Clear Aligners

Clear aligners offer the benefits of braces without some of the common drawbacks, like mouth irritation or starkly visible devices in your smile. At Discover Orthodontics in Katy, Texas, Patricia Tran, DDS, MSD, PA, provides custom clear aligners to treat crooked teeth, crowded teeth, and other types of tooth misalignment. Call Discover Orthodontics or schedule your orthodontic treatment consultation online to learn more about clear aligners today.

What are clear aligners?

Clear aligners are a very popular alternative to braces and other orthodontic treatments for a good reason: They’re less conspicuous in your smile. Instead of using a network of metal or ceramic brackets with metal wires and bands, they’re custom-fit transparent devices that you wear over your teeth. 

The team at Discover Orthodontics creates your clear aligners after taking digital impressions of your teeth. Using advanced treatment planning technology, they use the impressions to map out the movement of your teeth. They use this mapping to create a series of custom aligners that you use in their correct order to shift your teeth over time. 

You progress to the next aligner in the sequence every few weeks according to the team’s instructions until treatment is complete. 

What are the benefits of clear aligners?

Clear aligners have some considerable benefits over conventional braces. Every case is unique, and braces are sometimes the better option for various reasons. Still, you can compare and contrast the two orthodontic treatments during your initial consultation at Discover Orthodontics. 

You might prefer clear aligners over braces because:

• They’re removable
• No dietary restrictions
• Easier to keep teeth (and devices) clean
• Not as obvious as braces
• Offers a better view of your treatment progress
• Easier to avoid tooth stains without plaque building up around brackets
• Fewer orthodontic appointments
• No metal components to irritate the inside of your mouth

Both braces and clear aligners can cause some discomfort due to increased pressure on your teeth, but neither treatment is painful, and you get the same benefits from their results.

What’s it like to wear and care for clear aligners?

The Discover Orthodontics team gives you detailed instructions on caring for your teeth and clear aligners. They also tell you when to wear your aligners and when to take them out. 

You should wear your aligners for 20-22 hours every day, but you can remove them when you eat, drink anything other than water, and brush your teeth. The team instructs you on how to clean your aligners using a soft-bristled toothbrush and a cleanser. They encourage you to use lukewarm water only as hot water can warp the plastic. 

To find out if you’re a candidate for orthodontic treatment with clear aligners, call Discover Orthodontics or book online today.