Invisalign® Clear Aligners In West Perth

No. Whether Invisalign® suits you depends on your gum health, your bite, the movement needed and how consistently you can wear the aligners, so your dentist decides after an examination. Some mouths suit fixed braces better, and some need an orthodontist.

We check your gums first, because moving teeth through inflamed gums isn’t a good idea, and gum problems are treated before any aligner work starts. Your bite, jaw comfort and any grinding shape what the plan can do. Aligners suit many alignment concerns in people who can wear them most of the day. Fixed braces may manage movements that aligners don’t, and they can’t be forgotten or lost, though cleaning around them takes more care.

An orthodontist is a registered dental specialist in tooth and jaw alignment (healthdirect, orthodontics), and a more complex bite or jaw problem may be better placed with one. We’ll say so, and say if no treatment is a fair choice. Nobody can promise the finish date or the final position, because both depend on your teeth and on how consistently you wear the aligners.

• healthdirect (Australian Government). The role of an orthodontist

Either can be the right person, and the deciding factor is what your teeth need. Orthodontics is one of the 13 recognised dental specialties (Dental Board of Australia), and an orthodontist is a registered specialist in tooth and jaw alignment (healthdirect, orthodontics). A general dentist may also provide aligners, and should refer you when your case needs a specialist.

At Absolute Dental, our dentists are general dentists, so we don’t call ourselves specialists. We check your teeth, gums and bite, compare aligners with braces and tell you plainly if an orthodontist would suit you better, for instance with a more complex bite or jaw problem. You’re also free to get a second opinion from an orthodontist before you decide.

Questions worth asking either professional: What will the plan move, and what can’t it do? What happens if I can’t wear the aligners enough? How many reviews are included, and what do retainers cost afterwards? Is the quote itemised? We can’t promise a result or a date, and a written plan is what lets you compare quotes fairly.

• Dental Board of Australia. Specialist registration: list of the 13 dental specialties
• healthdirect (Australian Government). The role of an orthodontist

It depends on the movement needed and on how consistently you wear the aligners, so we can give an estimate only after scans and planning. Nobody can promise a finish date. Small changes can take less time than moving teeth a long way, and wear time is the part you control.

A course is a series of aligners, each worn for a set period, with regular visits to check progress. Orthodontics Australia says clear aligners straighten teeth predictably only when worn correctly, for 22 hours a day. Time spent with the aligners out, missed reviews or a lost or broken set can add time to the plan.

After the last aligner, teeth tend to move back, so retainers are part of nearly every plan, often for years (Martin et al., 2023). Ask for the estimate in writing, and ask how many reviews are included and whether any refinements are covered if the plan needs adjusting. Estimates are estimates. We’ll tell you plainly if your progress is slower than planned. We explain timing and costs the same way across all our dental services.

• Martin C, et al. Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2023. PubMed 37219527

Yes. Take them out to eat, to drink anything other than water, and to brush your teeth and clean the aligners. They move teeth only while you wear them, so they need to be in for most of the day. Orthodontics Australia describes 22 hours a day as what clear aligners need to straighten teeth predictably.

Brush before the aligners go back in, because sugar trapped under the plastic stays against the enamel. Water is the drink to have with them in. Frequent snacking and sipping means more time with them out, and more cleaning to keep sugar off your teeth.

If about 22 hours a day isn’t realistic for your routine, say so before you start. Orthodontics Australia says fixed braces should be considered if that wear isn’t kept up, and that some movements can’t be achieved effectively with clear aligners. We’ll compare the two for you honestly. After treatment, teeth tend to drift, so plan on retainers (Martin et al., 2023). We can’t promise a result, a date or a particular gap with your fund.

• Martin C, et al. Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2023. PubMed 37219527

Almost always. Teeth tend to move back after aligners or braces, and retainers help hold them in place. They are part of nearly every plan, often for years (Martin et al., 2023). A Cochrane review has looked at the different ways of holding teeth in position after orthodontic braces, which is why we talk about retention before treatment starts.

Retainers come in two main kinds, removable and fixed (Martin et al., 2023). A removable one is a clear plastic tray or a wire-and-plastic plate, and a fixed one is a thin wire bonded behind the front teeth. Which one is suggested depends on your teeth and your habits, and each has its own cleaning and checking needs. A lost or broken retainer needs replacing, so tell us early.

A retainer isn’t the same as a night guard. A retainer holds tooth position, while a grinding splint protects teeth from wear, and some people need both. If you clench or grind, we’ll talk about a splint as well (healthdirect, teeth grinding). Ask what retainers cost and whether they’re in your quote, how often to wear them and when they’re reviewed. Keep up your regular check-ups so we can see if teeth start to drift.

• Martin C, et al. Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2023. PubMed 37219527
• healthdirect (Australian Government). Teeth grinding (bruxism)

Yes. Inflamed gums are treated before aligners start, and good cleaning matters throughout, because moving teeth through inflamed gums isn’t a good idea. If your gums bleed, tell us at the first visit so we can plan around it.

Early gum disease, gingivitis, usually settles once cleaning improves and you’ve had a professional clean (healthdirect, gum disease). Signs include gums that bleed when you brush or floss, look red or swollen, or feel tender. We measure your gums at the examination, remove calculus, show you a cleaning method that suits your mouth and plan the aligners once your gums have settled.

Aligners ask more of your cleaning, not less. Brush before putting them back in, clean between your teeth once a day and clean the aligners themselves. Smoking raises the risk of gum disease, and diabetes and gum disease affect each other (Sanz et al., 2018), so tell us about your health history. If your gums start to bleed during treatment, say so early. We can’t promise gum problems won’t return.

• healthdirect (Australian Government). Gum disease
• Sanz M, et al. Scientific evidence on the links between periodontal diseases and diabetes: consensus report of the International Diabetes Federation and European Federation of Periodontology. Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 2018. PubMed 29280174

We give you a written quote after scans and planning, because the fee depends on the movement needed and how long treatment runs. We don’t list a single price here, and prices differ between practices, so compare what each quote includes before you compare the numbers.

Ask whether the quote covers scans, the aligners, reviews, any refinements, retainers and a gum clean beforehand. A written plan that includes reviews and retainers is the figure to compare. A lower-looking quote that leaves them out may cost more in the end. Ask whether paying in full at the start changes the price, and what the total would be on a plan.

Medicare doesn’t cover most dental services, and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule doesn’t cover orthodontic work. Private extras may pay toward orthodontics under their own item, usually with waiting periods and limits, so ask your fund what you’d have left to pay before you start. Payment plans through providers such as Afterpay, humm and Zip are explained on our payment options pages. The provider approves the account and sets its own terms.