Clear Aligners

With clear aligners, you can straighten your smile without spending a year or longer in metal braces. At Walnut Woods Dental in Walnut Creek, California, Ashley Kim, DDS, designs customized treatment plans that deliver impressive results. Call today to schedule a consultation, or book a visit online. 

What are clear aligners and how do they work?

Clear aligners are an orthodontic treatment that uses a series of clear plastic trays to create the gentle pressure necessary to shift your teeth into enhanced positioning. An alternative to metal braces, clear aligners offer the chance to perfect your smile without a gleaming metallic grin or the discomfort common with metal brackets and wires. 

Clear aligners snap securely over the surface of your teeth. Before beginning treatment, advanced digital scanning gathers information on the precise size, shape, and alignment of your teeth. Special software takes that information and creates a customized treatment plan. 

Your aligners are fabricated to keep that treatment plan moving forward. Each time you switch to a new set of aligners, your treatment progress advances. 

What kinds of issues can clear aligners correct?

Clear aligners can correct many of the same orthodontic concerns as traditional metal braces. Some examples of treatable cases include:

• Overbite
• Underbite
• Cross bite
• Open bite
• Gapped teeth
• General misalignment
• Mix of permanent and baby teeth

There are some instances where metal braces offer a better treatment fit. Dr. Kim explains which approach is right for you during your initial consultation. 

What’s it like to go through treatment with clear aligners?

When your aligners arrive, Dr. Kim shows you how to place and remove them. You’ll wear your aligners around the clock. The only times you remove them is while eating and drinking and during your daily dental hygiene routines. 

One of the best things about clear aligners is the ability to brush and floss your teeth normally. You won’t have to worry about working around the brackets and wires of metal braces, and there are no new places for plaque and bacteria to hide. 

Every few weeks you’ll switch to a new set of aligners, which helps your treatment move forward. Periodic office visits give Dr. Kim a chance to review your progress and make any necessary adjustments. 

When you’re ready to get started, call or click to schedule a visit at Walnut Woods Dental. Your initial visit will provide all the information you need to determine whether clear aligners are a good fit for your needs and goals.