Wednesday, February 25, 2015

How An Invisalign® Dentist Has Aligners Created


invisalign-dentist20153.jpg
As an Invisalign® dentist, we use aligners to straighten teeth instead of traditional metal braces and orthodontics.  This is a modern and innovative way to straighten teeth that uses the same basic theories as braces.  By applying pressure to specific teeth, the aligners move them slowly into position, one at a time until the teeth are perfectly straight.  This can take time but by wearing all of the aligners in the series, your teeth will move rather comfortably.  There are many benefits to straightening teeth with aligners including the ability to take them out to eat and clean your teeth, eliminating some of the common inconveniences associated with wearing braces like getting food stuck in between teeth. 
If you are interested in using this option to straighten your teeth, we recommend scheduling a consultation to have your teeth examined.  We will want to examine both your teeth and your jaw to ensure that the procedure will be effective.  If your jaw misalignment is severe, you may need traditional orthodontics instead, but typically, aligners will work just fine.  We will also be sure that you don't have any cavities, infections, or gum disease since we will need to correct those first, prior to starting the procedure.
Once you are cleared for the procedure, as an Invisalign® dentist, we will take measurements of your teeth and create an impression of them.  This information is then sent to the Invisalign lab so that the aligners can be created.  This process starts by turning the physical impression into a digital one that is placed into the software that can project what your teeth will do over time.  Since the aligners work by wearing each one in the series for two weeks at a time, the entire treatment is designed so that each aligner is slightly different than the last one in the series.  The software is what enables the lab to design each aligner to focus on moving specific teeth without causing unnecessary irritation.  As an Invisalign® dentist, we can see what the aligners are supposed to look like and request any changes we want to be made prior to them being created.
Once the aligners are ready, we will have you come back in so that we can have you try on the first one in the series and show you how to use and care for them.  You will be given all of the aligners at the same time and need to switch them out every two weeks.  You will know when it is time to do so because the aligners start out very tight and will eventually become loose as the teeth move like they are supposed to.  In order for teeth to move, the aligners must be worn for 22 hours per day which leaves plenty of time to eat your favorite food and brush your teeth.  This level of convenience is what makes Invisalign stand out from traditional braces.  To learn more, schedule a consultation.


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Thursday, February 5, 2015

How To Prepare Yourself for What Happens After Dental Implant Surgery

Dental Implant
If you need dental implant surgery it is important to visit a dentist who is an expert at performing your particular procedure so that you can decrease your risk of a complication and make sure that you recover as quickly as possible.  We get it – no one wants oral surgery and for obvious reasons.  When possible, everyone wants to be perfectly healthy without ever visiting the doctor or dentist and without ever needing a surgical procedure.  Life would simply be easier that way but, unfortunately, this is not the reality.  Procedures like dental implants are often necessary in order to ensure that you can continue to live life without interruption.

In our office, placing dental implants is a procedure we perform on a regular basis to permanently replace teeth, and we use sedation to make sure that you are comfortable during the procedure.  Sedation is wonderful because it lets you relax and stay in a happy place, rather than being worried or having anxiety about the procedure.  The type of sedation we offer depends on your tolerance for discomfort and how many implants you are having placed.  In this scenario, you may be put to sleep or get so drowsy that you nod off, comfortably resting until we are done.  That's the good news.

The bad news is that in any surgical procedure, you are going to have a recovery process and some level of discomfort while you heal at home.  By preparing for what happens after dental implant surgery, the time can pass with you feeling relatively relaxed and comfortable.  We recommend that you ask someone with good driving skills, and a comfy car, to pick you up and drive you home.  Since you will feel slightly disoriented after anesthesia, this will allow you to get home and in bed while you are sleepy enough to fall back asleep.  Make sure that your bed is set up with extra pillows so that you can lounge at an incline rather than flat on your back.  Pull up the blankets, fall asleep, or watch a movie in bed and the day will be over before you know it.

You should also set up an area near your bed with water, pain medication, gauze, and ice packs.  It helps if you have someone that can bring you ice packs when you need it but if not, buy several so that you can rotate through them without waiting for them to freeze every time.  You can apply the ice for fifteen minutes at a time throughout the day and night so that the swelling goes down and the discomfort with it.  You should also plan on having some soft foods available to eat like room temperature soup and yogurt. Being careful after dental implant surgery is important so wait to eat anything hard or sharp for several weeks.  We will give you specific advice on what you can and can't eat based on how many implants you had placed and where they are located.  Within 48 hours, you should start to feel better and be able to head out and enjoy life while your teeth and gums finish the natural healing process.


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