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Invisalign braces are used to treat several teeth alignment problems, including overbites, underbites, crowded teeth, crossbites and gaps between your teeth. Whether your smile needs minor improvements or more extensive adjustments, Invisalign can certainly help.
Invisalign uses a series of comfortable, removable aligners that gradually move your teeth into improved positions. Unlike conventional braces, Invisalign aligners have no metal bands or wires and are almost invisible.
Detailed impressions of your teeth can be taken after your free initial consultation and examination with Dr. Mike Mew. These impressions allow us to develop a computerised treatment simulation, and if you choose Invisalign, we'll create a series of customised aligners that will fit only you.
We'll see you for a review every six to eight weeks. Each set of aligners in the series is slightly different and you'll receive the next set after your review. The Invisalign aligners must be worn for 22 hours each day, but they're removable so you'll be able to eat and drink normally.
Invisalign will give you a better, more confident smile in a much more comfortable way than traditional braces.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a teeth alignment system which consists of a series of computer-generated, nearly invisible aligners that fit neatly over the teeth. The aligners are made of food grade polyurethane and are comfortable and removable. Each aligner in the series is slightly different, causing your teeth to progressively move into the desired position.
Does it work?
Invisalign is very effective for simple and moderate problems. It can be used to treat a variety of teeth alignment problems, including overbites, open bites, underbites, crossbites, crowding, and gaps between the teeth. Most problems that are usually corrected with railway tracks can be treated with Invisalign, but some tooth movements (such as tipping teeth) are easier for Invisalign than others. Movements that are more difficult for Invisalign include pushing teeth into the gum or pulling teeth out of the gum. See the “Common Problems with Invisalign” section of our Quality Care page.
Moving one tooth requires pushing against the others, and without a force from the opposite jaw the entire dental arch cannot be moved. Dr. Mew is concerned that many Invisalign treatments appear to be possible in a computer simulation but are not possible in real life.
Difficult cases that could not otherwise be treated with Invisalign can be pre-treated using the Prealign system, consisting of bespoke sectional systems and other non-visible treatments. This is an area that Dr. Mew specialises in, having trained at Denmark's Royal Aarhus Dental School – regarded as one of the leading adult orthodontics training centres in the world.
The result depends on how well the aligners are worn, the attention paid to the initial Invisalign Clincheck, and the number of Invisalign treatment cycles that are performed. If worn well Invisalign can achieve results that are just as good as fixed appliances, but if worn poorly, Invisalign does not work. To date 300,000 people around the world have been treated with Invisalign and a large number of them are quite satisfied, but naturally some problems have occurred. We want you to be fully informed, so we suggest you click here.
| Cost range | £1895 to £6050* |
| 6 front teeth in one jaw | £1895 to £2100 |
| 6 front teeth upper and lower | £2050 to £2750 |
| Full upper and lower | £3950 to £4550 |
| Prealign | £850 to £1500 |
*This includes Prealign and is for difficult treatments not usually attempted with Invisalign.
We provide quality care to produce beautiful results that last. All our treatments include:
- Quality care Invisalign Clincheck reviews in all cycles of treatment
- Three cycles of Invisalign, with original impressions taken for each. It is possible to avoid this using the virtual information in the Invisalign computer, but this information is rarely identical to the actual situation
- Myotherapy training
- Three years of post-treatment retention and myotherapy
- Rescue mechanics. When problems occur (usually due to poor wear), rescue mechanics enable recovery.
Good results can be achieved without side effects if no problems arise. Although there are many cheaper Invisalign providers, by using Prealign systems Dr. Mew can undertake treatments that would be impossible for Invisalign alone. These more complex treatments are obviously more expensive than standard Invisalign treatments.
| Estimated treatment time | |
| Simple treatment | 9 to 12 months |
| Complex treatments | 12 to 18 months |
| Prealign | 4 to 10 months |
Times vary greatly depending on the complexity of the treatment. There is a lead time of four to six weeks between taking the impressions and the aligners being ready to wear.
After your consultation and examination with our Platinum Invisalign orthodontist Dr. Mike Mew, a detailed set of impressions can be taken of your teeth and used to develop a computerised virtual simulation of your treatment. Invisalign will then make a series of customised aligners that will fit only you.
We will see you every six to eight weeks for a review and to give you the next aligners in the series.
Unlike conventional braces, Invisalign aligners have no metal bands or wires, and almost no-one can notice you are wearing them.
How effective is Invisalign?
Invisalign is not as effective as conventional fixed appliances, but with good treatment planning, good Invisalign Clincheck review, good wear, prealign, myotherapy and an experienced Platinum Invisalign provider such as Dr. Mike Mew to monitor progress, it can achieve good results in most cases.
In Dr. Mew’s experience many people remove the aligners too frequently, either because they are concerned that other people will notice them or because they do not make the effort to adjust to speaking with them. After some initial trouble and often some rescue mechanics nearly everyone learns to accommodate them well. You will come to realise that very few people notice them, and if you make the effort to wear the aligners all the time you can quickly speak perfectly with the aligners in place. Put simply, if not worn well Invisalign does not work well.
How often will I have to wear the Invisalign aligners?
Invisalign aligners should be worn all the time except while eating and during cleaning. The most common reason for failure of Invisalign treatment is poor wear of the aligners. Good wear can make the difference between success and failure.
We tell everyone who is considering Invisalign treatment that they must be committed to wearing the aligners full time. There will be a period when you will have to make an effort to speak normally. During this phase you will need to speak slowly and keep the aligners in. Removal of the aligners, even for important meetings or events, often leads to a bad habit that causes treatment failure. Dr. Mew takes time to motivate and reassure everyone beginning treatment. Everyone in treatment has his personal mobile and is encouraged to phone whenever they have difficulties.
Are the Invisalign aligners really invisible?
They are not completely invisible, but if kept clean few people not entering your personal space will notice them. Those that do will likely be close friends, family and other Invisalign aligner wearers. One of Dr. Mew's clients claims that her husband did not notice, but he feels that this was an unusual situation!
Can you notice that this gentleman is wearing a lower Invisalign aligner?
Do the Invisalign aligners hurt?
They should never hurt if worn well. They are tight when a new set is placed but if they hurt you should contact Dr. Mew directly and immediately on his mobile.
Are there any side effects?
Invisalign has far fewer side effects than fixed appliances because the aligners only fit over the teeth instead of being attached to them. The presence of any item in your mouth increases the likelihood of decay and gum disease, although this is a very unusual occurrence.
Invisalign increases existing levels of gum disease. Dr. Mew works closely with Dr. Retzepi to treat any gum disease diagnosed, and he will not provide Invisalign until it is resolved. He also insists that all clients with Invisalign maintain a high standard of cleaning. Some teeth may need to be slightly slimmed to gain perfect teeth alignment.
Teeth that are very crossed-over tend to lack gum when they are moved apart and into alignment. This can leave dark triangles between the teeth that are unsightly if near the front of the mouth. Slimming of the teeth can be done in a way that allows the teeth to be pulled together but pushes the existing gum up, reducing the size of the dark triangles.
When a tooth is moved through a bone, the bone dissolves to allow the tooth to pass through and then reforms behind it. The tooth also dissolves to some extent, but the teeth have less reparative capacity and after all forms of orthodontic treatment the roots tend to be shorter and narrower. With Invisalign treatment this effect is very limited as the teeth only tend to be tipped, which minimises the movement of the roots.
How do I get started?
Dr. Mew provides free 30-minute consultations, during which he will assess your individual situation, discuss your treatment and answer any questions you may have. Photographs of your teeth and face will also be taken. Dr. Mew asks everyone to think before booking an appointment for the impressions, which are then sent to the Invisalign company so that the aligners can be made.
Invisalign is popular but it is by no means the only invisible treatment option. Dr. Mew's training and experience allow him to provide several different treatment options, one of which may be more suitable and often cheaper and faster than Invisalign. If Invisalign is the most suitable option for you, a 40-minute appointment is made. During this appointment we will take:
- very accurate silicon impressions of the upper and lower dental arch
- a bite record, showing the relationship of the upper and lower dental arch to each other
- an x-ray that rotates around your head, taking an image of all the teeth, the roots of the teeth and the supporting bone.
Depending on the complexity of the case, the aligners are ready 4 to 8 weeks after the impressions are taken.
Am I suitable for Invisalign?
Some people are not good candidates for Invisalign treatment. Please look at the case examples on the self assessment page we've provided and find someone who is similar to yourself. This will let you gauge whether you might be suitable for Invisalign, but the only way you will really know is to be properly assessed by an orthodontic specialist such as Dr. Mike Mew.
Remember, there are many invisible systems, and some are faster and cheaper than Invisalign. Attending a consultation is the only way that you can really find out.
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More information
Initial Assesment
Currently we are providing free Orthodontic smile consultations, usually worth £150. 
Myotherapy
Lip and tongue exercises to change the position of the teeth, improve the lips and hollow the cheeks 
Orthodontic Terms
Glossary of Orthodontic Terms, meaning of orthodontic terms or orthodontic definitions. |
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