Clear Aligners

If you want a straighter smile without spending a year or longer in metal braces, clear aligners offer a solution. This treatment option is among the services available from Kristin Nelson, DDS, MDS, of Metropolitan Orthodontics in Fairfax, Virginia. Book your one-on-one consultation online or by phone today to get started. 

What are clear aligners?

Clear aligners use a series of removable plastic trays used to create the force needed to shift teeth into improved positioning. They are a great alternative to traditional metal braces and a popular option among adults and teens who want to straighten their smile without a metallic grin. 

Once your aligners are in place, few people will even notice you’re wearing them. You can speak normally, and there won’t be any risk of damage to your tongue or the other soft tissues in your mouth. 

There are no dietary restrictions for people who wear clear aligners. Unlike braces, which require you to avoid eating hard or sticky foods, you don’t have to limit your food choices during treatment with clear aligners.  

What kinds of alignment issues can clear aligners correct?

Metropolitan Orthodontics proudly offers clear aligners from some of the best manufacturers in the industry, including ClearCorrect®, Invisalign®, 3M™ Clarity™, and Spark™, in addition to custom in-office aligners. 

When you arrive for your initial consultation, Dr. Nelson discusses which options are best suited for your needs. Some of the alignment issues clear aligners can correct include:

• Overbite
• Underbite
• Cross bite
• Open bite
• Mix of permanent and baby teeth
• Gapped teeth
• General misalignment

There are cases when metal braces offer a better path to a straighter smile. Because traditional braces are affixed directly to the surface of your teeth, they create forces that clear aligners cannot match. 

How do I know if clear aligners are the best treatment option for me?

Not everyone is a good candidate for clear aligners. One of the biggest hurdles involves the way aligners work to enhance your smile. 

For clear aligners to work, they must be worn around the clock, removed only while eating, drinking, and during dental hygiene tasks like brushing and flossing. If you take your aligners out and don’t wear them as prescribed, they can’t move your teeth, and your treatment progress will stall or even reverse. 

Alternatively, if you or your child isn’t the best at dental hygiene, clear aligners might be a better option than braces because you only have to pop the aligners out to brush and floss, as opposed to taking the time to navigate around the brackets and wires. 

Explore clear aligners in detail during your consultation, which you can book online or by phone today.