How would you like to see into the future? OK, we can’t quite do that, but we can give you an idea what your future smile could look like if you visit one of our dentist offices in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, or Chapel Hill. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, we can make a scan of your teeth. Then we can show you how your teeth could look different with innovative treatments like Invisalign®. If you are a teenager who is preparing for orthodontics or an adult who has been thinking about braces, we encourage you to visit any Sunrise Dental location before you decide. You may be a candidate for Invisalign, and you may decide that it’s the perfect way to get straight teeth. Step One: Your Consultation Whenever you come to Sunrise Dental, we will do whatever we can to help you. If you are interested in Invisalign, which some people call “clear braces,” we will start by examining your teeth and your jaw. Invisalign will work for most people who are looking to fix the alignment of their teeth. If we don’t think it will work for you, we will let you know. There’s no reason for you to make the investment unless you are going to get the results you want to see. Assuming you are a good candidate — and again, most people are — we will start working on your treatment plan. Step Two: Making Your Aligners This is where technology plays an important role. We can create a digital 3-D scan of your mouth, and we share this digital model with Invisalign. They use that scan to plan your treatment, which involves a series of aligners. Your aligners will custom-designed just for you and your teeth. These aligners are made of a clear plastic, which many patients find preferable to the brackets, wires, and (sometimes) tiny rubber bands that are used with traditional braces. Step Three: Wear Your Aligners If you’ve ever used a mouthguard, then you have a good idea how to remove and replace your Invisalign aligners. You will need to wear your aligner for at least 22 hours per day to get the best results. To put this another way, you can remove your aligner for up to two hours every day. (Do not try that with braces.) Two hours is plenty of time for you to eat meals, and you won’t have to avoid any foods out of concerns that they could get stuck in your braces, cause your bracket to come loose, or break your wires. After eating, all you have to do is brush and floss your teeth as usual, clean your aligner, and put it back in place. Since your aligners are clear, most people won’t even realize you are wearing them. Many patients appreciate this, especially if they have a lot of face-to-face interactions in their work. Step Four: Change Your Aligners Every two weeks or so, you will need to replace your aligner with a new one. Each aligner was specifically designed for your teeth. As long as you wear them as you should, your teeth will keep moving in the right direction. We will monitor your progress throughout your treatment. As long as you change your aligners as needed, you should see and feel the changes happening each time you change aligners. Every time you switch aligners, you will know that your teeth are a little closer to being straight. Step Five: Wear Your Retainer Anytime you undergo orthodontic treatment, you run the risk of relapse. This is when your teeth drift back toward their original positions. With Invisalign, your treatment will take an average of 12 months. The actual treatment time will vary depending on your specific situation. You don’t want that work to be undone, which is why you will need to wear a retainer for a short time. In effect, the retainer is training your teeth to remain in their new, straight positions. Wearing your retainer as directed will greatly reduce your risk of relapse so you can maintain your new smile for life. You Have To Start Before You Can Finish Quit dreaming about how your smile would look if you had straight teeth. Now is the time for you to do something about it. The first step if you live or work in or near the Research Triangle is to talk to a dentist at one of our four Sunrise Dental offices.  Call or fill out our online form to make your appointment, and give yourself a new reason to smile.