Invisalign Teen FAQs
What is Invisalign Teen?
Invisalign Teen is the invisible way to straighten your teeth without braces by using a series of removable, clear plastic aligners (pictured here) to straighten your teeth without metal wires or brackets and bands attached to your teeth.
Invisalign Teen has been proven effective in clinical research and in orthodontic practices nationwide. In fact, over 70% of all U.S. orthodontists are certified to treat patients with Invisalign Teen. Dr. David Alpan trained over 6,000 dentists and orthodontists how to use invisalign aligners. He is invited by general dentists to their Study Clubs to teach them more about invisalign after the two day seminar.
Invisalign or Invisalign Teen vs. Braces Watch this video link for - Invisalign Benefits for Teens
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How does Invisalign Teen work?
You wear each set of aligners for about 2 weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush, and floss. Invisalign Teen aligners have a blue color indicator that becomes clear when the aligner is worn per the instructions given. It's a guide for teens to know that they are complying with the instructions in order to successfully complete treatment as scheduled. There are also ridges built into these aligners to aid in tipping the front teeth.
As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will move - little by little, week by week - until they have straightened to the final virtual ClinCheck position that you and Dr. David Alpan agreed upon before treatment began. You actually get to see how your teeth will look at the end of treatment before treatment begins.
You'll visit our office about once every 6 weeks to ensure that your treatment is progressing as planned. If you have teeth that are going to erupt during treatment, the Invisalign Teen aligners are made with spaces to allow for that eruption.
Total treatment time averages 9-15 months and the average number of aligners worn during treatment is between 18 and 30, but both will vary for each patient.
<<Back to topHow are Invisalign Teen aligners made?
Watch this video link for - How Invisalign Aligners are Marde
State of the art computer technology plays a vital role in the process. In fact, Align Technology's high-volume, customized manufacturing process is the first of its kind in the world. The diagrams below show how invisalign aligners are made.
First we take impressions of your teeth.
We send invisalign your impressions which are used to make plaster models of your teeth.
Using advanced imaging technology, invisalign transforms your plaster models into a highly accurate 3-D digital image.
ClinCheck® - a computerized movie – is created depicting the movement of your teeth
from the beginning to their final position.
Using the Internet, we review your ClinCheck file with you for your approval. If necessary, adjustments to the depicted plan can be made.
From your approved ClinCheck file, invisalign uses laser scanning to build a set of actual models that reflect each stage of your treatment plan.
Your customized set of aligners is made from these models. It is sent to us and we give them to you. You wear each aligner for about two weeks.
After wearing all of your aligners in the series, you get the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted.<<Back to top
Why get Invisalign Teen?
Invisalign Teen can help you get the great smile you've always wanted because it's...
- Invisible, so no one can tell your straightening your teeth. So now you can smile more during treatment as well as after.
- Removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment, plus brushing and flossing are no problem. You will also be able to be photographed without metal braces showing.
- Comfortable, because it has no metal to irritate your lips and cheeks during treatment. Without brackets and wires, you will spend less time in our office getting adjustments for broken brackets and bent or broken wires.
- Sports Friendly, so you can participate in sports without braces and wires injuring the inside of your mouth if someone or something hits your face.
Invisalign also allows you to view your own virtual treatment plan when you start, so you can see how your teeth will look when your treatment is complete.
<<Back to topWill my child's teeth straighten as they grow?
The space available for teeth in the mouth does not increase with age; therefore, there won't be any opportunity for your child's teeth to straighten without orthodontic treatment. The fact is, after the molars erupt (usually in the sixth year), the space in the mouth actually gets smaller as the child grows older. If your child has crowded teeth, it's best to come in for a FREE ORTHODONTIC CONSULTATION sooner (age 7) rather than later.
<<Back to topCan my family dentist do Invisalign Teen?
Your family general dentist may have taken some additional weekend training seminars to become a certified invisalign provider. Your general dentist is obliged to assume professional dental care for all of his patients. He or she knows what he or she is adequately skilled to do. You can trust your general dentist to do what he or she does well and refer you to a specialist for work needed beyond his or her scope of training.
Orthodontists are dentists that complete at least two additional years of very comprehensive full time specialized university training. They handle the simplest as well as the most complicated orthodontic problems, which general dentists are typically not qualified to treat.
Align Technology certified Dr. David Alpan to be an invisalign provider in 1999. Align Technology invited Dr. David Alpan to travel around the United States and Canada to certify other orthodontists and general dentists as invisalign providers since 2001. He has trained over 6,000 dentist to be certified invisalign providers.
General dentists in Los Angeles and Orange County in southern California and in many other cities in the United States have asked Dr. David Alpan to lead their local invisalign Study Groups in order to learn as much as possible from him about doing invisalign in their general dental offices.
<<Back to topDo I need to be referred?
No, you do not need to be referred, although many family dentists refer many of their patients to Dr. David Alpan for Invisalign Teen orthodontic treatment.
If you have concerns about the health or appearance of your or your child's smile and would like a FREE ORTHODONTIC CONSULTATION, call our office now using the phone numbers at the top or bottom of this page or schedule an appointment online now.
<<Back to topDo we still need to see our family dentist?
Yes, you still need to see your family (general) dentist for check-ups and cleanings. Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with invisalign aligners will be able to remove the aligners in order to brush, floss and use the Waterpik to flush out the food particles and plague (bacterial colonies that form on the teeth and in the spaces between the teeth and gums).
Even so, you must visit your family dentist every 3-6 months to make sure you are not developing caries (tooth decay) or tartar (calcium) deposits on your teeth and between the teeth and gums. Your family dentist will tell you how often to come in for check-ups. The better your oral hygiene is, and the less sugar you eat, the less checkups you will need. 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, you do not have to avoid any foods with invisalign treatment.
You will remove the invisalign aligner before you eat. Place the aligner in the plastic container you receive from us to protect it from breakage, being discarded by the waitress or being chewed up by your pet dog or cat.
After you eat, brush and floss your teeth and replace the invisalign aligner. If you don’t have your brush and floss with you, swish and swallow the food particles remaining in your mouth and then replace your aligner.
With 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. If your teeth are sensitive from being moved, you may feel more comfortable eating soft foods at times.
<<Back to topHow long will I be in treatment?
There are a number of factors that determine how long your invisalign treatment will take. It usually takes from 6 to 18 months but during that entire time most people will not notice you are under treatment.
Treatment is getting faster, easier and more comfortable for the patient all the time.
Invisalign aligners 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 invisalign treatment is an important step, because it keeps the teeth stable after the active orthodontic tooth movement treatment is complete. 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 retainer 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. It would look like the invisalign aligner but would be a harder material.
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." If you don’t use the retainer you lose all the time, effort and money you spent on your orthodontic treatment. The corollary to this saying is, "If you lose it, you can't use it." It is in your best interest to get a new retainer IMMEDIATELY, if you lose it, so you won't have to do your orthodontic treatment 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 is the fee for Invisalign Teen treatment?
Everyone that has received a FREE ORTHODONTIC CONSULTATION at any one of our offices has always been able to afford to have Dr. David 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. When Medi-Cal authorizes orthodontic treatment we use regular metal braces attached to the facial side of the teeth. The laboratory fees are so high for Invisalign aligners and iBraces that we can't use them on Medi-cal patients.
During your initial FREE ORTHODONTIC CONSULTATION, our Treatment Coordinator 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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