Multiple Options

Depending on your goals and your degree of misalignment, we can offer you traditional Invisalign or Invisalign Express. For qualifying patients, Invisalign Express can straighten teeth in six months or less.

Experienced Dentists

Our doctors have many decades of combined experience in dental and orthodontic treatment. Together, they have successfully completed so many Invisalign cases that Invisalign has awarded them with Gold-level provider status.

Helpful Financing

Your dental insurance may contribute towards Invisalign treatment. For any costs that are not covered, we can help you secure financing through CareCredit®, Wells Fargo, or Compassionate Finance™.

How Invisalign Works

All orthodontic treatment works in the same basic way. Your bones might seem fixed, but your body is constantly tearing down and rebuilding them. This helps your bones remain healthy and strong, but it also allows your bones to reshape in response to pressure.

Orthodontic treatment puts pressure on your teeth that encourages your body to remove bone from one side of the tooth and build it up on the other side. This lets your teeth move through your jaw.

Traditional orthodontics achieve the necessary pressure with brackets on teeth linked to a shaped wire that pulls your teeth toward the desired position. Periodically, a dentist or orthodontist would have to tighten the braces and change the wires to achieve final results.

Invisalign uses clear plastic aligners to provide pressure on your teeth. At the beginning of treatment, your Houston cosmetic dentist will image your teeth. Then we send the image of your teeth to Invisalign, where advanced computers will determine the optimal path for your teeth to take to their desired locations. The computer breaks this path into a series of short steps, then creates aligners (similar to teeth whitening trays, but stronger) to achieve each step. You will wear each aligner for one to two weeks, then move on to the next aligner.

Benefits of Orthodontics

People often think of orthodontics as a cosmetic dentistry treatment. It is, but it also offers other benefits. With orthodontic treatment, you can enjoy:

  • A more attractive smile
  • Greater self-confidence
  • More comfortable and effective bite
  • Reduced tooth wear
  • Easier daily hygiene
  • Reduced risk of gum disease
  • A more attractive smile
  • Greater self-confidence
  • More comfortable and effective bite
  • Reduced tooth wear
  • Easier daily hygiene
  • Reduced risk of gum disease

Having straighter teeth will dramatically improve the appearance of your smile. That improved appearance can give you greater confidence in personal and professional situations.

Crooked teeth can make it hard to bite and chew. You might bite your cheeks and tongue more often. In addition, you might wear down your teeth faster, including significant chipping or cracking. Straightening your teeth can improve your bite to make chewing easier and protect your teeth from stress and strain.

It’s easier to clean straight teeth, too. You’ll get less food stuck between your teeth and will be able to remove plaque better. Some studies suggest that orthodontic treatment could reduce your risk of gum disease by 50%!

young woman with Invisalign shows off her alternatives to traditional braces to straighten her smile

Benefits of Invisalign

Although Invisalign is a relatively new approach to orthodontic treatment, it’s becoming the most popular because it offers numerous advantages over traditional braces, including:

  • Nearly invisible aligners
  • Removable aligners
  • No diet restrictions
  • No need to clean around brackets and wires
  • Lower discomfort
  • More people are eligible than ever
  • Faster treatment than ever
  • Red, swollen or tender gums
  • Bleeding gums
  • Food stuck between teeth and gums
  • Bad breath
  • Receding gums
  • Tooth sensitivity
  • Loose or drifting teeth

The biggest benefit of Invisalign is that it offers nearly invisible treatment. The clear plastic aligners are so subtle that most people won’t see them, even in a conversation standing right next to you.

In situations where they might be an issue, such as if you’re having professional pictures taken, you can remove your aligners. You just need to make sure you keep them in for 20-22 hours a day.

Because you can remove your aligners, you don’t have to give up any of your favorite foods. Eat anything you want. You also won’t have the difficulty of brushing and flossing around braces. Take your aligners out and brush and floss normally.

Traditional orthodontics have more dramatic tightening appointments that can cause significant discomfort. With so many Invisalign aligners, each one provides for gentler movement, which can lead to less discomfort overall.

In the past, many people couldn’t get Invisalign. Advances in technology mean that more people can get the treatment than ever. If a dentist told you in the past that you weren’t a candidate for Invisalign, you should get a new opinion. However, it’s important to understand that there are still situations where traditional braces might be better for you.

Advancing technology also means that Invisalign is even faster than ever. Clinical studies show that Invisalign treatment takes an average of six months less than treatment with traditional orthodontics.

Invisalign + Whitening

We said that Invisalign aligners are similar to teeth whitening trays. The actual truth is that Invisalign aligners can now act like teeth whitening trays. Invisalign now allows us to include teeth whitening in your orthodontic treatment. That way your teeth won’t just get straighter, they’ll get brighter, too.

Get Invisalign in Houston

At Stephens and Gatewood Dentistry, we are happy to offer totally free consultations to patients interested in Invisalign.

During a consultation at one of our offices in Spring, TX, one of our dentists will examine your bite and ask about your smile goals. If we don’t think Invisalign is right for you, we’ll let you know, and we’ll recommend other forms of orthodontic treatment or cosmetic dentistry that can better meet your needs. If you are a good candidate for Invisalign, we’ll draw up a personalized treatment plan and explain how you can get started right away.

You can request your free consultation right now by filling out our online form or by giving us a call at (281) 320-2000.