Smile CSRA

Invisalign Refinements

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After finishing up 23 sets of Invisalign trays, I am now in the Invisalign refinement process. Dr. Carter had estimated 20-24 months for the whole process from the beginning. So it will probably be March/April 2012 before the Invisalign process is complete. At my last appointment they removed the attachments from my teeth as well as the rubber band attachment. That small taste of freedom was nice! They also took new impressions of my teeth. Below are photos of the impressions they took along with the “caulk gun” of the material they use for the impressions. I waited about 4 weeks to receive my new Invisalign trays. During that time I wore my last set of aligners. They did fit more loosely than before because the attachments were gone. I still had to wear them full time as well. When my new trays came in, I was fitted with more attachments. This process was much less nerve-wracking than the first time. I knew what to expect and my teeth are not as sensitive as they used to be. I attribute this to straighter teeth. The attachments are not on the same teeth as before. And no more rubber band!


Dr. Carter said he is moving my front teeth up into my gums which involves moving bone and tissue as well. This is one reason for the process taking a little longer for me. The clinic manager, Cheryl, showed me the computerized movement of my teeth from start to finish. I’ve come along way, baby! I have included photos from the very beginning that were taken in Dr. Carter’s office as well as the new ones that were taken when they did the impressions. I am really happy with the progress!


Have you gone through the Invisalign refinement process? I would love to hear from you!


Invisalign Teen Benefits

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Invisalign Teen was created for a teenagerInvisalign Wear Indicator whose active lifestyle doesn’t work well with traditional braces. But even more than that, Invisalign had PARENTS in mind! That’s right. As a parent myself, I always had two concerns with teenagers wearing Invisalign: 1) They may lose or break them; 2) They’re so clear, how do I know they have them in? The answer to question #1 is that Invisalign Teen allows each patient to LOSE or BREAK up to 6 aligners (clear plastic trays that are worn), and there is NO CHARGE to replace them! And the answer to question #2 is that each aligner has a little blue dot that covers the last tooth (molar). This blue dot is actually a “wear indicator” that gradually turns clear over the course of two weeks (which is how long each aligner is worn in the series of aligners). So each week, have your Teen show you their aligner before they go to the next one. If there is still a blue dot, they haven’t worn it!!!

What Exactly IS Invisalign Teen?

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When Invisalign was first introduced, it was created with only adults in mind. That was because teens and pre-teens were still growing, and there were concerns the aligners (clear plastic trays that are worn) would not keep up with the final growing stages of childhood. After many years of orthodontists telling teens they “weren’t candidates” for treatment with Invisalign, the company made tremendous efforts to allow for teeth that were not fully erupted (grown into place), as well as allowing for slight underbite or overbite corrections. That’s how Invisalign Teen came into being almost two years ago. It allows for 12 year old molars to be aligned, eye-teeth to drop into place, and overbites and underbites to be corrected. So if you were told you “weren’t a candidate” for Invisalign because you were a Teen, come see us! We have a wonderful treatment option for you!!! View our commercial below to learn more:

How DOES Invisalign Work?

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By Dr. David Carter

The Invisalign and Invisalign Teen process is possibly the highest form of orthodontic technology I have seen. The first step is we take a very EXACT model (impression) of your teeth. We then send these models to Invisalign, and they create a 3-D model that is then sent back to me over secure internet. I then take the 3-D model and actually TREAT the teeth in VIRTUAL REALITY (so to speak). Once I’ve completed the treatment, I send the treated 3-D models (called a “ClinCheck”) back to Invisalign. They have a patented process that creates a series of clear plastic trays (called “aligners”), that moves the teeth over a two week period of time. Each aligner slowly and comfortably moves the teeth just like braces. The obvious difference is that they are REMOVABLE so you can take them out to eat whatever you want! And they can be removed for easy brushing and flossing. And all YOU have to do is wear each aligner about 20 hours per day. They’re so comfortable you really won’t even notice that they are IN!

Daring to be Different

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Dr. David Carter is a second-generation orthodontist who has managed to make room for a successful practice, lots of family time and giving back to the community. Dr. Ben Burris recently spoke with him about his early years inpractice, his dedication to a balanced life, and how he’s built his career on doing things differently. Read More…