CLEAR TEETH ALIGNERS
I went through traditional braces with brackets, wires, and bands when I was in high school. I loved the results from braces and found myself smiling a lot more with my beautiful, straight teeth. However, I found my smile started to change 10 years later. Nothing major, but I knew this wasn’t quite the same as when I first got my braces off. I wanted to get back to my beautiful smile but at 28 years old, I definitely wasn’t interested in all that metal showing when I spoke at work or took pictures with family or friends. I head of clear aligners before but wasn’t sure if I would be a candidate for them. Reassuringly, Dr. Patterson at Mountain Springs Advanced Dental walked me through the process of getting started with correcting the alignment of my teeth.
We began with a comfortable, digital scan and then reviewed the results before even accepting treatment. After seeing my ideal smile would only take 14 trays to accomplish, I accepted!
Once I was ready to begin, Dr. Patterson showed me how to use my aligners, how to take care of them, and answered any questions I had. He placed what I call ‘buttons’ in a few of my teeth to help control the movements of my teeth and give my aligners extra retention. The entire, pain-free, appointment took less than an hour!
Getting used to my aligners was easier than expected. They just snap in place on the upper and lower teeth and I go about my day as normal. I speak a lot in my career and I have yet to run into an issue with talking. On the contrary, people don’t really even notice they’re there!
I am about halfway through my treatment plan and I’ve found a few helpful hints along the way:
- Keep a toothbrush close! When I eat or drink anything other than water, the retainers have to come out. Take extra care to brush your teeth and aligners after eating or snacking to keep your teeth and gums healthy. I just keep the goodie bag my hygienist gave me close by.
- Wear them as much as possible! To get those teeth in the right spot, the aligners have to be in place to work. Sounds easy, but make to a conscious effort to have them in anytime you aren’t eating. You can make it!
- Keep them safe! Pets love to seek these aligners out as a chew toy. Dr. Patterson gave me a case to keep them in whenever they aren’t in my mouth
As I’ve been working through my trays and check with Dr. Patterson to make sure everything is on track, I learned a bit about the health benefits of aligning my teeth. I was surprised to learn that not only was I correcting the position of my teeth to get my beautiful smile; but also improving the health of my mouth at the same time. Having my teeth in the right position allows for easier and more effective brushing and flossing. This, in turn, is helping to prevent infections of my gums like Gingivitis or Periodontal Disease. Keeping the gums and teeth healthy keeps my entire body healthy. That’s a win-win for me!
Clear aligners have been a great choice for me with my goals for optimal oral health.
This is a common story we get from patients more often than not. If you’re looking for a straighter, healthier, and more beautiful smile without the metal, ask Dr. Patterson and his team at Mountain Springs Advanced Dental in Colorado Springs, CO about clear aligner therapy and a consultation!
