Today, we’re going to talk about Invisalign versus SureSmile versus regular braces, whether that’s right for you, and that’s something that we can help you with. Hi, I’m Dr. Brett Langston, I’m the owner and prosthodontist at Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialists here in Brookhaven, Georgia.
The Evolution of Braces
Braces used to be a thing for only kids, like fourth graders through eighth graders, who were trying to get their teeth straight—making space for the permanent teeth to come in and moving teeth around. Now, that’s a thing of the past. It’s not only for children anymore. We still have a lot of kids for whom braces are absolutely necessary. You have to line those teeth up and make room for everything. But a lot more adults now are getting orthodontics, and with the invention of clear aligners—whether you’ve heard the term Invisalign or SureSmile—that’s another treatment option we now have in our bag of tricks, if you will, to help move the teeth.
Why Adults Might Need Braces
A lot of orthodontists are using SureSmile or clear aligners in pretty amazing ways to move teeth, so that’s one option we have. So, why get braces as an adult? Great question.
A lot of times, as we get older, our teeth start to shift and move. As we lose bone support, the teeth get less and less anchorage in that bone, and so they want to drift and shift. You’ve probably seen it in your own mouth. A lot of times, your lower front teeth start to crowd in and lean over each other. In addition to that being an aesthetic issue for some people, it also presents a problem because as those teeth shift and move, all of a sudden, they’re starting to hit at off angles and in ways that they’re not designed to. You could have gone your whole life, and all of a sudden, you hit 55 or 56, and your front teeth start hitting funny, and your bite just doesn’t feel quite right.
Problems With Traditional Braces for Adults
A lot of times, this will lead to chipping and fracturing of those bottom front teeth, especially since they are smaller and less strong. So, in the past, your options would be to go to an orthodontist, and they would put big old brackets and bands—basically metal train tracks—in your mouth, and it could be uncomfortable, to say the least. In addition to being unesthetic, very few people want to be 55 years old, showing up to work with a mouthful of braces. But now we’ve got the option with clear aligners.
Clear Aligners as an Alternative
In our practice, we primarily focus on the “social six,” the front teeth, maybe a little bit more towards the back. But with Invisalign, we can actually upright teeth, get them back in line, and get them back into a supported position where, when you bite and chew, they are functioning correctly, in addition to aesthetically aligning them.
Pre-Orthodontic Evaluation
The way the system works is, you come in for what we call a pre-orthodontic evaluation. We take pictures, X-rays, a cone beam scan, and we look at your jaw joint and your mouth. We examine everything to make sure that your teeth and mouth are healthy.
Considerations for Periodontal Disease
For instance, if you have periodontal disease, which is where the bacteria in your mouth attack the bone around your teeth, and we try to move those teeth, they’re going to lose even more bone. Treating periodontal disease with orthodontics could set you up for failure. You might get the teeth in the right place, but they’re going to be a little loose, and you’ll likely end up losing those teeth earlier than if you hadn’t done the orthodontics.
Ensuring a Proper Evaluation
So, not everybody is a candidate for braces, and that’s why it’s important to come see us, or another dental office, or an orthodontist, to get a proper evaluation. We need to ensure we’re not setting you up for failure down the road. But assuming your teeth are healthy, you’ve got good bone levels, and you don’t have active decay—because again, if you have cavities and we move those teeth around, it’s not going to be healthy—we’ll take care of all that first.
Orthodontic Treatment Planning
Once everything is healthy, we can start by doing intraoral scans and X-rays, and then we sit down with an orthodontist and design your case. We look at where you are now and digitally recreate where we want those teeth to be.
Technological Advancements in Orthodontics
Thanks to technology and scientific advancements, we can calculate how long it will take to move those teeth in a slow, controlled manner. We’ve done SureSmile treatment on almost all my team members and even my own family members, so I’ve got some good tips and tricks for making the process smoother.
Soreness and Discomfort with Clear Aligners
Anytime you move teeth, whether you’ve had orthodontics in the past or have family members who have had treatment, you know that moving teeth causes some soreness and tenderness. The nice thing about clear aligner treatment is that we can move the teeth slowly. That soreness is generally focused on the first day or two, but through regimented use of the trays, we can move the teeth exactly where we want them over time.
Wearing Clear Aligners
You’ll wear the trays for 23 hours a day. We don’t want you eating or drinking in them because they’re not designed to handle that force. They’re just designed to slowly shift the teeth to where we want them to be. I’ve had a lot of patients say they’ve lost weight because they didn’t want to go through the hassle of taking out the trays to eat. It cuts down on snacking, so if you’re looking for a win-win, you can straighten your teeth and maybe avoid a little snacking during the day.
Post-Treatment: Retainers
Once you’re done with treatment, we put you in retainers to wear at night. After that, you go about your day, wear your retainer at night to maintain that new tooth position, and wake up in the morning ready to go.
Comparing Invisalign, SureSmile, and Clear Aligners
You may have heard terms like clear aligners, SureSmile, or Invisalign. They’re all basically interchangeable, referring to the clear trays we use to move teeth. Invisalign is a company that produces amazing results using a patented system. SureSmile is another system similar to Invisalign. You plan the case and get the trays, and they both end up with the same result. It just depends on which lab and system the dentist uses. You can think of it like choosing between Crest, Colgate, or Tom’s toothpaste—they’re all pretty much the same; it’s just a matter of preference.
Partnership with Bite
We’ve recently partnered with a company called Bite, which works with the SureSmile system and helps patients with financing and insurance to maximize their benefits, making braces more affordable for more people. It’s a really cool program. You come in, we do a full evaluation to ensure the teeth are healthy, and Bite handles the finances and insurance, making the process go smoother.
When Conventional Braces are Necessary
As amazing as clear aligners are, there are definitely still cases where conventional braces are necessary. Sometimes, clear aligners can’t space teeth out as much as needed or handle significant tooth movement. So, there are cases where we’ll need to use conventional orthodontics with braces and metal.
Choosing the Best Treatment
It’s nice to know we have different options available. Most of my patients who come in wanting braces definitely prefer clear aligners. They’re less obvious and easier to fit into daily life. If you’ve got a small gap or something minor, clear aligners will probably work. But if you’ve got a big gap or major tooth movement, we’ll determine the best treatment for you.
Cost Considerations
Cost-wise, the options are equivalent. We don’t push you toward conventional braces or clear aligners for financial reasons. It’s about what’s in your best interest and what will get the desired result.
Conclusion
I’m Dr. Brett Langston, and this is Oakley, and we’re here to help you watch your mouth.