Braces at 30? I researched options and that’s how I found ‘dental aligners’

¿dental aligners? What are they? How much they cost? How good are they? What’s going on!?

Dental aligners or invisible aligners are not really recent, but their sudden boom is.

From one moment to the next, multiple brands emerged, with different systems, promises of all kinds, prices, services and technologies.

Invisalign, ClearCorrect, SmileDirectClub, Moons, Fits Smile These are some of the options available in Mexico.

But how do they work? What are they about?

I need to correct my bite and align my teeth, but I refuse to wear braces.

Partly out of personal curiosity, and partly to share knowledge, I made a whole research on dental aligners: I interviewed experts such as Carolina Uban, orthodontist and expert of seguir Sonriendo, dentist Elizabeth Mejía, orthodontists, satisfied patients and frustrated clients (who preferred anonymity).

This is everything someone who is thinking about using dental aligners needs to know.

What are dental aligners?

They are an orthodontic treatment that corrects the bite and straightens the teeth.

They are an alternative to traditional orthodontics and braces.

The treatment procedure involves wearing custom-made, clear, sleeve-type plastic aligners over your teeth to help move them into a natural, straight, and proper position.

How do dental aligners work?

The idea is that, with the use of aligners, which are changed every 7 to 10 days, the teeth move slowly until they achieve a suitable position.

The aligners are custom designed, according to a plan developed by a dentist. If you use them within the stipulated deadlines, week after week you will notice progress.

What is the treatment with dental aligners like?

Each service has different mechanisms, but let’s say that a professional treatment begins with a first consultation where a dentist evaluates the patient’s oral health and will discuss treatment options.

These are the key points:

Once evaluated, the dentist will take digital scans. This allows the specialist and the patient to see a 3D image of the teeth before and after treatment. As a result, the dentist can monitor progress during treatment. Between 7 and 10 days after the consultation, patients receive a box of custom-made clear aligners, ready to wear. Each aligner must be worn for a stipulated period, for each brand. On average it is a week. After this period, the old aligner will be replaced with a new one with a new position change for the teeth. The aligners should be worn at least 20 to 22 hours a day and are only removed for eating and brushing your teeth. Again it depends on the service, but it is best to visit the treating dentist once every 6 to 8 weeks to evaluate progress. At each visit, patients receive a new set of aligners.

How noticeable are they?

Being transparent, in theory they are practically imperceptible.

But it all depends on the brand and therefore the materials they use.

For example, Invisalign covers 85% of the teeth, they are made with a smart plastic and a texture that makes them almost invisible. I visited the Continue Smile clinic in Mexico City and they told me about several celebrities who use them on television, and they are not noticed.

On social media, some users of other methods told me that saliba bubbles occasionally form.

How good are dental aligners?

This answer is hateful, but true: it depends.

It depends on your perseverance and depends on the service you choose.

More generic services like Moons, which do not involve follow-up with a dentist, are designed for mild cases and honestly no dentist recommended them to me. The opinion of almost everyone was: “you should not undergo orthodontic treatment without the support and monitoring of a specialist.”

At Moons, they give you an initial 30-minute evaluation and you receive the packages for all your treatment without ever seeing a dentist again, except for your own concerns.

A similar case is that of Smile Direct Club.

Technologies such as Invisalign or ClearCorrect do involve the support, correction and attention of a specialist from time to time.

What determines whether you are a candidate for dental aligners?

Here’s the whole gossip: about 20 years ago, Invisalign invented this system.

In 2006, ClearCorrect developed similar technology. That’s why their systems are similar.

The thing is that in 2018, the patent expired and the dental aligner boom arrived. Companies were created around the world that took up the old Invisalign patent to replicate the system, but cheaper.

The version of other services is much more limited and for very simple cases, which is why there are services that do not accept all types of patients.

If you are determined to correct your smile and have been tempted by other systems, it is possible that both Invisalign and Clear Correct can do something for you.

How much does a teeth aligner cost?

Let’s talk about the dental aligners and their price.

Until the patent expired, dental aligners were up to 50% more expensive than traditional orthodontics.

This has changed and small brands offer their price as a big plus and this is explained, in part, not only by materials but also by technology and monitoring.

But let’s put a number on it. Moons and SmileDirectClub only accept simple cases, the equivalent of an Invisialign Lite plan.

Dental aligners vs braces

This is quite a topic, but in short, the undeniable thing is that braces work.

How much more effective are dental aligners? As you have probably noticed by now, it all depends on the treatment you choose.

But let’s say you opt for the most premium treatment. The advantages of aligners are:

They give results faster They are more aesthetic They are less painful They require much less frequent follow-up in the office They are comfortable

The disadvantage and key factor is perhaps the budget. Dental eyeliners are more expensive than braces.

After this encyclopedia of dental aligners, I hope you have no more doubts.

Just in case, on Instagram we can continue this conversation, you can find me as @lasenoritacora.