Choosing Invisalign isn’t only about straighter teeth; it’s about creating a treatment experience that is comfortable, accurate, and personalized for your smile. And one technology that can help make this possible is the iTero digital scanner. At Williams Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, we utilize advanced digital scanning technology to enhance the entire Invisalign experience – from initial consults to tracking progress throughout the treatment.
In the past, getting dental impressions may have involved having trays stuffed into the mouth with impression material, something that may have been messy, uncomfortable, and inaccurate at times. But with digital scanning, our team is able to get detailed pictures of your teeth and your bite without having to resort to traditional molds. And for patients in the Brandon, FL area, iTero technology allows for a more comfortable and reliable Invisalign process, while providing a peek at how your smile may change during the journey.
Digital Impressions Without Traditional Molds
A More Comfortable Treatment Start
One of the first steps in Invisalign treatment is creating a proper model of your teeth. In years past, this required an impression that had to be made by having the patient bite into some impression material and then waiting for a physical mold to form. While this worked, many patients did not enjoy the experience.
This process has been replaced with digital impression using the iTero scanner, which takes thousands of digital images simultaneously. The scanner uses a small handheld wand that is passed through the mouth to create a detailed 3D model of your teeth and gums.
There are several reasons why patients like this approach:
- There is no mess to deal with from impression materials.
- The scanning process is a quick and efficient process.
- Digital images can be looked at right away.
- It may be more comfortable for those that are sensitive to a gag reflex.
This offers a more convenient and patient-friendly way to start your Invisalign treatment.
Improved Precision For Treatment Planning
Detailed Digital Models For Better Precision
It is essential that proper planning go into Invisalign treatment to guarantee success. Each aligner is designed to move your teeth in specific ways, and the smallest things can make a big impact on the final results.
The iTero scanner takes very detailed digital images which will help the team determine the position of your teeth, their alignment, the gaps and spacing, and how the teeth and the jaws fit together in the bite with more accuracy. And with that, more precise treatment planning can be done right from the beginning.
By establishing a detailed digital model, our team can identify any elements that may influence treatment and make necessary corrections before aligners are even produced. That degree of precision can help promote a less problematic treatment and contribute to more reliable treatment results.
Seeing Your Future Smile
One of the best parts of iTero technology is its ability to allow us and you to see possible smile improvements before any treatment is ever done.
Through digital simulations, you may be able to see a virtual simulation of how your teeth may appear once your Invisalign treatment is finished. Individual results may vary, but this is an excellent way to understand the goals of treatment and how improvement will take place.
Seeing possible results can help you to better understand the treatment process, feel more confident to move forward with their care, understand how changes in alignment might improve their smile, and more easily participate in conversations around treatment planning.
This gives patients the ability to be involved in their Invisalign journey from the start.
Better Monitoring Throughout Invisalign® Treatment
It’s not just during an Invisalign consultation that the benefits of using iTero scanning can be used. Throughout Invisalign treatment, scans might be used by our team to monitor your progress and to evaluate how your teeth are adapting to wearing your new aligners.
By comparing your current scans to your records, our team can assess how your teeth are moving and whether your teeth have moved to the right place according to the plan of action. This helps us make changes if necessary and keep your treatment running as smoothly as possible.
We use digital scans to get important data for:
- How your teeth are moving.
- How well your aligners fit and work.
- Your Invisalign progress and milestones.
- Potential adjustments to your care.
It’s one way we can help keep our patients and our team informed and involved.
Easier Communication Between Patients & Our Team
We think that the use of dental technology is most successful when our patients use it to become better informed about their care. Because iTero scans create visual models of teeth and mouths, we find it much easier for patients to see what we see during their consultations and progress checks.
Instead of simply hearing us tell them why treatment is needed and how it can benefit their smiles, we can actually show our patients using the digital images, and explain what we are looking for and why, what changes we expect to see, and how. Many find it easier to understand the problems they’re facing and the potential benefits Invisalign has for them when they can actually see what our team can see.
When it’s easier to understand how we are reaching our Invisalign treatment decisions, they’re more likely to feel comfortable with them and feel more involved with their Invisalign journey.
Helping Make The Invisalign® Experience Easier
We already know Invisalign to be much more convenient to many than traditional orthodontics, but we find using iTero scanners to create our digital models is also a great convenience to have, and makes the Invisalign journey easier than using a regular impression. The many advantages of having digital scans include:
- Faster data collection during consultations.
- Digital models available immediately for you and our team to review.
- Much fewer retakes needed due to inaccurate impressions.
- More efficient communication while planning treatment.
All in all, we find our use of iTero scanners helps make things run more smoothly throughout your Invisalign treatment.
Experience Better Invisalign® Dentistry With Williams Family & Cosmetic Dentistry
At Williams Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, we know modern technology can improve your Invisalign dentistry as much as your dental experience. Because we use iTero scanning, we know we’re providing more detailed data and care, more comfort, and more opportunities for you to participate in your care.
Patients here in Brandon, FL can count on using a more convenient digital impression process, being able to see potential results, and being more comfortable in their Invisalign care by using iTero scanning for their treatments. It’s one more way we look to provide you with a healthier and more confident smile.
If you’re ready to start your Invisalign treatment and think using iTero scanners would make your journey easier, schedule a consultation today.