Invisalign ® – Evanston, IL
Discreet & Convenient Orthodontic Treatment
Patients who want to straighten their teeth without the use of traditional braces are in luck! At Winning Smile Dental Group, we offer Invisalign® for our Evanston, IL patients. Invisalign is an innovative system that straightens your teeth using clear plastic aligners. As the name suggests, the aligners are virtually invisible, making them the ideal choice for patients who want a discreet treatment. In fact, many people will not be able to tell you are even wearing the aligners!
Why Choose Winning Smile Dental Group for Invisalign®?
- Customized Treatment Plans for Each Patient
- Great Orthodontic Solution for Teens & Adults
- Dr. Reese is a Silver-Level Invisalign®® Provider
How Invisalign® Works
The Invisalign® process begins with a consultation appointment. Dr. Polly Reese will perform an exam that will determine whether or not you are a suitable candidate for Invisalign® treatment. There are certain situations where Invisalign® may not be effective. It is best suited for minor cases of overbite, underbite, crossbite, gapped teeth, and crowding issues. For more severe orthodontic problems, a patient may require traditional braces.
After we have determined that Invisalign® is right for you, Dr. Polly Reese will take dental impressions, photographs, and X-rays to gather information on your smile. This, along with detailed instructions on how we want to move your teeth, will be sent to the Invisalign® laboratory. There, they will use this information to create a digital, 3D model of your teeth. The model will be used to create a series of trays. We will review and request changes until everything is exact. Once we are satisfied, Invisalign® will ship the trays to our dental office. The entire process may take about four weeks from the time of your consultation until we receive the trays.
For the next several months, you will wear trays for 10 days at a time and you will need to see Dr. Polly Reese once every 30 days to monitor your progress.
Indications for Invisalign®
While traditional metal braces are still often the best choice for addressing severe orthodontic issues, Invisalign® is an excellent choice for most patients interested in a straighter, healthier smile. We’ll carefully evaluate the current position of your teeth and design a treatment plan that helps move them into their ideal positions. Invisalign® is the preferred way to treat mild to moderate cases of the following:
Crowded Teeth
Perhaps the most common issue Invisalign® is used to fix is crowded or crooked teeth. When your teeth overlap, they put excess pressure on each other, which can cause wear and tear. This also creates small spaces to trap plaque and bacteria, which will increase your risk of oral health issues like tooth decay and gum disease. Fortunately, Invisalign® can easily straighten out your pearly whites and help you achieve a uniform smile!
Gaps Between Teeth
Gapped teeth can not only present a host of oral health problems but also lower your self-esteem. It’s bad enough that food and bacteria can become trapped in these spaces, but when you combine that with the stares of others, it can make you wish you’d stayed at home. A personalized Invisalign® treatment can eliminate these gaps and give you a confident, beautiful smile! Using clear aligners to bring your teeth together and close awkward spaces, you can enjoy greater oral health and a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Bite Alignment
Do you have an overbite, underbite, crossbite, or open bite? These bite problems can distract from your appearance and off-set your smile. Over time, a misaligned bite can lead to more serious jaw issues like bruxism, lockjaw, jaw soreness, and even TMJ disorder! Fortunately, our talented team can use Invisalign® to help guide your bite into a healthier, stronger position.
The Benefits of Invisalign®
Invisalign® trays are practically invisible, which helps you avoid the common embarrassment associated with traditional braces. The Invisalign® trays also offer unmatched comfort. No wires, no brackets, and no elastic bands helps reduce irritation, discomfort, and sores. This also makes it easier to eat your favorite foods.
Because the trays are removable, you will be able to clean your teeth as you normally would, with regular flossing and brushing. Traditional braces require the use of a special floss or water pick to remove food debris from in between the wire and brackets. At the end of treatment with traditional braces, you may even need a professional cleaning to restore the whiteness of your smile. With Invisalign®, you can ensure that your mouth is clean every day with proper oral hygiene practices.
Invisalign® also requires fewer visits to the dental office than traditional braces. During your checkups, Dr. Polly Reese will make sure that your treatment is going according to plan and that there are no issues with your aligners.
Understanding the Cost of Invisalign
Since Invisalign is a custom-designed orthodontic treatment, you won’t expect every patient to have the same journey towards straightening their smile. The overall cost of Invisalign in Evanston will depend entirely on your specific dental needs, along with other essential components. For this reason, you’ll first need to schedule an initial consultation with our team at Winning Smile Dental Group. We’ll assess your teeth and provide you with an estimate of the timeframe and price range for your treatment. In the meantime, here are several factors to consider regarding the cost of Invisalign!
Factors That Affect the Cost of Invisalign
Every patient will have different dental situations. The following factors can significantly impact the overall price of your Invisalign treatment:
- Treatment length : You’ll be required to wear a series of clear aligners to correct your bite alignment. The more trays you’ll need to work through, the longer and more expensive your treatment will be.
- The complexity of your case : More severe orthodontic problems may require more extensive treatment, which can increase the final price. For instance, correcting two small spaces in your smile will cost much less than fixing an entire arch of crowded pearly whites.
- Your efforts during treatment : One of the most important parts of the process is that you’ll need to wear your Invisalign for 20-22 hours each day. Without meeting this wear time and caring for them daily, you might increase the length and cost of your orthodontic treatment.
Invisalign vs. Smile Direct Club™: Which Costs More?
It may be tempting to order mail-in aligners like Smile Direct Club™ for their convenience and supposed speed in straightening teeth. However, these DIY orthodontic options can end up costing you more money and time in the long run, and they can even cause damage to your smile. This is because these treatments have little to no supervision from a qualified professional, meaning plenty of errors can happen during the process. From ill-fitted aligners to untreated cavities or gum disease, there are risks for complications that can lead you to need professional treatment anyway.
With Invisalign, you can undergo a quicker and safer treatment while having oversight from your dentist every step of the way. They’ll ensure your aligners fit correctly and that any underlying oral health issues are addressed before starting. By choosing Invisalign, you can feel more confident that you’ll get more bang for your buck when straightening your smile!
Does Dental Insurance Cover Invisalign?
Not every dental insurance provider will cover orthodontic treatment, and those that do may not cover Invisalign. However, since every policy is different, we’ll be happy to help you understand the specifics of your plan. Our knowledgeable team has years of experience in navigating insurance policies, and we’ll do everything we can to help our patients make the most of their benefits so that they can work within their budget.
Options for Making Invisalign Affordable
Don’t have insurance? This isn’t the only way to make Invisalign more affordable. We offer plans through CareCredit—a third-party financier that can help split up the cost of your treatment into monthly installments. Many of these options also come with little-to-no interest! This means you’ll be more likely to undergo Invisalign treatment without having to break the bank. Feel free to reach out to us if you think you can benefit from this alternative financing option, and we’ll be glad to see if you qualify.
Invisalign FAQs
Nowadays, you don’t have to rely on traditional metal braces to get the straight smile you’ve always wanted. Invisalign can discreetly and comfortably move your teeth into proper alignment, giving you a grin you can flash with confidence. Of course, we understand you may have a few concerns before committing to anything. To help you out, our team has decided to answer some frequently asked questions below. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, feel free to give our office a call today!
How Long Does Invisalign Take?
Since every smile is unique, the answer truly varies from patient to patient. Many factors influence the overall cost of Invisalign in Evanston, such as the severity of your dental misalignment and your commitment to your treatment plan. On average, it takes most patients about 12 to 18 months to complete their treatment. While that may seem like a long time, it’s still four months shorter than the average treatment with traditional braces. You can speed up the process by visiting your dentist regularly and diligently following treatment instructions.
Does Invisalign Hurt?
Not at all! The smooth plastic design has proven to make it one of the most comfortable orthodontic treatment options. When you first get Invisalign, you might experience soreness or discomfort as you adjust to the clear aligners. However, it will go away as you get used to your treatment. It’s worth noting that since Invisalign gradually moves your teeth into alignment, you may experience a small amount of pressure each time you advance to a new set of aligners. You can easily manage your discomfort by using a cold compress, taking over-the-counter pain medication, and drinking ice cold water.
Can You Eat with Invisalign?
Invisalign is a completely removable orthodontic treatment, which means you can simply take out your aligners when it’s time to eat. You should never eat with the plastic trays in your mouth as it can result in cracks, stains, and unnecessary pressure on your teeth. The only thing you can consume while wearing your Invisalign is water. For anything else, be sure to remove your aligners and store them in a safe place.
Does Invisalign Give You a Lisp?
At first, you may have difficulty saying certain words or making specific sounds because you’re not used to speaking with the aligners in your mouth. Because of that, it’s common for most patients to develop a lisp when they first get Invisalign. The good news is that it should go away within a few weeks of starting treatment. You can speed up the adjustment process by having more conversations with loved ones, repeating difficult-to-pronounce words, and reading aloud. The more you talk, the sooner your tongue will adjust to speaking with the plastic trays in your mouth.