Millions of people suffer from some degree of dental misalignment. If you are among them, you may have considered getting braces — but perhaps you dislike the idea of having metal brackets and wires in your mouth. Fortunately, clear aligners in Burien are a viable alternative for most people. Continue reading below to discover how this remarkable treatment may be able to help you.
To get started, you should contact us to schedule a consultation with your dentist in Burien. Once we make sure that you are a candidate for the treatment, we will use advanced technology to design your aligners. After a laboratory fabricates them, you will wear each one for approximately two weeks, keeping it in your mouth for a minimum of 20 – 22 hours each day. After you work your way through all of your aligners, you should be the proud owner of a straighter, healthier smile.
Clear aligners are able to address most cases of mild to moderate dental misalignment. Some common issues that they can be used for include:
Crowded, overlapping teeth can trap food between them and interfere with your bite. Clear aligners, sometimes along with extractions, can help to ensure that every tooth has the space it needs to function properly.
Although gaps between teeth may seem like just an aesthetic issue, they can also cause bite problems and gum issues. Clear aligners may be able to reposition your teeth to eliminate those pesky extra spaces.
Overbite, underbite, crossbite, and open bite are some common types of malocclusion. Depending on how severe your bite problem is, clear aligners may be able to correct it. This is often accomplished with the help of orthodontic accessories.
Some outstanding benefits of clear aligners include:
Since no two treatments are exactly the same, there are several factors that need to be considered, including the severity of your misalignment. During your consultation, we will conduct an exam, take the necessary X-rays, and learn more about your dental history before providing you with a price estimate. We will also help you explore your payment options, such as financing and insurance. Of course, if you would like to learn more about the cost of clear aligners in Burien in the meantime, then you can read on!
There are several factors that impact the cost of your clear aligner treatment, including:
Many patients are unaware of another important factor: compliance. If you consistently misplace your aligners or don’t wear them for the required 20-22 hours a day, then there’s a good chance you will fall off-track with your treatment plan. In that case, we will need to rescan your teeth and order more aligners, which requires an additional investment of your time and money.
With an advertised price of around $2,000, mail-order aligner companies do come with a lower upfront price. Don’t be mistaken though – that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the cheaper option. After all, there have been countless patients who have experienced worsened misalignment from this braces alternative, which can be quite costly to correct. Furthermore, the mail-order route is risky because it doesn’t include a thorough initial exam, it relies on DIY impressions, and professional dental organizations have actively warned the public against using them. Simply put, even if they are cheaper, they aren’t worth the gamble.
Although some dental insurance providers don’t cover orthodontic treatment, others do! So, it’s worth reading the fine print on your plan before automatically assuming that you’ll have to pay for your entire treatment out-of-pocket. If you aren’t familiar with your benefits or are having a hard time understanding your coverage, then don’t hesitate to ask our team. We’ve worked with dental insurance providers for years and are in-network with several of them, including Aetna, Cigna, and MetLife.
If you don’t have dental insurance, then talk to our team about our other financial solutions! We have an in-house membership plan that can help you save on preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dental treatments. Plus, we have payment plans with 0% interest, which can help you straighten your teeth without breaking the bank. If you’d like to learn more about either of these options, then give us a call.