Clear Aligners – Arlington Heights, IL

Crowded Teeth

If your teeth are pressed too closely together, they might overlap, making it difficult to thoroughly brush and floss all their surfaces. Unfortunately, this can increase the risk of cavities, injuries, misaligned bites, or jaw aches.

Thankfully, clear aligners can shift everything to their ideal places to improve your appearance and oral health.

Gaps Between Teeth

Wider spaces in your smile can easily trap bits of food or other debris, encouraging harmful bacteria to flourish and contribute to dental concerns, such as tooth decay or gum disease. Plus, it leaves sections of your connective tissue unprotected, which can increase the likelihood of injury or infection.

These transparent trays fit snugly over your arches to gently close the gaps in your grin.

Overbite

It’s normal and healthy for your upper teeth to rest over your lower ones when your mouth is closed. However, if your top arch extends too far, you might wear down your enamel unevenly or develop a stiff, sore, or locked jaw.

Our team can use clear aligners to help bring it back into its proper position to protect your smile.

Underbite

If your upper arch rests inside your lower teeth when you bite down, you likely have what is referred to as an underbite. This can be caused by genetics, injuries, or non-nutritive habits as a child, like thumb-sucking.

Whatever the cause, it can cause additional health concerns, such as sleep apnea, difficulty speaking, or challenges with biting and chewing. Clear aligners can sometimes help correct this condition, though bands, buttons, attachments, or other accessories may be required.

Crossbite

Some patients have upper teeth that rest in front of their lower ones but others are positioned behind them when they bite down, which is known as a crossbite. Whether this is due to the premature loss of baby teeth as a child, poor oral habits, or genetics, our team can use clear aligners with elastics and other supplies to help reduce the likelihood of associated symptoms that can occur, including teeth grinding, headaches, changes to speech patterns, or facial asymmetry.

Open Bite

Those whose teeth don’t come together when their mouth is closed might have an open bite, which can lead to changes in enunciation, excessive damage to the back surfaces of enamel, and an increased risk of damage or decay.

Clear aligners can help position your teeth and jaw to attain their proper alignment.

Practically Invisible

Let’s start with one of the most common reasons patients choose clear aligners: they are basically invisible! That’s because there aren’t any metal components. Instead, the trays are crafted from smooth, clear plastic. Plus, they are custom-made to fit the contours of your teeth perfectly, ensuring they don’t look or feel bulky.

No Dietary Restrictions

With traditional braces, patients are asked to steer clear of whole apples, popcorn, and other crunchy foods in an effort to prevent broken brackets and wires. With clear aligners, that’s not necessary because they are removable! So, as long as you take them off beforehand, you can enjoy all of your favorite meals and snacks throughout your teeth-straightening journey.

Hassle-Free Maintenance

Not only can food particles easily get stuck in the brackets and wires of metal braces, but they are also difficult to clean. That’s why patients often buy special cleaning products, like interproximal toothbrushes. Fortunately, that’s not necessary with clear aligners because they are removable. All you need to do is take them off, and, before you put them back on, clean them gently with a damp, soft-bristle toothbrush and mild dishwashing liquid.

Improved Comfort

If you had traditional braces growing up, then you likely remember how uncomfortable they could be. The good news is that clear aligners are crafted from smooth plastic and custom-made so that they fit the contours of your teeth without digging into the soft tissue in your mouth. As a result, your journey to a straighter smile will be considerably smoother.

Shorter Average Treatment Timeline

Do you want a straight smile for an important event that’s coming up, like your wedding? If so, you should absolutely consider clear aligners. After all, the average treatment time is only 12-18 months. Not only that, but the trays are completely see-through and removable. So, you won’t have to worry about unwanted attention being drawn to your smile, and you’ll see the improvements to the alignment of your teeth along the way!

Quick Follow-Up Appointments

If your schedule is already packed with work meetings, classes at school, or your child’s extra-curricular activities, you’ll be happy to hear that the progress visits with clear aligners are usually every 6-8 weeks instead of every 4. There’s also a good chance that you’ll be in and out of our office in less than 30 minutes if you’re on track with your treatment plan.