A clear alternative

I have been lucky enough to work with Dr John Davey and Dr Richard Tonks, both of whom are Diamond providers with Invisalign, which means I have been given the opportunity to see how Invisalign delivers discreet teeth-straightening treatment.

Invisalign is known as a clear aligner treatment. The custom-made Invisalign aligners are clear, thin, vacuum-moulded plastic appliances formed to fit snugly over the teeth.

Clear aligner treatment involves an orthodontist or a dentist with a special interest in orthodontics. The dentist or a dental nurse, if certified to do so, can take moulds of the patient’s teeth, which are used to create a digital tooth scan. The computerised model suggests stages between the current and desired teeth positions, and aligners are created for each stage. It is recommended that each aligner is worn for 22 hours a day for two weeks. These slowly move the teeth into the position agreed between the orthodontist or dentist, and the patient. The average treatment time is 14 months.