Clear aligners, Raleigh
Clear aligners for the teeth that only need moving.
Clear aligners are a series of thin, nearly invisible plastic trays, each one moving your teeth a fraction further, worn about 22 hours a day and changed every week or two. For mild to moderate crowding or spacing in adults they do the job without brackets.
At Larkspur they are planned by general dentists who also plan any bonding or veneers that may follow, so a tooth that only needs moving is moved rather than covered. Complex bites are referred to an orthodontist, and we say so on this page. Results vary.
- Mild to moderate crowding and spacing in adults
- Who we refer to an orthodontist, stated below
- Planned alongside any bonding or veneers, in the right order
- A scan, not an impression tray
- Retention planned from the start, because teeth drift back
Or call (919) 555-0137 Monday to Thursday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Friday 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Who aligners suit, and who we refer
We are general dentists. Some bites belong with an orthodontist.
Aligners move teeth; they do not move jaws. The honest version of this page says where the line is.
Not for
A bite that does not meet properly
Large overbites and underbites, crossbites, open bites. These are jaw relationships, not tooth positions, and an orthodontist plans them. We refer and we say so.
Severe crowding or rotated back teeth
Aligners struggle to turn round teeth and to make large moves. Braces do it better, and an orthodontist does braces.
Gum disease that is not under control
Moving teeth in inflamed bone loses bone. Keisha first, aligners after.
Anyone who will not wear them
Twenty-two hours a day for months. If that is not realistic for your life, the plan is not realistic either, and bonding may be the honest alternative for a single crooked tooth.
Good for
Front teeth that have crowded with age
The most common adult case: lower front teeth that overlapped in your thirties.
Small gaps and spacing
Closed in months rather than covered with porcelain.
Teeth that drifted after old braces
Often a short course of aligners and a proper retainer this time.
A tooth that would otherwise need a veneer
If a tooth is only out of line, moving it keeps the enamel. We would rather do this.
How it works
Scan, plan, trays, checks.
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1
The scan
A digital scan of both arches and your bite, no impression trays. Photographs and, if needed, an X-ray to check the roots and the bone.
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2
The plan
Dr. Ellery or Dr. Castellanos plans each movement on screen and shows you the sequence and the end position. If bonding or veneers are to follow, the end position is planned for them. If the case is beyond aligners, this is where we say so and refer.
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3
The trays
A series of trays is made, each worn about 22 hours a day for one to two weeks. Small tooth-coloured bumps are bonded to some teeth so the trays can grip; they come off at the end.
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4
The checks
A short visit every six to eight weeks to confirm the teeth are tracking the plan. If a tooth lags, the plan is adjusted and new trays made.
Aligners before veneers
Move the tooth instead of covering it.
A front tooth that sits back or twists is often quoted as a veneer, because a veneer can fake the position in porcelain. It can. It also removes enamel from a tooth that was only in the wrong place.
Where the tooth is sound, we move it with aligners first and then decide whether anything else is needed. Often it is not. Where it is, the bonding or veneer afterwards is thinner and more conservative because the tooth is already where it should be. This is why the people who plan the aligners here are the same people who would plan the veneers.
Retention
Teeth drift back. The plan says what stops them.
Why
The fibres around a moved tooth remember where it was for a long time. Without a retainer most teeth drift, sometimes within months.
What we fit
A thin fixed wire behind the front teeth where it suits, a clear removable retainer for nights, or both. It is chosen with you and written into the plan from the start.
For how long
Nights, indefinitely, is the honest answer. A retainer is part of having moved your teeth.
What it costs
Retainers are included in the written plan. A replacement later is a small fee, stated at the time.
Not sure whether your bite is an aligner case or an orthodontist case? Call and Priya will book a short look with one of the dentists. If it is not ours, we say so and give you a name.
(919) 555-0137Monday to Thursday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Friday 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
What the plan includes
What is in the written plan for aligners.
The scan, the plan and the trays
All the trays in the sequence, including refinement trays if a tooth lags.
The visits
The check visits every six to eight weeks and the removal of the bumps at the end.
Retainers
The first set, fixed or removable or both.
The brand
We use clear aligners such as Invisalign and others; the system is chosen for the case, and the plan names it. Our service is the planning, not the brand.
Before you book
Questions people ask about aligners before they book.
Anything else, call (919) 555-0137. Priya answers.
How long do clear aligners take?
Mild cases, a few months; moderate cases, most of a year. The plan shows the number of trays and the dentist gives a range, not a promise, because teeth move at their own pace. Results vary.
Can a general dentist do aligners?
Yes, for mild to moderate cases, and that is what we do. Complex bites, jaw relationships and severe crowding belong with an orthodontist, and we refer them. We would rather lose a case than plan one badly.
Do aligners hurt?
Teeth ache for a day or two after each new tray, in the way they do after a hard apple. It is pressure, not pain, for most people, and it fades. A sore spot on the gum from a tray edge is smoothed at a short visit.
Will I need a retainer forever?
At night, yes, for as long as you want the teeth to stay where they were moved. A fixed wire behind the front teeth takes the thinking out of it for many people. This is true after braces too; it is just said less often.
Can I get veneers instead of aligners?
Sometimes, and some people do. But a veneer on a tooth that is only out of position removes enamel to fake a position that aligners would have given you for real. If the tooth is sound we recommend moving it first, and we say so even when the veneer would be the larger case.
Next step
Find out whether your teeth only need moving.
Book a consultation. If it is an aligner case we plan it; if it belongs with an orthodontist we tell you and give you a name.