Dr. Mark Hodge runs Berkshire Dental Group in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Specializing in Invisalign for teens, Dr. Hodge treats more Invisalign patients than any other dentist in Oklahoma. In fact, he’s the state’s only “Elite Invisalign Provider,” the company’s highest recognition award. Elite Providers represent the top 3% of Invisalign providers in the world. In this guide, Dr. Hodge demystifies Invisalign, explaining, for example, how a dentist creates a computerized image of a patient’s mouth to custom-fit him for an Invisalign retainer.
Who is a Good Candidate For Invisalign?
One big misconception about Invisalign is that it’s only for adults. Sure, adults don’t want to look like they have braces, and sporting a clear retainer instead of the “metal mouth” look is a lot more socially acceptable. But Invisalign is appropriate for patients as young as 10 and as old as 80.
How Did Invisalign Start?
Invisalign was founded in 1997 by Zia Chishti, a Stanford MBA graduate and former financial analyst for Morgan Stanley. Chishti wore a clear plastic retainer as an adult to stabilize his teeth after his braces were removed.
How Does a Dentist Learn Invisalign?
You, as the patient, should look for an Invisalign provider who has the highest level of training and experience. In order to be the best Invisalign provider I can be, I have done the maximum training and gone to every continuing education class I can.
How Invisalign Maps Your Teeth
Invisalign scans digital impressions of your teeth with an optical scanner in order to work with a computerized 3-D image of your entire mouth. That model is then hosted on a website that only the doctor can access. Using the interactive 3-D model, your doctor and an Invisalign technician plan your tooth movements for your entire treatment to redesign your new smile.
What is Invisalign Express?
Invisalign Express is a scaled-down version of the regular Invisalign system. Compared to the adult and teen Invisalign systems, which have an average treatment time of about 14 months, Invisalign Express offers an approximately six-month treatment.
What is Invisalign Teen?
Invisalign Teen uses the same technology as adult Invisalign, but makes allowances for the fact that teenagers’ mouths are still growing, and they still have some baby teeth.
How Invisalign Can Prevent Teen Bullying
Invisalign Teen clear braces can end bullying for teens who need their teeth transformed. Teenagers with braces are an easy target for bullies, earning them cruel nicknames like “metal mouth,” “brace face,” “railroad tracks,” and “tin grin.”
Using Invisalign to Whiten Your Teeth
Not only can Invisalign aligners straighten your teeth without braces, they can also be used as whitening trays. Now you can whiten, brighten, and straighten your teeth all at once.
How Invisalign Can Prevent Gum Disease
Many people don’t floss because their teeth are so crooked that the floss gets caught, and then they have floss and food caught between their teeth. But when the teeth are nice and straight after Invisalign, the floss can glide through them like silk. And that means your gums become healthier and stronger for years and years to come.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
