To correct malocclusion, a growing number of patients and doctors prefer clear aligners to traditional wires and brackets, due to advantages such as:
Compared to traditional wires and brackets, clear aligners are comfortable.
It’s easy to remove aligners and eat whatever you like. There are no wires to trap food or get in the way when you floss.
Clear aligners show off your smile, so most people won’t even notice you’re wearing them.
Osteoclastic activity refers to the body's process of breaking down bone in order to build it up again.
When consistent force is applied to a tooth, osteoclastic activity breaks down the bone in the jaw, allowing the tooth to move. At the same time, osteoblastic activity builds up new bone to fill in the space left behind the tooth.
Osteoclastic activity takes 48–72 hours to fully begin, but only takes about four hours to stop. This is why it's essential for patients to wear their aligners at least 22 hours per day. When the aligners go unworn for several hours, it can take several days for the activity to start up again.
Get the exact amount of treatment you need—no more,
no less—and only pay for what you use.
Flex is great for simple aesthetic corrections, singlearch treatment, and minor orthodontic relapses.
Particularly, it works well for doctors who have experience with clear aligners and have a good feel for how
they move teeth.
Pay one flat rate for as many aligners and retainers
as you need for five full years, including revisions and
replacements.
ClearCorrect’s Unlimited option is ideal for comprehensive treatment, long term retention, and minimizing
unexpected expenses. If you’re a doctor who’s not too
familiar with how much treatment you need, Unlimited
is always a safe bet.
These before & after photos represent some common types of malocclusion which have been treated with Edmonton clear aligner therapy.
Some issues (like crowding & spacing) are easier to treat with clear aligners than others (like open bite). For detailed recommendations, view our case parameters.
Clear aligner therapy refers to a series of clear dental appliances that are formed to the shape of a patient's teeth. Clear aligners gradually improve appearance and function by applying gentle, consistent pressure to a patient's teeth, which stimulates osteoclastic & osteoblastic activity.
Clear aligners are popular because they can do a lot of the things traditional orthodontics can do, more discreetly and conveniently.
While wearing clear aligners is generally not painful, there will be brief periods, days not weeks, when the new aligners may cause the teeth to be uncomfortable.
Expect people to glance at your teeth and ask, “What do you have on your teeth?”
Your ‘bite’ will feel different from time to time while the teeth are in transition.
You may have a lisp at first while becoming accustomed to talking with the aligner on.
You may have engagers ("buttons") a small bump on the aligner, assisting the aligner to move the tooth.
It's recommended that you wear the aligners 22 hours a day. They should be removed for meals only, brushing and flossing before re-inserting the aligner. If not worn for up to 22 hours a day, the corrective process can be halted and within a few hours begin to reverse. It can then take several days for this process to start up again. Wearing your aligners 22 hours a day is key to achieving your treatment goals.
No. The aligners are fairly simple to keep clean, however, tooth decay, periodontal disease, decalcification (permanent markings on the teeth) or inflammation of the gums may occur if proper oral hygiene and preventative maintenance are not maintained.
Most aligners can be cleaned with a toothbrush and cool water. A non-abrasive toothpaste is also recommended. Cleaning instructions are on every bag of new aligners.
It’s fairly common to experience some tenderness or sensitivity for the first few days of wearing a new aligner. However, the more you wear the aligner the more comfortable they become. Sores and irritation are possible but really don’t occur that often.
The aligners can also sometimes temporarily affect your speech. But most people adapt quickly to wearing the aligners and it is rare that your speech would be impaired for an extended period of time. You may also experience a temporary increase in salivation or dryness of the mouth.
ClearCorrect aligners are among the most comfortable in the industry. Similar to braces, if aligners change too abruptly between steps, they can cause unnecessary discomfort. ClearCorrect aligners employ a unique system which balances your comfort and treatment time.
That depends entirely on the treatment goals you set with your doctor and the amount of correction that needs to be achieved. Treatment time can at times exceed estimates. Poor compliance, missing appointments, excessive bone growth, poor oral hygiene and broken appliances can make treatment time longer, increase costs and affect the quality of your results.
Treatment time can also vary considerably depending on an individual's health and physiology. Much of orthodontic tooth movement relies on metabolism and bone remodeling. Further, the rate of tooth movement is not always linear and also depends on the type of movement being performed. For these reasons, treatment times are estimates based on the doctor's clinical examination findings and experience.
Do you have additional questions about Edmonton & St. Albert ClearCorrect orthodontic treatment?
Many do! We invite you to book a consultation so that you can meet Dr. Mar in person and get your questions answered.
- H.R.
- B.G.