Everything you need to know about Invisalign (including why it’s cheaper than braces)
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Canberra orthodontist Dr Spiro Pazios at Smile Clinic has been working with Invisalign to restore straight smiles and the confidence of his patients for over 20 years.
We sit him down to ask why Invisalign may be a cost-effective option for anyone wanting to realign crooked teeth, and how his clinic takes the time and (some of) the expense out of the whole process.
OK, first thing’s first: how does Invisalign work exactly?
Invisalign is a treatment with a sequence of clear plastic aligners. So it’s not just one aligner, but a number of aligners. And each aligner is programmed to move your teeth somewhere between 0.25 to 0.5 of a millimetre. So, over a series of aligners, your teeth start to move.
Who is the ideal candidate for Invisalign?
Invisalign is not a new appliance, it’s been around for about 28 years, and it’s come a long way since it first was invented all that time ago. The appliance is good for the majority of patients that are being treated with braces today. Not all patients of course, but I’d say probably 80-85 per cent of patients probably can be treated with Invisalign.
At Smile Clinics, we’re a Digital Doctor clinic designed to treat those who have what we call mild to moderate crowding or spacing issues. Anything of a serious nature, that may require tooth extractions or significant bite correction, really is something that should be treated in the chair with regular face-to-face checks with the orthodontist.
Easy. Aesthetic. Oral hygiene. You take them out to eat and clean, so your diet doesn’t change. Walking around with clear aligners is a lot more comfortable and a lot more aesthetic than walking around with a set of braces.
Cons?
You’ve gotta wear them!
Describe the ideal Invisalign patient (that we all aspire to be…)
An ideal patient is one who follows the orthodontist and hygienist’s directions, wears their aligners 21-22 hours per day, is able to monitor their treatment and give us feedback, scan their teeth from home with ‘Dental Monitoring’ regularly, and obviously regularly attends the practice as required.
Most common mistakes of those undertaking treatment?
Not following instructions, ha!
How does the price of Invisalign compare with traditional metal braces?
At Smile Clinics, Invisalign treatment is monitored digitally, which allows us to pass on the savings to the patient, and it is obviously a lot cheaper than going into a traditional orthodontist and getting Invisalign.
Many years ago Invisalign was much more expensive than traditional braces. Today, at the traditional orthodontist practice, because of economies of scale, there is really no price difference between Invisalign and braces. Smile Clinics allows us to make aligners accessible for more people than ever before.
So, how much are we talking – in real dollar terms?
The Quick Treatment takes 4-6 months for $2,990 (for minor orthodontic issues including mild crowding or spaces). Treatment time: 3-6 months
The Lite Treatment takes 9 months for $4,990 (noticeable orthodontic issues including mid-level crowding or spacing and bite issues). Treatment time: 6-12 months.
The Moderate Treatment takes 12-18 months for $6,290 (significant orthodontic issues including moderate crowding or spacing and bite issues). Treatment time 12-18 months.
What do end-of-treatment results look like?
In mild-to-moderate cases, and even in difficult cases, if we have good patient cooperation throughout treatment, and therefore we get good aligner sequencing, your results are undetectable as to whether it’s Invisalign or braces.
How happy are patients?
Over the moon!
Why go through it and how important are teeth and a nice smile in the grand scheme of life?
Most people choose to have treatment because they want to have a better smile and it improves their self-esteem. For some people that have very, very crowded mouths, Invisalign improves their outlook on life, and they’ve actually changed their whole persona because they are much more confident. Definitely improves confidence as well. Seeing that confidence boost is the best part of the job, as well as seeing the smiles!