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Freedom to smile
Historically, getting braces has been the fount of a great deal of anxiety and fear in many teenagers and young adults across the country. The reasons behind this has often spanned from a great deal of misinformation and misconception around how braces would have a detrimental effect in the way they looked, with many patients often conjuring up imagery of large, unsightly headgear, or lisp-inducing metal braces.
However, in reality this is far from the case, as there are now – thanks to the wonders of modern dental science – several forms of discreet orthodontic options available. In recent years there has been a considerable increase in the number of patients seeking out information on such treatments like Invisalign in Kings Hill, and a record amount of youngsters enjoying the hidden magic of treatments such as Invisalign.
Clearly on to something
The story of how Invisalign came to be, began as an idea from Zia Chishti, a graduate from Stanford University in the US, in around 1996. After Chishti had first-hand experience of how orthodontics of that time could negatively impact a patient’s appearance, he decided to take action. Despite a lack of any formal orthodontic training, Chishti’s idea would forever change the face of modern orthodontics, through the Invisalign method. In 1997, Chishti teamed up with fellow graduate Kelsey Wirth, and launched Align Technology, which is the company behind Invisalign, and moved to San Jose, California to begin implementing Chishti’s idea.
The basis behind the Invisalign method was to replace conventional orthodontic materials including fused metal brackets and connecting wires, with a plastic, removable retainer. The retainer would be made using a specifically designed, transparent, plastic known as Smarttrack. Smartrack would be used because of its consistency – firm, yet malleable – and would be perfect for application as a retainer. When worn over the patient’s teeth, the retainer would use pressure points within it to slowly move a patient’s teeth back to their proper alignment. The main factor which would separate Invisalign from all other forms of orthodontics, however, was that – as the retainers would be custom moulded around the specific shape of the teeth – when worn, it would fit so well that it would become practically invisible.
Since its initial launch in 2001, the Invisalign method has grown to become one of the world’s most successful methods of cosmetic orthodontics, and has helped restore the smiles of over 7 million happy patients worldwide, with over 2.5 million of these being teenagers.
Discreetly different
One of the main persuasive factors in the Invisalign method over other, more commonplace forms of orthodontic alignment, is the discreet advantage of the process. This may explain the process’s popularity with teenagers and young adults, who may be somewhat more open to scrutiny. Invisalign however, unlike most other forms of orthodontics, allows patients to achieve a straighter looking smile, without the treatment impacting how they are perceived. Also, an additional factor which separates the Invisalign method from other forms of dental realignment, is the removable nature of the treatment. This provides them with a freedom which is not available through any other form of dental realignment.