The decision to straighten your teeth is a good one.
An aligned smile not only boosts your confidence—making laughing and smiling that much easier—but it also contributes to better oral health. It makes brushing and flossing your teeth more productive by eliminating the overlap and crooked nooks where bacteria can collect. It can also reduce tooth wear by giving you an even bite surface.
Your clear aligner dentist in Topeka, KS offers clear aligner therapy to help you achieve your best smile discreetly.
Our dental office chose to work with this system because clear aligners are the most popular clear orthodontic option out there, and patients have been thrilled with their results.
Let’s look at everything you need to know about clear aligners in Topeka, KS.
What Are Clear Aligners?
Clear aligners is a clear orthodontic system comprised of clear aligners. These aligners are virtually invisible, allowing the wearer to straighten their teeth without drawing attention to treatment.
It is ideal for patients who want orthodontics but don’t want to spend months or years in metal and wire braces—working professionals, older teenagers, and busy parents. Clear aligners for teens in Topeka, KS is especially sought after. It allows young people to feel at ease with their peers while still getting the treatment they need and want.
How Does Clear Aligners Work?
Like any treatment, your aligner will take some getting used to, but eventually (and sooner rather than later), you acclimate to wearing clear aligners, and it simply becomes part of your routine, like eating or cleaning your teeth.
Your clear aligners are changed out every few weeks, according to the schedule given by your dentist. As the weeks go by, you’ll notice your teeth straightening, which can be very exciting.
Clear aligners utilizes low force to comfortably and slowly shift the teeth. Each aligner brings you closer to your goal, and each aligner will have straighter tooth receptacles as you move through the treatment timeline.
When you have exhausted your aligners, your treatment is complete. However, you’ll periodically visit your dentist throughout treatment to make sure your teeth are lining up according to schedule.
The Clear Aligner Process
All long-term treatments start with a consultation in our Topeka, KS dental office. When you come in, your dentist will talk to you about clear aligners, including what to expect throughout treatment and after. We then provide an exam, which typically includes x-rays. We want to make sure that clear aligners are the right orthodontic system for you. We also want to hear about your smile goals, and we always welcome your questions.
In some cases, your dentist may recommend a pretreatment—an extraction, for example, if your mouth is overcrowded.
During this visit, you’ll learn:
- How long treatment will last
- How much clear aligners will cost
- How your smile will look after treatment
If clear aligners are a good option for you, we take digital impressions of your teeth. Digital means no choky impression materials in order to get your new aligners. We then send these impressions to the lab where they create your clear aligners.
When your aligners arrive, you come to our dental office, and your dentist will show you how the system works and give you instructions for at-home care, including how to clean your aligner. Throughout treatment, we are always here to answer your questions.
What Issues Can Clear Aligners Correct?
Clear aligners can correct mild to moderate:
- Crooked, twisted, and overlapping teeth
- Bite issues, including overbite and underbite
- Gaps or uneven spacing between teeth
If you have more severe orthodontic issues, don’t count out clear aligners. Your dentist can assess your teeth and gums and let you know whether it will work for you. In some cases, patients are pleasantly surprised to learn that clear aligners can give them the smile they’ve been looking for.
Clear Aligner Benefits
The clear aligner benefits are many—both during treatment and after.
During treatment, you’ll discover that you can remove your aligners to enjoy meals and brush and floss your teeth. You’ll be able to see your smile changing over weeks. And you’ll enjoy a discreet experience.
After therapy, you’ll have a healthy and beautiful smile that you can be proud of. You’ll also have teeth that are easier to care for.
Clear Aligners Before and After
Before clear aligners, you were probably hiding your smile—maybe even covering your mouth when you laughed. Maybe you had an increase in cavities as bacteria collected in hard-to-reach nooks.
After clear aligners, you’ll laugh with confidence, smile with ease, and enjoy meals without worrying about tooth wear and tear. And some studies even suggest that clear aligner patients have superior periodontal health.
At the end of therapy, we provide you with a custom retainer. This retainer reminds your teeth to stay straight and beautiful!
Does Insurance Cover Clear Aligners?
We work with a variety of insurance companies at Topeka Dentistry, and we are always happy to perform a complimentary benefits check before any procedure to give you an estimate of what your portion may be. We are also happy to file insurance claims.
This treatment falls under the umbrella of orthodontic treatment. Each insurance plan is different. Whether an insurance plan helps pay for clear aligner treatment will depend on the specifics of that plan and if that plan has orthodontic coverage or an age limit on orthodontic coverage.
You can call your dental insurance company for further specifics on your orthodontic eligibility within your plan.
Many patients have elected to invest in their own health and elected to have clear aligner treatment without insurance coverage. For patients without insurance or inadequate insurance coverage, Topeka Dentistry offers a variety of payment options. Our knowledgeable office staff will explain payment options before any treatment begins. You can also access third-party financing options, as we partner with GreenSky and Care Credit.
The Smile of Your Dreams Awaits with Clear Aligners in Topeka!
Your dentist near me would love to help you achieve your best smile. To schedule your clear aligner consultation, reach out to a friendly staff member today.
We provide dentistry and clear orthodontics to patients in all locations, including our neighbors in Tecumseh, Silver Lake, Auburn, Grantville, and Berryton.