Los Angeles Invisalign Clear Braces Specialist

Dr. Lisa Gao and the incredible team at Westwood Orthodontics are pleased to be able to provide their clients with the option to straighten their teeth with the innovative technology behind Invisalign Braces. Based in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Gao will meet with clients one on one to determine if Invisalign is right for them. Here’s what Invisalign Braces are all about.

Invisalign Dentist in Los Angeles

Invisalign Braces are an alternative option to traditional metal braces. Just like traditional braces, Invisalign will straighten crooked or improperly spaced teeth over time to create a beautiful smile. Invisalign is becoming more and more common as clients realize they do not have to have visible braces on their teeth for years at a time. Dr. Lisa Gao can help you determine if Invisalign is the right treatment option for your teeth and overall oral health goals.

What are the Benefits of Invisalign?

The benefits of using Invisalign to straighten teeth are plentiful:

First and foremost, clients enjoy the fact that they are transparent and are difficult to detect when on the teeth.
The rate at which teeth can be moved is faster in some cases because the Invisalign Braces are constantly being updated and manipulated to accommodate for the changing shape of the mouth.
Because the Invisalign Braces are made from a molded plastic product, there is no scraping or cutting of the lining of the mouth, the way traditional metal braces can cut and scrape inside the mouth.
Clients can remove the Invisalign Braces when they are eating or drinking, so there is no risk of getting food caught in their teeth, like which traditional braces.
The pain of having braces “tightened” is not present with Invisalign because the moldable trays move the teeth slightly with constant pressure over time.
Clients complain of fewer headaches and mouth pain with Invisalign.
3D technology allows orthodontists to see progress and plan for progress using computer programs and data collected from images of the client’s mouth.

What Does the Process of Getting Invisalign Braces Involve?

Dental technology has come a long way over the past few years and thanks to 3D imaging associated with the Invisalign Braces technology, clients can see what their teeth with look like even before they decide to pursue Invisalign treatments. This makes many clients very excited to think that in just a short period of time, they can have the smile they always dreamed of.

Here’s what the process of getting Invisalign Braces looks like:

Your orthodontist will determine the need for braces – of any kind – and inform you of your options. It’s important that clients are fully aware of the pros and cons of treatment options and have a realistic outcome in mind for the treatment.
Upon choosing the Invisalign treatment plan, clients will have a series of 3D images taken of their teeth to create a mold for a plastic aligner tray.
The molds are sent to the dental technicians who build the trays which will be the first of many sets clients will receive. This process can take a few weeks. The aligner trays are made from medical grade polyurethane resin and do not contain BPA.
When the trays are sent back to the orthodontist’s office, clients will be fitted with their Invisalign Braces, and they’ll be sent home for a few weeks for the first round of braces to start working. Clients can expect minimal discomfort and can take over-the-counter pain relievers if they do experience discomfort from the aligners starting to work.
Within several weeks, clients will return to the orthodontist’s office for follow up appointments and subsequent fittings for new aligner trays. Trays will be fitted and placed every few weeks thereafter. Each visit will require images to be taken in order to prepare the next set of aligners.
Clients can expect to have up to 48 different aligner trays over a period of about 9 to 15 months.
Once the teeth have successfully moved into their desired location, your orthodontist will discuss appliances, such as retainers, to keep your teeth in their optimal position.

How to Choose the Right Invisalign Provider for You

If you have been fortunate enough to have access to regular dentist’s visits, your dentist can refer you to an orthodontist to discuss options for treating crooked teeth. If you have not seen a dentist in some time, you’ll want to contact one to ask for a referral to an orthodontist.

Choosing the right Invisalign provider is important because orthodontists should be certified to apply Invisalign Braces, untrained dentists should not be applying these products. It takes a great deal of skill and knowledge to be able to recognize the progress and monitor for any issues that may arise while treating clients with Invisalign Braces; dentists, while highly skilled at day-to-day care and treatment options for clients, are not properly informed of the benefits and risks of applying Invisalign.

Clients will want to speak to a certified Invisalign orthodontist, like Dr. Lisa Gao in Los Angeles, California at the Westwood Orthodontics clinic.

The highly trained and skilled team at Westwood Orthodontics can determine if a client is a good candidate for Invisalign and can properly monitor progress or issues, should they arise. Dr. Lisa Gao and her team will provide you with all of the information you need to make an important decision of whether or not to proceed with Invisalign Braces treatment option.

We can discuss payment options and plans during your consultation, and we’ll work with your medical insurance company to help you find the right payment options to go along with your Invisalign Braces.

Don’t wait to talk to Dr. Lisa Gao about getting the smile of your dreams. As a board certified orthodontist in Los Angeles, She has helped thousands of patients get the smile they hoped for, and she can help you too.

Call Westwood Orthodontics today.