Category: Invisalign

Are crooked teeth ruining your beautiful smile? Do you hate the idea or wearing metal braces? If so, Invisalign may be just what you’re looking for. Dr. Dean Dietrich is proud to offer this beautiful, convenient orthodontic solution for patients of Pleasant Dental in Dolton, IL.

What they are

You are probably familiar with classic braces. They utilize metal brackets bonded to the teeth. Wires running between the brackets are tweaked to push and pull on individual teeth. They work very well. Unfortunately, they also look like tiny train tracks in your mouth. Shouldn’t there be a way to straighten your teeth without ruining your smile for a couple of years? Invisalign was designed to answer that very question.

Invisalign works with very thin, transparent aligners that slip over your teeth, similar to an orthodontic retainer. You don’t need brackets, because the aligners are custom-made to fit snugly over your teeth, applying gentle pressure where needed. There is no wire. When it comes time to “adjust your braces” you just discard your current aligner, and start wearing the next tray in the numbered series. Although metal braces are better for making major changes or correcting bite alignment, Invisalign yields excellent results for patients requiring minor tooth movement.

Wearing Invisalign

What is the Invisalign experience like? The most important thing for many people is the appearance. Your aligners are virtually invisible. It is unlikely that others will even notice, unless they are standing near and looking very closely. You won’t have to worry about your braces showing in surprise snapshots, or ruining your first impressions.

Beyond aesthetics, our patients love Invisalign for the comfort and convenience. Metal braces are known for being bulky, and a broken wire can be a painful experience. Invisalign aligners are thin and smooth, making them much kinder to the soft tissues in your mouth. Oral hygiene is also simplified, because there are no brackets in the way. You can remove your aligners during meals. When you finish eating, just brush and floss your teeth, and clean the aligner in lukewarm water.

You can have straight teeth without enduring the discomfort and embarrassment of metal! Call Pleasant Dental at [phone] and schedule an Invisalign consultation today.

Nearly everyone wants a winning smile, with gorgeous, straight, white teeth. In the past, many adults considered the embarrassment of wearing braces worse than having crooked teeth. Invisalign has changed the world of orthodontics, giving adults a discreet, comfortable way to a beautiful, straight smile. While Invisalign is becoming an increasingly popular cosmetic treatment, many people are unaware of the vast health benefits it offers.

Straighter teeth, healthier mouth

In addition to being unsightly, crooked teeth are difficult to clean. Overlapping or tilted teeth can create tight spaces that even floss will not fit. When part of the tooth surface is hidden behind another tooth, it can be hard to reach. Brush bristles and floss often miss contacting some surfaces, due to difficult angles. As you probably know, any plaque that is not removed serves as an invitation for decay and gum disease.

Bite problems, and even crooked teeth, can cause pain or discomfort in your jaw. In some cases, this may even lead to TMJ/TMD, a painful disorder of the jaw joint, which is known to cause symptoms such as severe headaches and tinnitus.

Benefits of Invisalign

The number one reason people request Invisalign treatment is cosmetic. The aligner trays are transparent, so no one will even notice unless they look very closely. This system is also quite popular for its convenience. The trays are removed during meals and oral hygiene, so there are no dietary restrictions. You can eat whatever you want, and brush and floss as normal.

Traditional braces are bonded to your teeth, and non-removable. Eating can become a challenge, and oral hygiene can take up hours of your day. Even with sincere effort, it is very difficult to remove all plaque and food particles. Many people develop decay or white marks under their braces. With Invisalign, this is not an issue – no extra brushing time, and no plaque left behind!

You deserve a beautiful, healthy smile during orthodontic treatment, and for the rest of your life! Call Pleasant Dental in Dolton [phone] today and schedule a consultation with Dr. Dietrich to find out if Invisalign can make your dream smile come true.

“I’m too old for braces!” I hear this often when I mention braces to a patient, shall I say, somewhat beyond puberty. Okay, maybe those patient decades beyond puberty.

The reality is there really isn’t any reason that a person of some wiser years can’t or shouldn’t have braces. Sure if there is significant periodontal or gum disease then they may not be a candidate. But an otherwise healthy set of teeth can be moved by braces or other techniques at any age.

At Pleasant Dental we only treat adult patients with what is termed short-term orthodontics. These braces are designed to correct mostly cosmetic issues, including issues such as crowding of teeth, spaces between teeth, or rotations of teeth.

Truthfully, while our goals are cosmetic for adult patients, we are also providing true positive healthy changes for their teeth too. Crowded or badly spaced teeth are difficult to clean and maintain. Often these teeth are subject to gum disease and even more cavities due to the difficulty of cleaning them.

Aside from the desire to help adults with their smiles by using short term orthodontics, we appreciate the fact that adults also are generally very good about following directions, which helps treatment go so much quicker.

If any of you are parents and have had a child in braces, you know that they often don’t do what they are supposed to do to make treatment progress properly. I found this very frustrating and there have actually been times when treatment was stopped due to a patient not complying with our instructions. This virtually never happens with adults.

If you have been thinking and thinking about taking steps to create a more healthy and beautiful smile, take the first step and call us to set up a free consultation. Pleasant Dental: [phone].

“Braces always take at least a year and a half to two years to move teeth. I have absolutely no desire to look like a metal mouthed geek for that period of time.”

While that’s not exactly what patients have said to me it certainly caries the essential truth that most adults have little interest in looking like they are trying to regain adolescence.

What these patients are usually asking me is a combination of: “can you straighten my teeth in a short period and do it in a way that allows me to avoid as much of the indignity that traditional braces can cause?”

The answer is yes and yes.

Traditional braces used on angst ridden adolescence are not the option that most adults are looking for. They usually do require eighteen months to two years worth of treatment and can be unsightly.

We have traditionally used two methods for our adult patients when it comes to straightening adult teeth. The first is short term orthodontics (STO) the other is clear aligned or similar care (Invisalign, Clear Correct or other types of aligner therapy).

Using these methods the average adult orthodontic treatment is somewhere between six and nine months.

Lest you think that we should just wait until everyone is an adult to move teeth, since it seems to be done quicker, it isn’t truly the case.

You see the goals of adult treatment are different from the treatment of children.

With a child we want to idealize their bite and the cosmetics. With an adult, on the other hand, we are usually just dealing with cosmetics. Sure we don’t want to go around and mess up the bite of adults. However, we also acknowledge the fact that these same adults have been using these teeth as they are for most of their lives. Sometimes you just are better off leaving well enough alone.

Besides, these people really aren’t interested in or worried about their bite. They are concerned with their smile. Less things to treat. Less time needed.

I know when my adult patients ask me this question what they are really asking is: “Do I get to have the fun of having a few teeth taken out for the braces?”

Perhaps I exaggerate.

Truthfully, most adults have absolutely no desire to have a tooth taken out for any reason, let alone for the purpose of braces. But we all remember from our adolescence the all too typical removal of as many as four teeth to allow the dentist to move teeth and get the desired result. So it’s an understandable concern.

Interestingly enough, the practice of removing teeth has gone through many ups and downs. That is to say that the removal of teeth as a fairly routine part of orthodontic treatment falls in and out of favor. Some practitioners do it as a matter of course whenever they are confronted by a fairly crowded set of teeth. Others avoid it as much as possible, preferring other methods to gain the needed room.

Since adults usually get braces for the sole purpose of correcting cosmetic issues, we often do not need to remove any teeth. When we do, it is often one single tooth just to gain space to un-crowd the teeth.

When we treat adult patients with braces (we do not treat kids any longer) we try hard to avoid the removal of any teeth. If we absolutely have to remove one, we usually find that it is a single lower front tooth. Then we straighten the teeth out quickly with our short-term orthodontics (STO) and no one is the wiser. Have you ever counted how many lower front teeth someone has? Of course not. Nobody notices the missing tooth.

When we aren’t removing teeth but we still have significantly crowded teeth (meaning we need more room to fit the teeth properly), we sometimes narrow the teeth. This is not typically noticeable to anyone either.

Alternatively, sometimes we can just line them up and not change the size or number of teeth at all. In this case we simply allow the upper or lower arch of teeth to become somewhat longer by letting the teeth move forward, which gives us the needed space.

My final answer – no, you do not necessarily have to have teeth removed to shape up a crowded arch of teeth. We certainly let you know your options before any treatment is started.

You really really want to finally straighten your teeth. But you would prefer to not have to go throughout the discomfort and annoyance of braces. Would Invisalign be an option for you?

The short answer is “maybe.”

While Invisalign can handle many different kinds of orthodontic needs it can’t treat everything.

If your teeth are crowded together then often Invisalign can help. The trick is in finding or creating the space needed for the teeth to line up properly. This is achieved in one of three ways typically. Either a tooth or teeth are extracted (this is the least used method with Invisalign). Alternately the teeth can be narrowed some to provide space. Finally, occasionally the upper and lower arches line up to allow for the teeth to be moved forward to take advantage of space that already exists.

Let’s say you are facing the opposite issue – too much space. Here Invisalign can excel. Using a series of clear aligners the Invisalign process methodically closes all the spaces to produce a great result.

If you have a combination of space and crowding, that can often be effectively handled by the Invisalign process. So can teeth that are rotated or simply pushed out of their more ideal positions.

Probably the one area where Invisalign might be challenged is situations where there are significant crowding that would be best treated with the removal of multiple teeth. It might be able to do the job but, personally, I would stick with more traditional braces for that type of comprehensive care.

We at Pleasant Dental offer FREE Invisalign consultations. We would be happy to have you stop in to see if Invisalign might be a choice for you.

Call us at [phone], today to schedule you appointment. Or use the form on our home page to request an appointment.

Straightening their teeth is often considered by patients in the Dolton area who do not have a perfectly aligned smile. Some patients have overcrowding, gaps, or poor bite alignment. Many avoid fixing these issues because they are turned off by the idea of conventional braces. Brackets and wires covering the smile are undesirable by both teenagers and adults. Thanks to continued advances in orthodontic technology, patients are now able to achieve the same results in a more discreet way with the use of clear aligners.

Clear aligners are becoming incredibly popular because of their appearance and effectiveness. They are also comparable in price with braces, making them affordable for those on a tight budget. Pleasant Dental also works closely with dental insurance companies to help patients determine if they have coverage for their orthodontics and can enjoy a reduced out-of-pocket expense.

Many patients will ask our professionals, “What is clear aligners technology?” This technology allows patients to reposition their teeth by wearing specialized, precision trays that are custom-made to wear day and night. Over the course of time, the teeth are moved into proper alignment. This is achieved over several months and it allows patients to see the same results as bracket and wire treatment.

Dr. Dean Dietrich is proud to offer clear aligners technology in his practice. Most patients with mild to moderate misalignment of the smile can benefit from these treatments. It is important that patients understand that compliance is key to enjoying a more beautiful smile in the dedicated period, and that noncompliance will delay treatment results and may increase costs if new trays are needed. However, those who follow their treatment appropriately will be rewarded with a beautiful smile!

If you want to learn more about clear aligners and the technology behind them, contact the team at Pleasant Dental today to book a consultation visit with Dr. Dean Dietrich. We encourage patients to take the time to learn about how this treatment can completely change the smile!

Many adults who did not have the opportunity to have braces when they were younger are often unhappy with the misalignment of their smile as an adult. They may feel as though they are past the appropriate age to have orthodontic work done to enhance their appearance. However, thanks to continued dental advances, patients can now achieve a more beautiful smile without traditional braces. Instead, they can enjoy a discreet solution such as clear aligner therapy.

What is clear aligner therapy? Dr. Dean Dietrich of Pleasant Dental in the Dolton area describes clear aligner therapy as an alternative to using metal brackets and wires to reposition the teeth. Clear aligner therapy achieves results by creating a series of plastic trays for each patient based on impressions of the teeth. Each tray is to be worn over the dental arch for two weeks and then patients use the next one in the series. At the end of treatment, the smile is drastically improved and patients can enjoy smiling, laughing, and talking with others.

Aligner treatment does require compliance. Patients must wear their trays day and night and only remove them to care for the smile, eat, or drink. Failing to use the trays properly can delay the results as well as cause additional expenses if more trays need to be fabricated. This is why we recommend this treatment to adults serious about getting their dream smiles!

Treatment with aligner therapy is appropriate for patients who have mild to moderate misalignment of the dental arch and/or bite. It can reduce gaps between teeth, turn crooked teeth, and align teeth across the dental arch. Patients considering Invisalign find that treatment is often comparable in cost with traditional orthodontics, and enjoy the ability to work with the dentist they already know and trust throughout the process. This eliminates the need for a referral to an orthodontist.

If you reside in the area of Dolton and want to speak to a dental professional about the advantages of using clear aligner therapy to achieve better alignment of the smile, contact the team of Pleasant Dental to schedule an appointment with Dr. Dean Dietrich.

What is Invisalign?

Patients who visit Pleasant Dental to learn about ways to address malocclusion are often interested in learning more about Invisalign. Invisalign is a treatment alternative that works to provide similar results achieved with traditional orthodontics. Instead of using brackets and wires to move teeth into better positions, this method utilizes aligner trays. An entire series is fabricated using impressions of the teeth that are digitized into a system and used to create plastic trays. The trays are worn at all times, day and night, and only removed when patients eat or care for their smile (brushing and flossing). Each tray is worn for two weeks and then the next tray in the series is worn. Throughout the process, patients notice their teeth gradually changing their positions within the arch.

Why Invisalign?

Invisalign has many advantages, which is why patients often choose this method. Invisalign is:

• Discreet
• Easy to use
• Affordable
• Accurate
• Effective
• Comfortable

Discuss the benefits of Invisalign with a professional

If you are ready to determine if Invisalign and other services are right for your smile, now is the time to contact Pleasant Dental to make an appointment with Dr. Dean Dietrich. He proudly provides treatment for patients in the communities of Dolton, Chicago, and South Holland, Illinois and welcomes new families. He can be reached at [phone] and the practice is accessible at 609 E. Sibley Blvd (147th) in Dolton.

The team of Pleasant dental want to meet you! If you are ready to work with one of the most respected dentists in the area of Chicago, a phone call to Dr. Dean Dietrich is in order. Contact the practice today at (708) 576-1900 and visit our conveniently located facility at 609 E. Sibley Blvd (147th) in Dolton, Illinois.