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When the teeth have overlapping with tight spaces between them, there will be difficulty in reaching all of the tooth surfaces with brushing and flossing. That leaves food behind in those nooks and crannies that adds to the growth of bacteria and bad breath for starters. Persistent difficulty with oral hygiene also leads to an increase in tooth decay and gum disease. Of course, likely most important to you...crowded teeth just aren’t very attractive.
Before we achieve less crowded teeth, we need space! Creating space can be achieved in several ways:
Crowding often results from having a narrower arch form. Think of it in reference to letters of the alphabet: we need to make a V into a U.
Now that’s a big, complicated and technical word! You may have heard IPR said before; or at least if you ever hear it again, we hope this explanation helps you in the future:
IPR is a technique used to shave microns of enamel from the contact points between your teeth to achieve a very slight thinning of the teeth. While that doesn't sound very fun, rest assured, it isn’t as bad as it sounds.
If we only need a couple millimeters of space, IPR is a great, safe way to acquire what we need. It’s more in line with crash dieting for a few days so you can fit into your skinny jeans from last fall. We are not talking 100’s of pounds, or in this case, millimeters. Reducing the enamel width has been in use for decades as a viable option for gaining space with little to no negative side effects, if done properly.
Diamond strips are used to manually “break the contact” between your teeth allowing the mild pressure from the aligner to slide the teeth past the one it is wedged against. Your enamel will heal itself and all will be right again. This is only an option for patients that seek a professional’s help with their tooth alignment (or in other words, don’t try this at home.)
Sometimes a few millimeters aren’t enough to achieve healthy correction of crowding. Your teeth require a certain level of bone and gingival (gum) structure to remain stable. If we push them too far, they won’t have anywhere to go, resulting in tooth loss or gum recession.
In most cases, removing one lower incisor does the trick. That is one of the little teeth in the front, on the bottom. Relax, it’s barely noticeable! Once the residual space is closed by un-crowding the remaining teeth, no one will notice it’s gone. Well, except you and your dentist! In the meantime, we can paint a “fake” tooth into your Invisalign aligners where the gap is, so when you have your Invisalign in place, no one will notice at all!
Sometimes, it’s not! Does this look familiar?
With help from your regular dentist, Dr. Moles can recommend extraction of four premolars, one from each quadrant of the mouth. Removing four premolars helps alleviate crowding without damaging supporting structures and also maintains symmetry for a healthy bite.
Prior to your complimentary new patient consultation, you will be asked to fill out an online inquiry into your desires for treatment outcome, medical history and insurance benefits. After gathering the necessary diagnostics, our team will show you a quick view of your potential results with the Invisalign simulator and discuss financial planning options with you.
Before any decisions on treatment can be made, our orthodontist and team must collect great diagnostics. Dr. Moles will combine his 30 years of expertise as a specialist in orthodontics with the diagnostic data collected, to design a plan using Invisalign aligner’s world class treatment planning software, Clincheck® Pro.
Typically, the planning process takes about one to two weeks. Dr. Moles will then send your plan to manufacturing. Manufacturing typically takes another two to three weeks before they arrive at our office. Dr. Moles may need to discuss your plan with you personally. In these instances, either an in-office or virtual consultation will be arranged.
Next, we will set up an appointment with you. Dr. Moles and one of our technicians will deliver your first sets of aligners, place any attachments needed and go over instructions.
Then it’s up to you! Wearing your aligners as prescribed will speed you along to the smile of your dreams! We will be monitoring your progress weekly and arrange for the delivery of your remaining aligners every three to four months as needed.