(231) 737-2273
AppointmentClear Aligners – Norton Shores, MI
Subtly Straighten Your Smile
The uncomfortable feeling of braces and the awkwardness of smiling with a mouth full of metal for months on end can make many people reluctant to pursue orthodontics. But here at Laketown Family Dental, we give older teens and adults a chance to enjoy straighter smiles without having to resort to metal braces using comfortable clear aligners in our Norton Shores, MI dental office.
Why Choose Laketown Family Dental for Clear Aligners?
- Friendly, Caring Dental Team
- Teens and Adults Welcome
- Comfortable Modern Dental Office
How Clear Aligners Work
You’ll actually wear multiple aligners throughout the course of the treatment. Each one is designed to move the teeth a little closer to the goal until you have the straight smile of your dreams. Each aligner is worn for about two weeks, and they should stay in your mouth for at least 22 hours each day. Every six weeks or so, you’ll come back to our dental office for a progress check; we’ll make sure that everything is going according to plan.
Benefits of Clear Aligners
Year after year, clear aligners continue to be popular. In fact, you may even be considering them yourself! If that’s the case, then keep reading to learn a few of the many benefits that come with this alternative to traditional braces.
Basically Invisible Aligners
Let’s start with one of the most well-known benefits of clear aligners: they are basically invisible. This is largely because they are crafted from see-through materials and are custom-made to fit the contours of your teeth perfectly. As a result, most people probably won’t even realize they are there (unless you let them know that you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment, of course).
No Dietary Restrictions
With clear aligners, you won’t just enjoy a more image-friendly treatment. You’ll also have the freedom to enjoy all of your favorite foods since they are removable! All you need to do is take them off before eating or drinking anything other than water. Then, when you’re done, you’ll brush your teeth, clean your trays, and put them back on.
Shorter Average Treatment Timeline
Another noteworthy perk: clear aligners tend to yield faster results when compared to traditional braces. In fact, most treatments only take 12-18 months. So, if you are interested in having a considerably straighter smile by this time next year, you should schedule a consultation with one of our talented cosmetic dentists! That way, they can determine if you’re a good candidate and, if you are, provide you with an estimate of your treatment timeline.
Improved Comfort
Unlike traditional braces, clear aligners in North Shores are actually quite comfortable! Not only are there no metal components, but the aligners are custom-made to fit the contours of your teeth without digging into the soft tissue. As a result, the journey to a straighter smile is considerably smoother.
Tip: If there is a rough edge on one of your trays, cover it with dental wax and bring it to our office so we can file it down.
Hassle-Free Dental Hygiene
Oftentimes, patients with traditional braces end up buying special oral hygiene products, like interproximal toothbrushes. That’s not necessary with clear aligners because they are removable! Once you take them off, rinse them with clean, cool water and place them in their designated case. Then, you can complete your dental care regimen as usual. When you’re done, all you need to do is clean your trays and put them back on.
Less Time in the Treatment Chair
Fortunately, there aren’t monthly adjustment appointments with clear aligners. Instead, you’ll visit our team at Laketown Family Dental every 6-8 weeks so we can monitor the movement of your teeth. If you’re on track with your treatment plan, then there’s a good chance that you’ll be in and out of our office in 30 minutes or less.
Understanding the Cost of Clear Aligners
What is the cost of clear aligners in Norton Shores? That’s usually one of the first questions our patients ask when they’re interested in clear aligners. Naturally, we want you to have a firm idea of how much you’ll pay for your treatment before you make any important decisions, which is why we’ll spend your initial consultation explaining the different factors that can change the final cost of clear aligners. We can only give you specific numbers once we’ve had a chance to look at your mouth in person.
Factors that Affect the Cost of Clear Aligners
The severity and nature of your dental misalignment can significantly influence the final price. More extensive problems require more aligners, and naturally more aligners mean a higher cost. Also, depending on the changes that need to be made, you might have to pay for elastics or other accessories to go along with your clear aligners. And of course, the cost of a clear aligner treatment for both the upper and lower teeth is very different than the cost of treatment for just one arch. Bear in mind that these are factors we can take into account from the beginning; if you lose an aligner, you’ll have to pay for a replacement, which can add to the cost.
Clear Aligners by Dentist vs. Smile Direct Club™: Which Costs More?
Smile Direct Club™ has become more popular in recent years. One major reason for its success is that it’s usually less costly than clear aligners in office. But a lower cost doesn’t always make a particular option better. DIY aligners such as those provided by the Smile Direct Club tend to be made out of cheaper materials than clear aligners done in the office, which can affect comfort and effectiveness; it can also leave the aligners more prone to damage. Also, if something goes wrong with DIY aligners, you could potentially have to spend thousands of dollars to fix the problem; Our clear aligners enjoy oversight from an experienced dentist from start to finish so that you can avoid such issues.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Clear Aligners?
If your dental insurance includes orthodontic coverage (which is often a once-in-a-lifetime provision), you should check to see if this includes clear aligners in Norton Shores. More often than not, it does, which can allow you to save $1,000 or more on your treatment. The insurance experts at our practice can help explain your benefits and how you can use them to help pay for clear aligners. Just call us with your specific plan.
Options for Making Clear Aligners Affordable
Third-party financing can help you better manage your out-of-pocket costs for clear aligners. Our practice accepts CareCredit financing, which lets you pay the cost of your treatment over several months. There are different financing plans to choose from with flexible schedules designed to fit any budget, and there’s little if any interest to worry about. We can discuss CareCredit along with other possible options for making clear aligners more affordable as part of your initial consultation. Don’t hesitate to bring up your concerns; orthodontics in Norton Shores is important, but it should never break your budget.