Clear Aligners
Whether you want to straighten your teeth for the first time, or recreate the smile you remember from your past, clear aligners can help.
The ones we use at Keppel Dental are barely noticeable, so they basically set your orthodontic treatment to stealth mode.
Reasons your teeth move
Teeth move and change position throughout your life. Your jaw and mouth grow, develop and alter based on your age, your lifestyle, and what they’ve been put through.
Common reasons your teeth move include:
- growing and ageing
- changing hormones, especially in women going through menopause
- the loss or removal of a tooth that changes the space available in your mouth
- your eating, drinking, sleeping, medicating, smoking, sport-playing and lifestyle habits
- the presence of tooth decay or gum disease, which can weaken your teeth and their supportive structures.
The fact that teeth are always moving (albeit slowly) is frustrating. But modern dentistry provides a way to correct misaligned teeth.
How clear aligner treatment works
Here’s how Lyndsey, our lead clear aligner dentist at Keppel Dental, explains how invisible braces work.
“Clear aligner treatment uses a series of thin custom-made plastic trays (aligners) that are worn over the top and bottom teeth for 1-2 weeks. Each aligner has a slightly different shape, and they are designed to be worn in a particular order.
The aligner applies gentle, ongoing pressure to your teeth and the structures that support them. And this pressure moves the teeth into the position we want them to be in.
For the aligner to work, it needs to be worn for at least 22 hours each day. That sounds like a lot, and as you go about your daily activities you might worry about it slipping out. You may also be worried about how comfortable you will feel wearing something in your mouth for that long.
But don’t worry. Every tray is made to fit your teeth and mouth perfectly, which makes them quite comfortable to wear.
To ensure the aligner has enough surface area to apply the pressure needed to move your teeth, we may fix discreet bonded attachments to your natural teeth. But not everyone needs these.
Most patients cycle through 15 or more aligner trays throughout their treatment, which can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years.
Getting clear aligners is a big commitment. For the treatment to be effective, you need to wear the aligner trays for the full length of time and only take them out when eating, cleaning your teeth, or cleaning the aligner.”
The process, from start to end
1. Inquiry and full exam with an oral health therapist
Tell us you’re interested in clear aligners, and we’ll book you in for an appointment with one of our oral health therapists (OHT) at our Yeppoon dental clinic. If you’re a new patient you’ll get a full oral exam, plus the extra photos and scans needed for clear aligner treatment.
2. Pre-treatment prep
Next, we’ll deal with any fillings you might need, gum disease that needs treating, or teeth that need removing. This will ensure your mouth is as healthy as possible and won’t affect your treatment.
3. Creating your clear aligner treatment plan
Lyndsey will review the data and images from your appointment with the OHT, and then upload them to our clear aligner digital portal—the program used to plan your treatment. Within 2-3 days a simulation of your tooth movement will be generated, which Lyndsey will then review and amend as needed.
4. Free 20-minute consult
You’ll be invited to discuss the proposed treatment plan with Lyndsey. You’ll see the simulation of how we expect your teeth to move, as well as images of the outcome. We’ll also discuss how many trays you’ll need, the cost, and how long you can expect the treatment to take. At the end of the consult, you’ll be asked to confirm whether you want to go ahead with the treatment.
5. Work with your aligners begins
The manufacturer will provide a complete set of treatment aligners in about 2 weeks. Once we have them, we’ll let you know and ask you to book an appointment.
During this appointment you’ll be shown how to use the aligners, and Lyndsey will bond the small, natural-coloured aligner attachments to your teeth. You’ll leave with your full set of aligners (15 or more trays), which you’ll swap every 1-2 weeks.
6. Regular fortnightly checkups
You’ll see Lyndsey every 2 weeks at the start of your treatment, where she will make sure the teeth are moving as expected. If we’re confident they are, future checkups may be every 3-4 weeks depending on how the treatment is progressing.
7. End of treatment stage
Once you’ve cycled through all your aligners, you’ll be invited in for a final checkup on the outcome. After confirming you’re happy, we’ll remove the bonded attachments, clean and polish your teeth, and take a final scan. This will be used to make your retainer, which you can collect the following day. You’ll need to wear it day and night for at least 12 months
For full transparency…
Your personal treatment plan, including the end results, how many aligners you need, the treatment length and the cost, won’t be clear until after your free consult.
We use Spark Clear Aligners
While there are lots of clear aligner options in Australia, we use Spark Clear Aligners. Here’s why.
Easy to use
Treatment plans are simple to create, clear to understand, and provide crystal clear outcomes.
Quality materials
Made from TruGen™ material, it’s easy to work with and comfortable to wear.
They look the best
The clear aligners have a barely-there look for maximum discretion.
We tried other clear aligner companies. But in terms of product and outcomes, Spark delivers the best results.
When you’re ready to know more about getting clear aligners
Call our helpful reception staff on (07) 4939 2155. They’ll book you in to see one of our Keppel Dental OHTs for your initial consult to discuss clear aligner treatment options.
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