Clear Teeth Aligners:
Reveal^® and Invisalign^®
Fort Worth TX

The best candidates for clear aligners—also known as invisible braces—are typically those patients who are at least 17-18 years of age. Dr. Loftin believes younger patients who are still growing should consult an orthodontist who specializes in teeth straightening procedures that align with the patient’s growth, which may include braces or clear aligners like Reveal and Invisalign Fort Worth.

If you are the parent of a younger child, Dr. Loftin would be happy to refer you to an orthodontist in Fort Worth. She may also refer older patients to an orthodontist for orthodontic treatment depending on the severity and type of correction required. Invisible braces work terrific for the cosmetic dentistry purpose of teeth straightening but they can’t change the jaw relationship or positioning, where an orthodontic procedure typically works best.

For patients who want straighter teeth and a beautiful smile, Dr. Loftin can prescribe clear aligners like Reveal or Invisalign Fort Worth Texas to treat a variety of conditions. While crooked teeth aren’t necessarily considered a dental emergency, they can cause discomfort and aesthetic issues. Conditions that can be treated with clear aligners include:

• Overjet or overbite
• Crowded teeth
• Spaces between teeth
• Misaligned teeth
• Edge-to-edge bite
• Open bite
• Crossbite
• Deep bite

If you’d like to try clear aligners to straighten your teeth, the process all starts with an initial consultation with Dr. Loftin. During your consultation, the doctor will discuss your goals, assess the health and condition of your teeth, and review the options available to you. Once you decide the route you’d like to go, Dr. Loftin can recommend a treatment plan. This usually starts with a complete and thorough dental exam, teeth cleaning and may include teeth whitening Fort Worth if the patient desires.

For patients who opt for clear aligners like Reveal or Invisalign Fort Worth, Dr. Loftin’s dental assistant will perform a digital scan of the mouth that produces 3-D technology images of the teeth and gums. Next, the 3-D images are immediately sent to the manufacturer, who produces and ships the invisible braces designed especially for you to Dr. Loftin’s office. Each patient receives multiple sets of aligners.

The next step depends on which brand you choose—Reveal by Schein Orthodontics or Invisalign Ft Worth. If you opt for Invisalign, the dentist will need to adhere small buttons to the teeth near the gums called SmartForce® attachments. Reveal aligners typically work independently without any buttons needed on the teeth.

Once you receive your clear aligners it’s important to wear them 22 hours per day or more—removing them to eat, drink, and brush and floss your teeth—otherwise, the straightening process will take longer. Over the course of your treatment, you will need to swap out the aligners at regular intervals, as recommended by Dr. Loftin.

In general, patients will change aligners every week or two, depending on their individual treatment plan. However, the doctor can develop and provide an expedited treatment plan for patients who want to straighten teeth more quickly, say for a special event like a wedding.

You can expect to feel a bit of tightness or mild discomfort when you start using a new set of aligner trays. This is simply a sign that your teeth are shifting as they should. Otherwise, Reveal and Invisalign treatment patients can typically expect to be free of pain during the straightening process. Finally, it’s important to clean your aligners daily with a toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste.

I typically achieve results more quickly than patients using Invisalign. On average, you can expect to wear Reveal aligners for 2 to 15 months, compared to 12 to 18 months with Invisalign clear aligners. In either case, treatment time depends on the complexity of your case.

Regardless of which brand of clear aligners you choose, your dentist will need to see you in the office every 4 to 8 weeks to monitor progress. The frequency of appointments will depend upon your individual treatment plan and how the aligner trays are working for you.

Unlike Invisalign treatment, Reveal invisible braces are also available in a wider range of prices, based on the complexity of the treatment needed. This works out well for patients who only require a minor teeth-straightening treatment plan.

While you will find a variety of direct-to-consumer invisible braces sold online, forgoing the ongoing monitoring and professional care of a dentist or orthodontist comes with risks. There are several reasons it’s important for patients to see a dentist before, during, and after the straightening process.

When you order invisible braces online (Reveal and Invisalign are only available through a dentist or orthodontist), the only time a doctor “examines” your teeth is during the initial evaluation. That evaluation occurs either through dental impressions you have taken at a brick-and-mortar location, or when the doctor looks at impressions you send through the mail.

The overall health of your teeth, teeth structure, roots, and gums is not evaluated or taken into consideration nearly as intensely as it would be during an appointment with your dentist. During the regularly scheduled appointments you have when using clear aligners, the dentist is also monitoring the health of your teeth, gums, and mouth, which helps ensure teeth are moving as planned and may prevent damage to the teeth, gums, root, and mouth if something unexpected happens.

The quality and clarity of invisible braces also vary, so you may find that the clear aligners you order online aren’t quite as clear or unnoticeable as you had hoped. Dr. Loftin only offers invisible braces of the highest quality and clarity in her practice.