SureSmile® Clear Aligners

Durango, CO

Orthodontics treatments involve the alteration of the teeth, the jaws, and the soft tissues that connect the two. These alterations can improve the alignment of said teeth and jaws. The resulting aesthetic and oral health benefits of orthodontic treatment are worth the time and effort of the process.

SureSmile® Clear Aligners are an alternative to both traditional braces and Invisalign®. In our Durango dentist office, we provide this solution for straightening teeth discretely. If you live in or near the Durango area and want to improve your appearance, we invite you to call (970) 259-1646 and schedule a FREE CONSULTATION to learn how this treatment option can work for you.

The different faces of orthodontics

The main way that dentists create a straight, pleasant smile is with the use of gentle, constant pressure which can be done by the use of SureSmile® Clear Aligners. This pushes the teeth into optimal positions at a steady yet gradual pace. As the teeth shift, the jawbone breaks down and rebuilds itself to accommodate the movement of teeth roots. Dentists often prescribe specific orthodontic appliances, like braces, headgear, and jaw expanders, to realign the teeth and jaws.

Patients with sever orthodontic problems may need a more aggressive approach by being referred to an Orthodontic specialist. Some may need a tooth extraction to correct overcrowding. Others may need corrective jaw surgery to treat severe jaw malformation. Still others may need the installation of a temporary dental implant to put pressure on specific teeth.

Orthodontics is a wide field that caters to patients with diverse needs. As such, dental professionals who provide orthodontic treatment need one or more skill sets. Some require surgical skills, while others need to be able to plot tooth and jawbone movements over the course of treatment.

Reasons to straighten your teeth

If you notice any of the following conditions to your smile, visit Durango Dentistry today and discuss orthodontic options with your dentist.

What is SureSmile® Clear Aligners?

Clear aligners are the preferable choice for many patients since they are removable and are not obvious to other people. The clear aligners come in a set, with each aligner being at a different position that gradually pushes the teeth into the proper position. Instead of relying on metal brackets and wires to move teeth, SureSmile® Clear Aligners braces use a series of clear aligners to move teeth into place. The aligners are made of a clear and comfortable plastic that looks similar to a full retainer. By taking care of them and refraining from scratching their surface, aligners will remain clear and virtually invisible when worn. At Durango Dentistry, we can show you how to keep your aligners in perfect condition during the treatment process.

The aligners consist of a clear plastic material that does not change the color of the teeth and will only be noticeable when the wearer tells someone to look at the teeth up close. With the discreet appearance, patients will not need to feel self-conscious about wearing clear aligners.

The aligners are created using an impression of your teeth and gums. Once received, the lab will create a series of aligners that start with the current position of your teeth and slowly move them until they are perfectly straight. A patient will wear each aligner for about two weeks. Afterward, the patient will replace the old aligner with the next one in the series. The aligners place pressure on specific teeth to gradually move the teeth for a more comfortable experience. By wearing all of the aligners in the series, your teeth will move from crooked to perfectly straight.

The aligners are given to you at the beginning of the procedure so that you do not have to visit our Durango dentist's office every time that you need to switch them out. This allows you to spend less time in the dental chair than you would when wearing traditional metal braces.

SureSmile® Clear Aligners vs. Traditional Braces

Traditional metal braces are extremely effective for straightening teeth and treating misaligned jaws. While metal braces are more comfortable than they were in the past, they are still noticeable and unfavorable to many. With wires, brackets, and rubber bands, traditional metal braces can negatively impact the way that a person looks and feels. Many people find that traditional braces are distracting and do not fit into a busy or professional lifestyle.

Simultaneously, metal braces are difficult to keep clean as food can become stuck between the brackets, requiring special floss to remove the bits of food. At Durango Dentistry, we can help patients receive the necessary treatment without having to drastically change their diet or skip out on some of their favorite treats when wearing braces. While only temporary, this can be inconvenient and at times, frustrating. Given the tendency for food to become stuck, those wearing braces, also need to spend more time brushing and flossing throughout the day.

SureSmile® Clear Aligners is a far more convenient option than other methods for straightening one's teeth. Patients remove the aligners themselves when eating, so there are no restrictions on which foods you can eat. Patients also do not have to worry about something becoming stuck in the brackets or the embarrassment of feeling awkward while eating. Patients wear SureSmile® Clear Aligners for at least 22 hours per day, leaving plenty of time to enjoy a romantic dinner, business meeting, or lunch without metal braces ruining one's confidence. When eating, patients will remove the aligners and return them to their mouth once they finish eating and clean their mouth out. This makes it possible for patients to maintain their current lifestyle without any further restrictions.

Another advantage of SureSmile® Clear Aligners over traditional ones is that patients can remove the aligners while playing sports, a musical instrument or singing in the choir. As a dentist, we recommend that athletes wear a mouth guard during practice or a game. With braces or other teeth-straightening products, this can be an issue. With SureSmile® Clear Aligners, patients can remove the aligners to wear the mouth guard. If you play sports on a regular basis and live in the Durango area, we invite you to schedule a consultation to see how much easier it is to continue wearing a mouth guard when using SureSmile® Clear Aligners to straighten your teeth.

May not be the best option for kids

Clear aligners are not always the best treatment for children or children in their early teens. Since clear aligners require more responsibility to care for, children are not always responsible enough to take proper care of them. In many cases, a child may remove the clear aligners for lunch and then throw them out with the lunch bag by accident.

The child may also have trouble remembering to remove the aligners to brush his or her actual teeth each night and then replace the aligners. Since they require more care, we recommend that children stick to braces until they are more responsible.

Don’t take them out for too long

While clear aligners are removable and the patient needs to take them out for certain situations, the patient needs to put them back in fairly quickly. With braces, the patient does not have the option to remove them and does not interrupt the overall straightening process. However, removing the aligners for too long can cause the teeth to begin to return to their old position.

The longer a patient removes the clear aligners for, the longer the treatment can take overall. Therefore, it is best to only remove the clear aligners for a certain amount of time before returning them to the mouth.

What to expect with the SureSmile® Clear Aligner treatment?

1. Scan. It all starts with a scan. Your dentist at Durango Dentistry takes photos and a digital scan. No messy impressions are needed. 

2. Lab work. Next your dentist with send off your images and scan to the SureSmile® Digital Lab, and working together a comprehensive and customized treatment plan will be developed.

3. Financial Conversation. We will then ask you back to the office for a short visit to review your comprehensive and customized SureSmile® Clear Aligner treatment plan. Discussing any questions you may have with your dentist. We will go over timeframe and cost of the treatment plan with you as well, verifying if you have any Orthodontic insurance coverage.

4. Approved Plan. Upon your approval to move forward with the SureSmile® Clear Aligner treatment plan, your trays will be ordered from the lab to arrive in office shortly.

5. Receive Case. You will receive your SureSmile® Clear Aligners, Patient Kit and SureSmile® VPro (optional) in office and arrive for a visit with your dentist to start you on your journey of straighter teeth.

6. Attachments (Engagers) and IPR. To assist in the movement of your teeth your dentist may need to perform a few extra steps at your initial aligner delivery. To help with rotation, angulation, extrusion, intrusion and space closure of teeth small tooth colored attachment(s) are temporarily bonded to your teeth in specific spots to help the aligners grip the teeth and guide them into their desired positions.  In some cases, especially crowding, your dentist may need to complete IPR, inter-proximal reduction. Inter-proximal reduction involves the selective

7. Monthly Check-Ins. In most cases you will be given multiple aligners to switch out at home every 2 weeks. However, you may be asked to visit you dentist monthly to check the progress and movement of your teeth to ensure you are on track.

8. Finished Treatment. Once your treatment has ended, you’ll receive a SureSmile® Whitening Kit, at no additional cost, so your new smile shines bright. Don’t forget to use your SureSmile® Retainers to keep your teeth in place long after treatment as ended.

9. Retainer Checks. Included in your treatment cost is 12 months of retainer checks as needed to ensure you teeth are staying in place and that your retainer is working.

What is the SureSmile® VPro?

SureSmile® VPro is a high frequency vibration device. It is a convenient and portable device designed to be used with your aligners 5 minutes a day. It delivers gentle vibrations that may reduce discomfort and may shorten treatment time. Depending on the length of treatment time the SureSmile® VPro device may be included in your treatment cost.

Retainers

At Durango Dentistry, if you are in need of a orthodontic retainer or retainer repair, please call (970) 259-1646 today to schedule an appointment with our dentist. We can order SureSmile® Retainers to replace lost, broken or worn retainers. If your lingual bar retainer has come loose or popped off we can recement that for you.

Role of the general dentist in orthodontic treatment

A general dentist offers the first-line treatment and support. They offer preventative treatments, like routine checkups and teeth cleanings, to ensure good oral health. They can detect dental and oral problems in their early stages. In most cases, the general dentist will correct simple problems with restorative dentistry or with dental procedures, like root canals. The role of a general dentist as a first-line dental health provider also allows them to provide important orthodontic treatments.

1. Detection and monitoring

Regular checkups allow a dentist to spot problems in their early stages. A general dentist can detect an emergent bad bite that results from an accident or teeth grinding. In the case of children, a general dentist will monitor the growth of both their primary and permanent teeth. If the dentist detects a bad bite, they will keep tabs on the child’s teeth until the child is old enough for further treatment. For children and adults alike, a diagnosis for orthodontic problems should be the first step of treatment.

2. In-depth diagnosis

Diagnosis starts at the detection stage. It continues with medical imaging, a tool that allows the dentist to pinpoint the root cause of their patient’s orthodontic issue. An X-ray or a CAT scan will provide information that allows the dentist to chart a course of action.

3. First-line orthodontic treatment

Some patients require simple orthodontic treatments. A general dentist with the right training can oversee teeth straightening with braces. The dentist can also extract a tooth to correct crowding. They can recommend veneers or crowns for patients who need a smile upgrade.