Invisalign Braces Orthodontics Straighter teeth closing spaces costs

If you are like most people, your teeth are not perfectly straight. And like most people you have learned to adapt to what you have. You may hide your teeth when you smile, or even cover your mouth with your hand. Most people do not even realize they are doing this until they look at family photos. You may have thought about braces in the past, but passed on them either due to finances, or not wanting to have a metal smile, or just did not see the benefits of a straighter smile. But now is your chance to reconsider, despite your age.

WHY BRACES?

There are many benefits to braces. The most obvious is straighter, nicer looking teeth. Although this is the main reason people get braces, it is only a by-product of why dentists and hygienists recommend patients have braces. Straighter teeth provide for healthier gums, easier cleaning, better function with decreased abnormal wear and trauma, and a more beautiful smile.

Properly positioned teeth are easier to clean than crooked and overlapped teeth. This decreases the chance for decay and plaque retention. When teeth are straight, the gums fit tighter against the teeth and helps reduce the risk factors for gum disease. In the following photo the picture on the left shows a tooth out of position that has started to decay (dark spot with chalky border). The picture on the right is immediately after extraction. Which do you think is easier to clean?

Straight healthy teeth provide a balanced bite spreading forces evenly throughout the mouth. When teeth are all nicely aligned they work together to protect each other from traumatic forces. Consider a single tooth sticking out in front of the others getting hit with a hockey puck, vs a row of nice straight teeth. It is similar to breaking one pencil vs breaking a stack of 5 pencils - strength in numbers.

Straight healthy teeth provide for a beautiful smile. When you have a beautiful smile you smile more, feel better about yourself, and have an overall increase in self-confidence. So talk to your dentist and start smiling more!

CONVENTIONAL BRACES

You have likely seen teenagers walking around with a nice shiny metal smile. These people are wear conventional braces. Although there are many designs, they all serve the same function, to straighten teeth. This type of braces works very well and has been a standard for decades. Their main strengths lie in 2 main areas.

The main benefit to conventional braces is there effectiveness for really complex cases, and developing arches. The later is the primary reason you will often see these braces on teenagers.

The second benefit is they are less dependent on patient compliance. With being fixed in place the patient does not have the option of not wearing the braces.

Despite the pros for conventional braces, they do have 2 major cons. Poor aesthetics and decreased ability to brush and floss normally. The second of these cons is the main reason for the need of another alternative, such as Invisalign®.

INVISALIGN®

If you always wanted straighter teeth, but wanted something invisible, removable, and comfortable, then your time has come. Invisalign® is your clear alternative to a healthier more beautiful smile. Introduced to the market in 1999, Invisalign® has continued to improve and decrease in price. During this time thousands upon thousands of cases have been successfully completed in under 12 months using Invisalign®. Will you be the next person to choose to better your life with an Invisalign® smile?

To help you see the difference Invisalign® has to offer, check out the following pictures (some provided by Align Technologies). You can also visit our photo gallery for more photos or check out Align Technologies' web site at Invisalign.com.

Conventional braces VS Invisalign®.

Invisalign® is clear, durable, and easy to use.

Want to see what Invisalign® can do and how fast it can do it? Take a look.

COSTS

At this point you are probably thinking "Ok, nice product, but how much?"

Invisalign®: Prices for Invisalign® varies from office to office and with length of treatment. At our office Invisalign® costs only $500 more than conventional braces. For cases that can be completed in under 10 aligners (5 months of treatment) the total cost is $3500. For cases that take over 10 aligners the total cost is $5500. These costs include the records visit and final retainers.

Conventional braces: Prices for conventional braces varies as well, and likewise include the cost of the records and retainers. For partial cases or cases lasting under 6 months the total cost is $3000. For other cases the total cost is $5000.

The fees are split over multiple visits with the initial no obligation consultation visit being free. If you decide after the consultation to proceed, a final records visit will be scheduled, and the first payment of $400 will be due at that time. The third visit is scheduled a few weeks down the road at which time you will receive your first set of aligners (or conventional braces). For those who would like to proceed with a payment plan, $1000 is due at time of receipt of aligners, with the balance to be paid out with regular monthly payments (4-18 payments depending on length of treatment). All fees will be submitted to your insurance company first, and the remainder amounts charged to you. For those who would rather pay us the full amount and not do a payment plan you will be eligible for a discount of up to $500. A further $200 discount can be earned for each friend you refer that enters into active orthodontic treatment at our office.

Please note that these fees may change at any time. However, once an individual has begun the records part of treatment, prices will be set for course of treatment without any increases along the way.