If you've been considering straightening your teeth but aren't sure what to expect, knowing what the process looks like ahead of time can help. SureSmile clear aligners in Augusta, GA, offer a straightforward path to a straighter smile, and it all starts with a consultation at West Augusta Dental Associates.
A quick list of treatment steps:
- You begin treatment with a dental consultation and assessment
- Your dentist takes digital impressions to create a 3-D model of your teeth
- A dental lab custom-makes your aligner trays
- You wear each set for one to two weeks before switching
- Periodic checkups keep your treatment on track
Step 1: Your SureSmile Consultation in Augusta
The treatment process starts simply, with a conversation between you and your dentist. This ensures that you are both on the same page about goals, treatment, timeline, and budget. During your first visit, our team assesses your oral health and discusses your goals. Clear aligners are an excellent choice for people with mild to moderate issues like crowding, gaps, overbites, underbites, and crossbites. If SureSmile is a good fit for your situation, we will move forward with digital impressions of your teeth.
Step 2: Digital Impressions & Custom Treatment Planning
For a more comfortable and accurate impression process, we use digital scanning technology to create a detailed 3-D model of your teeth. This model allows us to map out your entire treatment, showing how your teeth will move from their current positions to their final positioning. You'll have a clear picture of what to expect before you even begin.
Step 3: Creating Your Custom Clear Aligners
Once your treatment plan is completed and you’re ready to begin, we send your digital 3D model to a dental lab where specialist technicians create your custom aligner trays. Each set is designed to shift your teeth gradually. When your aligners arrive at our office, you'll come back in so that we can check the fit and go over how to wear them.
Step 4: Living with Your Aligners
You'll wear your aligners all day, every day during the treatment process (20 to 22 hours), taking them out only when you eat, drink, or clean your teeth. Every one to two weeks, you'll finish using your current set of aligners and move on to the next set of aligners in your series. Alongside the simplicity of this process and ease of use, another upside of clear aligners is that they are clear and hard to see, so most people won’t notice that you’re wearing them.
Step 5: Checkups and Adjustments
You’ll come to the office for periodic visits to monitor your progress and make sure your teeth are moving on schedule. These checkup appointments are usually quick. Once you finish using your final set of aligners, you'll wear a retainer at night to keep your teeth from shifting back.
Schedule Your SureSmile Consultation
If you're ready to learn more about clear aligners, call West Augusta Dental Associates at (706) 738-8070 to schedule a consultation. Our team will walk you through the process and answer any questions you have.
