on your hand that can be worn at home and while you are sleeping.
Retainers are the cheapest form of insurance around. If you lose your retainer, it is cheaper to replace it IMMEDIATELY than to do your orthodontic treatment over again. As the saying goes, "If you don't use it, you lose it." The corollary to this saying is, "If you lose it, you can't use it." Then you'd better get a new one IMMEDIATELY so you won't have to "dooz it" over again.
<<Back to topHow do I schedule my first appointment?
1. Call us immediately at one of the telephone numbers at the bottom of every page on our website OR click on the email links next to the phone numbers to send us an email OR
2. Schedule an appointment online OR
3. Click on Contact Us where you'll find the phone, fax, email address and map of our three locations AND
4. Click the Gold Star on the left menu bar to access and complete the New Patient Forms. After completing the forms, please bring them with you to your first appointment.
<<Back to topHow much is the initial consultation?
Your initial consultation is FREE, because we consider it to be an important first step in your orthodontic health and a great opportunity to welcome you into our family.
<<Back to topWhat about costs?
Every person (adult or child) that has received a FREE CONSULTATION at any one of our offices has always been able to afford to have Dr. Alpan treat them - without exception.
The total cost varies for each person depending on the complexity of the orthodontic problem. Because our modern materials and techniques often require fewer visits, you might be surprised how affordable your orthodontic treatment can be.
A beautiful, healthy smile is one of the best investments you can make in your or your child's future. To help you fit this investment into your budget, we offer a variety of payment methods:
- In-house financing with no interest, an appropriate down payment and the remaining balance paid over your treatment time.
- Outside financing that offers no down payment and low monthly fees paid over your treatment time.
- Payment in full with a courtesy bookkeeping discount.
- Automatic Credit Card payments. All major credit cards accepted.
- Most major insurance plans. We will fill out the necessary paperwork for you.
- Medi-Cal patients are examined. Medi-Cal decides for whom they will pay.
During your initial FREE CONSULTATION, our Treatment Coordinator, Amnery, will be happy to explain all the financial options to you and work with you on customizing a payment plan that fits your needs.
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