Clear Aligners in
El Dorado Hills
If you’re looking for an invisible way to straighten your teeth without braces, clear aligners are the answer. With the removable, custom-made appliances, you’ll get exceptional results with no interruption to your daily life. As a leading El Dorado Hills clear aligner provider, Dr. Jeff has the expertise to create a truly customized treatment plan to bring out the best in your smile. To find out if clear aligners like Spark™ Aligners or Invisalign® are right for you or your child, schedule a complimentary consultation at Jeffrey Kwong Orthodontics online or by calling us at (916) 933-0532 today!
WHAT ARE CLEAR ALIGNERS?
Spark Clear Aligners and Invisalign are innovative ways to straighten teeth using a series of clear, custom-made plastic aligners that are virtually invisible. You change your aligners approximately every one to two weeks as your teeth move incrementally with each new set. When you’ve made your way through the entire series, you’ll reveal a healthy, beautiful smile.
CLEAR ALIGNER PROCEDURE
It all starts with a consultation with Dr. Kwong, a certified clear aligner provider and orthodontic specialist (this isn’t one thing we do, it’s all we do). He’ll develop a precise, individualized treatment plan based on a 3D scan of your mouth. From there, the Spark or Invisalign lab creates your custom series of aligners according to Dr. Kwong’s specifications. As you move through each set of aligners, your teeth shift into their final, straight positions.
Life With Clear Aligners
Eating and Drinking With Clear Aligners
You’ll take your clear aligners out before you eat or drink anything with the exception of plain water. This means there are no food restrictions, and you can eat whatever you’d like during treatment (yay, popcorn!).
It can be tempting to sneak in a bite of food or take a sip of a drink while your aligners are in. However, the aligners fit snugly against the teeth and, if you do this, food or liquid will get trapped between your aligners and your pearly whites. Since your saliva can’t wash it away like it normally would, it will just sit there on the enamel, which increases your risk for cavities and staining. Additionally, if you drink hot beverages like coffee with clear aligners in, the plastic can become warped.
How to Clean Clear Aligners
Throughout the day, as you wear your aligners, they’ll accumulate bacteria, spit, and plaque. Eventually, they’ll start to look cloudy and, let’s face it, smell pretty bad. To prevent this, clean your aligners when you brush your teeth in the morning and before bed.
As for how to clean Invisalign or Spark Aligners, the easiest and most affordable option is to brush your aligners with a soft-bristled toothbrush and then rinse them in lukewarm (not hot) water. You can also use a mild, clear, odorless dish soap if your aligners need a little extra cleaning power. Avoid toothpaste since it can be abrasive and create visible scratches on the plastic.
While you can purchase Invisalign Cleaning Crystals or use various DIY concoctions to deep clean your aligners, these aren’t a necessity. Since you only wear each set of aligners for a week or two, by the time they need a deep clean, you’re already on to the next tray.
Oral Hygiene With Clear Aligners
Oral hygiene is simple with clear aligners. In fact, our team may recommend clear aligners like Spark or Invisalign for teens or adults whose smiles require extra care after dealing with tooth decay or gum disease in the past.
You’ll take the aligners out to brush and floss, so you don’t need to use any special tools or techniques. That being said, you will have to brush your teeth more often during treatment.
Floss once daily and brush your teeth in the morning, after meals and snacks, and before bed. Brushing after eating and drinking will ensure your teeth are clean and food or liquids won’t get trapped against your teeth when you put your aligners back in.
Storing Your Clear Aligners
Your aligner case will be your BFF during treatment. Not only do pets love to chew on aligners, but since the aligners are clear, they’re also very easy to accidentally throw away. For that reason, store your aligners in your case whenever you’re not wearing them, and never put your aligners on a tissue or a napkin when you take them out to eat. It’s also a good idea to avoid leaving your aligners, even if they’re in the case, in a hot car for a long period of time because extreme heat will damage the plastic.
What Can Clear Aligners Treat?
Years ago, clear aligners were reserved for mild cases in adult patients. However, thanks to Dr. Jeff’s expertise, innovations like attachments and rubber bands, and improvements in treatment planning software and aligner materials, we can use Invisalign and other clear aligners to treat a wide variety of smile concerns, even those that are complex. As a top El Dorado Hills clear aligners provider, we’re also able to help patients of all ages get a fantastic smile with the treatment option.
Every patient is unique and the only way to know for sure if clear aligners are the best option for your orthodontic problem is to visit Jeffrey Kwong Orthodontics for a free consultation. Once Dr. Jeff has examined you and evaluated your diagnostic records, he can provide you with personalized treatment recommendations. Yet, in more cases than ever before, clear aligners like Spark and Invisalign can fix an overbite, open bite, certain types of crossbites, an underbite, crowded teeth, overjet teeth, and spacing.
Do Clear Aligners Work as Well as Braces?
While each situation is different, we’ve had great success with clear aligners for kids, teens, and adults. For many patients, clear aligners are just as effective as braces. If Dr. Jeff needs to achieve more complicated tooth movements, he can bond attachments to your teeth. These tooth-colored shapes give the aligners something to push on so they can apply the correct amount of force. He can also use rubber bands to help align the bite for ideal function.
How Much Do Clear Aligners Like Spark and Invisalign Cost in El Dorado Hills?
At Jeffrey Kwong Orthodontics, we do everything we can to make our El Dorado Hills clear aligners affordable for every patient. While your clear aligners cost will depend on the complexity of your case, we’re transparent about our fees and there won’t be any surprises.
If you have dental insurance that provides orthodontic coverage, this can really reduce your out-of-pocket costs. We accept most insurance and our knowledgeable, friendly team will help you determine your coverage, maximize your benefits, and even file claims on your behalf. Aside from insurance, you can also use funds from your HSA or FSA for Invisalign, Spark, or other aligners.
At your consultation, we’ll go over the clear aligner cost for your specific case and work with you to decide on a customized payment plan. We offer in-house, interest-free financing with flexible pay periods and low down and monthly payments, as well as paid-in-full and family discounts.
Can I Just Get Clear Aligners on My Bottom Teeth or Top Teeth?
Shifting the teeth in one arch will change the way the upper and lower teeth fit together (your bite). While there are certain, very specific cases where you could get clear aligners like Spark or Invisalign on the bottom teeth or just on the top teeth, only an orthodontist will be able to determine if it will work for you. Usually, you will need clear aligners for both arches to get the best results.