Clear aligners are a smart way to straighten misaligned or crowded teeth without the drawbacks found with other straightening solutions. With each invisible aligner tray in place, pediatric patients can smile freely starting from day one. Unlike metal braces, this innovative solution quickly and effectively brings teeth into the proper alignment without complicating self-confidence issues. Health and convenience benefits make the clear aligners a great choice for patients who meet the eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
To ensure they qualify for clear aligners, pediatric patients must attend a consultation appointment with Dr. Nia. At this appointment, patients undergo a thorough exam to determine if they are a great candidate for this tooth straightening system.
Since clear aligners work best on minor to moderate spacing and bite issues, the Dr. Nia will assess each patient’s full smile to make an eligibility decision. With the exception of the most severe bite and alignment issue, clear aligners resolve crowding, tipping, gaps, and rotation problems. If the patient meets eligibility requirements, the severity of the bite and alignment issues will determine the total length of the treatment period and the number of aligners needed to correct those problems.
Clear Aligner Creation Procedure
The clear aligner system utilizes custom-designed trays to purposefully move the teeth into the correct position. To create these aligners, a skilled Dr. Nia must take impressions of the teeth to map out the treatment area. The impressions are sent to the lab where the aligners are constructed out of specially-designed materials. Upon receiving the trays back from the lab, Dr. Nia will fit the pediatric dental patient with the first tray and assess its fit. The patient should only feel slight pressure once the tray is securely snapped in place.
Treatment Process for Clear Aligners
Since the trays produce gradual, comfortable movement of the teeth, most pediatric patients will wear each tray for three weeks before moving on to the next phase of the treatment process. Patients find the clear aligner trays more comfortable than metal braces, which have wires that can snag or scratch sensitive oral tissues.
The trays must be removed while eating and completing morning, afternoon, and evening oral care routines. Prompt replacement of the tray in the mouth keeps the treatment process on schedule. The trays should be worn about 22 hours a day to have the desired effect.
Patients must go into the office for checkups about once a month, or less as determined by the Dr. Nia, throughout the treatment process. Dr. Nia will simply check the treatment progress and assess the fit of the current tray. As a result, the clear aligner appointments are much shorter than checkups for metal braces due to the lack of a need for manual adjustments or repairs.
Upon completing the treatment process, most pediatric patients must use a retainer, normally just at night, to protect their smile. Thankfully, patients can often use the final clear aligner tray as their retainer, which reduces fitment problems found with traditional solutions.
Schedule Your Clear Aligner Consultation Appointment Today
If you are ready to discuss clear aligner treatments for the full restoration of your child’s smile, call (770) 479-9999 to schedule an appointment at Nia Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics. You can also fill out our online appointment request form to receive a prompt response from our team.
