Clear Aligners Middleburg Heights
Straighten Your Smile Without Metal Braces
Many mature patients want to finally correct crooked teeth and noticeable gaps in their smiles, but they feel like they missed the boat on traditional orthodontic treatment. Others wore braces at a younger age but are starting to experience a relapse in the form of teeth shifting back toward their original, misaligned states. In both of these situations, clear aligners may be the ideal solution! This subtle and easy-to-use service can straighten smiles beautifully — no metal wires or brackets required. Ready to see if you’re a candidate? Contact Kirlough Family Dentistry in Middleburg Heights, OH, today to schedule a consultation.
Why Choose Kirlough Family Dentistry for Clear Aligners?
- Aesthetically Pleasing, Comfortable, and Removable
- Decades of Clinical Experience
- Dedicated Smile Makeover Plans
How Do Clear Aligners Work?
Clear aligners are made out of thin plastic, and they are customized to fit your unique teeth. Each one represents a different stage of your smile throughout the treatment process. Your job is simple — our dental office will provide the aligners, and you will wear each one for a predetermined amount of time (typically two weeks or so) before switching to the next aligner in the set. The trays are fully removable and should always be taken out of the mouth when eating, brushing, and flossing. Try to wear them for a total of at least 20 – 22 hours each day.
Who Can Clear Aligners Help?
If you’re wondering if clear aligners can help you, there’s a good chance the answer is yes. After all, this innovative treatment has already helped countless patients! If you are interested in learning which orthodontic problems clear aligners can fix prior to your consultation, then this next section is for you.
Crowded Teeth
If your teeth overlap, then you may not feel particularly confident when you smile. That’s not the only reason we recommend exploring your orthodontic treatment options, however. Crowded teeth can also harbor plaque and food particles, increasing your risk of tooth decay and periodontal disease. Fortunately, clear aligners can gently move your teeth into their properly aligned positions, improving the look of your smile as well as your oral health.
Gaps Between Teeth
As they get older, many patients grow less and less fond of the gap between their two front teeth. If that’s the case for you, then take the next step: schedule a consultation with our cosmetic dentist in Middleburg Heights, Dr. Kirlough! Once he has a chance to review your dental history and assess the complexity of your case, he can determine if clear aligners are right for you.
Overbite
Do your upper teeth extend past your lower teeth? If so, you may have an overbite. The good news is that, while there was once a time when this orthodontic problem could only be fixed with traditional braces, mild and moderate cases can now often be addressed with clear aligners. In other words, there’s a good chance that your journey to a straight smile and an aligned bite will be completely metal-free.
Underbite
What if your lower jaw extends beyond your upper one? This bite problem is referred to as an underbite. Even in mild cases, it can lead to considerable discomfort as well as difficulty chewing and trouble enunciating clearly. Fortunately, clear aligners can often be used in tandem with other orthodontic accessories (i.e., attachments, buttons, rubber bands) to correct underbites.
Crossbite
In a crossbite, some of the upper teeth sit behind the lower ones, leading to considerable jaw pain. Not only that, but pressure is placed on some teeth more than others, increasing the risk of a serious chip or crack. These are just a few of the many reasons we recommend reviewing your treatment options, like clear aligners, sooner rather than later.
Open Bite
When your mouth is closed or you bite down, do your upper and lower teeth meet evenly? If they don’t, then you may have an open bite. If it isn’t corrected, you’ll likely experience the consequences, like chronic jaw pain, premature wear and tear on certain teeth, and trouble chewing properly. Luckily, traditional braces are no longer the only option; clear aligners are often a solution for patients who are looking to close an open bite.
What Are the Benefits of Clear Aligners?
- Clear aligners are completely transparent, which means they likely won’t even be noticed by most people you pass throughout the day. It’s the perfect service for patients who want to maintain a natural, confident appearance.
- There are no unpleasant poking wires with clear aligners — just smooth, customized plastic that feels very comfortable in the mouth.
- Because the aligners are removable, you don’t have to make inconvenient changes to your diet or practice an overcomplicated oral hygiene routine at home.
- In addition to the cosmetic benefits of straighter teeth, clear aligners can also make it easier to clean your teeth, correct misaligned bites, and provide other valuable health-related improvements.
Understanding the Cost of Clear Aligners
The many advantages of clear aligners make them a strong winner over metal braces. However, price is still a major factor in any dental treatment, and clear aligners are no exception. As you will find out below, there are several factors that can affect the cost of this treatment. So, Dr. Kirlough and our team cannot provide you with a cost estimate until we meet with you during a consultation. Continue reading below to learn about some of the variables that can influence the price of straightening your smile.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Clear Aligners
Every patient’s smile has unique needs, so there isn’t a universal cost of clear aligners. Various factors can impact how much you’ll pay for a straighter set of pearly whites, such as:
- One arch or two? — The majority of clear aligner patients straighten their upper and lower teeth at the same time. However, if you only need to wear an aligner on a single arch, your cost will be lower.
- Complexity — Severe orthodontic issues are more expensive to treat than simpler ones. Closing a small gap between the two front teeth, for example, is easier and cheaper than straightening several crooked teeth.
- Length of treatment — The longer it takes to straighten your teeth, the more aligners you’ll have to wear. Therefore, your treatment will cost more.
At your consultation, your clear aligners dentist in Middleburg Heights will closely examine your smile and give you a cost estimate. From there, our team can discuss payment options.
Clear Aligners Vs. DIY Aligners: A Cost Comparison
If you’ve been looking into fixing crooked teeth, then you’ve undoubtedly heard of mail-in aligners. This system of clear aligners costs only a fraction of what you might pay for professional treatment. However, when it comes to your smile, cheaper is NOT always better!
Mail-In aligners and other “do-it-yourself” clear aligner kits come with very little, if any, oversight from a dental professional. Rather, you’re entirely responsible for capturing accurate impressions of your teeth and following the treatment process correctly. Without professional supervision, it can be all too easy for things to go wrong. Your smile might not turn out the way you wanted it to, so you may end up having to see a dentist anyway for corrections.
Save yourself time and money by choosing professional clear aligners in Middleburg Heights from the start. Dr. Kirlough and the rest of our team will be with you every step of the way. The precise impressions, effective aligner trays, expert oversight, and lasting results will be worth every penny!
Does Dental Insurance Cover Clear Aligners?
Although every dental insurance plan is different, many of them do NOT cover orthodontic treatment. If they do, they might only offer coverage for traditional braces and exclude clear aligners. However, it couldn’t hurt to contact a representative from your insurance company and find out for sure. Our team would be happy to help with this process! We’re even in-network with many of the area’s leading dental insurance providers, including:
- Liberty
- United Healthcare
- United Concordia
- Delta Dental Premier
- MetLife PDP Plus
- Connection Dental
Options for Making Clear Aligners Affordable
Even without insurance, there are other ways to make clear aligners more affordable. Kirlough Family Dentistry is partnered with CareCredit to give our patients the opportunity to split up treatment costs into low monthly payments. There are multiple flexible payment plans to choose from, so clear aligners can fit into almost any budget. You may even qualify for no-interest financing!