A Clear Alternative for Straighter Smiles
Consider Invisalign™ or Spark™ Clear Aligners to get the beautiful straight teeth you’ve always wanted — without braces.
About Clear Aligners in Hamden & North Haven
The Spark and Invisalign systems are made of clear acrylic aligners that fit over your teeth and are designed to straighten your smile. You can remove your clear aligners any time, making it easier to eat, drink, brush and floss as you normally would.
Spark and Invisalign are much more comfortable than traditional metal bracket braces and Dr. Desai uses them to create the same stunning results.
Invisalign® and Spark aligners take a modern approach to straightening teeth. It uses a custom-made series of aligners created for you and only you.
These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable and virtually invisible plastic that you wear over your teeth.
Wearing the aligners will gently move your teeth into place little by little, based on the exact movements Dr. Desai plans for you. There are no metal brackets to attach and no wires to tighten. You just pop in a new set of aligners about every two weeks, until your treatment is complete.
You’ll get a great smile without a treatment that gets in the way of your daily life. The best part about the whole process is that most people won’t even know you’re straightening your teeth.
The Clear Aligner Process
When you visit Elm Tree Orthodontics for your free consultation, you’ll get photos and X-rays taken so we can create a 3D image of your mouth. Dr. Desai and our team make your first set of custom-fitted aligners from these images, and then you begin the process of straightening your teeth.
You will probably wear Spark or Invisalign aligners for 9–15 months, and will typically use 18–30 sets during your treatment at Elm Tree Orthodontics.
You wear the trays for about 22 hours a day as recommended by Dr. Desai but can remove them for brushing your teeth and eating.
Based on your individual needs, you will wear several sets of trays throughout your orthodontic treatment journey at Elm Tree Orthodontics, and will start to notice a change in just a few months!
This nearly invisible option to straighten your teeth is truly changing the way people see orthodontic treatment.
Dr. Desai has a lot of experience treating patients with Invisalign and Spark aligners, and we’re excited to offer this technology to our Hamden & North Haven, CT, braces patients.
Differences Between Invisalign & Braces
Unlike traditional braces, smooth plastic Invisalign or Spark aligners don't have metal components that can irritate your mouth.
Because they’re removed when you eat, you won't have to watch what you eat like you would when wearing braces—bring on the popcorn and peanuts!
In fact, the aligners must be removed for eating and for drinking anything other than water. You need to make sure you’re willing to do that before you decide on Invisalign or Spark aligners. To prevent staining, you’ll need to clean your teeth before putting the aligners back on after each time you eat.
Of course, brushing and flossing are much easier than with traditional braces, since you don’t have to work around any brackets and wires.
Responsibilities of Spark Clear Aligners and Invisalign
It’s important to wear your aligners for at least 22 hours each day for them to do their job and straighten your teeth. But, with Invisalign or Spark aligners, you can remove your aligners for special occasions in Hamden, or anywhere else.
Like with traditional braces, you’ll generally need to wear a retainer after treatment with Invisalign or Spark aligners to maintain your new alignment—and your confident new smile.
Clear aligners may not be recommended for some complex alignment or bite issues, or for those who have bridgework; Dr. Desai can advise you about what options are best for you.
Schedule your free consultation at our Hamden, CT office to learn if Invisalign is right for you.