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Invisalign® aligners— your secret to a new smile

Home  •  Invisalign

What word comes to mind when you think of invisible braces?

Most likely, you think of Invisalign®.

Invisalign® is the most popular clear dental aligner brand in the world, and with good reason: it has created new smiles for more than eight million happy patients and counting.

Are you thinking about joining that crowd? At Ocean Orthodontics we are Invisalign® Diamond providers. Dr Sullivan's expertise with Invisalign we also offer Dental Monitoring alongside the treatment, a remote treatment monitoring software that enables our doctors to check on the progress of their patients’ Invisalign® treatment.

Dr Sullivan has provided Invisalign® treatment to patients in the UK and Australia. Dr Sullivan completed an additional three years of specialist training and study in the field of orthodontics in the UK, where he was awarded a gold medal for his achievements. He has treated a wide variety of cases and our patients are enjoying the results of his orthodontic treatment here in Maroochydore.

Here is what you need to know first.

*Invisalign aligners are a registered medical device. You should always read and follow the label and the instructions of your treating orthodontist.

What is Invisalign®?

Invisalign® aligners are clear, removable, plastic trays that are custom-fit to your teeth. They are designed to be just a little too snug on your teeth. That tightness puts pressure on your teeth which makes them move, similar to the way in which regular metal braces work.

Unlike regular braces, however, the aligner trays have no metal parts. They are made from BPA-free plastic and are practically invisible.

We can check your Invisalign® treatment progress remotely with Dental Monitoring!

What can Invisalign® do?

Invisalign® can address a variety of orthodontic problems including:

  • Teeth crowding

    Crowding happens when there is insufficient space for all of the teeth in your mouth. Crowded teeth are crooked and overlap each other.

  • Gaps

    Wide spaces between your teeth may make you feel self-conscious about your smile.

  • Overbite

    In an overbite, the upper front teeth completely cover the lower teeth when they close together.

  • Open bite

    If your upper and lower teeth do not meet when you close your mouth, then you may have an open bite.

  • Crossbite

    Upper teeth normally close down over the outer edge of the opposing lower teeth. In a crossbite, the lower teeth close over the outside of the upper teeth.

  • Underbite

    Also called a reverse bite, underbite occurs when the lower jaw and front teeth protrude beyond the upper front teeth.

  • Protrusion

    A protrusion is most obvious when upper front teeth prominently jut outwards beyond the lower front teeth.

  • Overjet

    Overjet refers to upper front teeth that protrude horizontally away from the lower front teeth. This results in an atypical horizontal distance between the upper and lower teeth.

Fewer practice visits and remote monitoring by our specialist orthodontist. Sound good?

find out about dental monitoring

How Invisalign®
works

Your Invisalign® journey begins with a consultation. You will meet with one of our Invisalign® specialist orthodontists who will take impressions or 3D scans of your teeth.

These models are used to plan your treatment and design your trays. Once your trays are finished, we will show you how to put them in and take care of them.

It will take about two weeks for your teeth to move into alignment with your first tray. At this point, that tray will start to feel slightly looser. Then it is time to move onto the next aligner which will feel much tighter and help move your teeth even further.
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You will wear multiple sets of Invisalign® aligners over the course of several months until your teeth are in a healthy and aesthetic alignment. It may take anywhere from three to eighteen months to complete your treatment, but you may see a noticeable difference in your smile in just a few weeks.
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We will ask you to come back in to see us once every two months to check on your progress and ensure that your aligners are working well for you.
 
It is important to wear your Invisalign® trays as instructed for 20 to 22 hours per day. You should only take them out when it is time to clean your teeth or eat a meal. Wearing the aligners consistently is the key to getting results.

See Invisalign® in action.

Invisalign® treatments

You may have heard that there are several different Invisalign® treatment plans to choose from. These include:

  • Invisalign® Comprehensive

    This plan is ideal if your treatment is expected to last longer than a year. It includes an unlimited number of aligners so that you can have as many as it takes to get the results you want.

  • Invisalign® Lite

    If you have only a few mild to moderate orthodontic issues, then Invisalign® Lite may be sufficient. This treatment takes about six to seven months.

  • Invisalign® First

    If you are interested in Invisalign® for your children, then this is the option you will want to discuss with the orthodontist. Early orthodontic intervention with Invisalign® may help to reduce your child’s future orthodontic treatment needs.

  • Invisalign® Express

    The fastest of all Invisalign® treatments, Invisalign® Express is intended for only minor cosmetic alignment problems. It takes about three months to complete.
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    Which one of these plans is right for you? You can find out at a free consultation. The specialist orthodontist will assess your smile and recommend the orthodontic treatments that are best suited to your needs.

Are you ready to learn more about the Invisalign® services we offer?

book your FREE appointment now

Invisalign®: the benefits

Why might you consider choosing Invisalign®? Here are the main advantages of these clear aligners.

  • Removable

    Invisalign® trays are easy to take out anytime you need to. Whether it is to eat a snack, floss your teeth or snap a close-up selfie, these convenient aligners come out with ease.

  • No metal smiles

    Some people can wear metal braces with confidence and even flaunt them as a fashion accessory. But if you feel that regular braces would not suit your appearance, then you might prefer the metal-free look of Invisalign®.
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    Invisalign® is an alternative to braces that affords you the chance to smile with confidence, free of any self-consciousness that may result from wearing visible metal braces.

  • Easy oral hygiene

    Invisalign® trays are removable, so you can easily take them out to clean them, brush and floss your teeth as usual and then put the aligners back in.

  • Comfort

    Invisalign® aligners are made from a thin and flexible plastic which is gentle on your gums, lips and cheeks. Mealtimes are also easy with Invisalign® since you can take the trays out to eat as you normally do. There is no need to avoid certain foods while having Invisalign® treatment.

  • Fewer emergency visits

    Invisalign® aligners do not have any wires or brackets that could suddenly break and necessitate an urgent trip to the orthodontist.

  • Fewer limits on your life

    Invisalign® aligners allow you to carry out your daily activities and hobbies as usual including:

    • Exercising
    • Playing sports
    • Comfortably playing musical instruments and singing
    • Working a job where a no-braces look is important to your appearance

Oceans Invisalign package includes...

A free initial consultation with our Orthodontist and Treatment Co-ordinator to check your suitability for Invisalign® and provide a detailed treatment plan.

  • All photographs, impressions and records

  • A care pack with all the recommended hygiene essentials

  • A ClinCheck to show your tooth movement even before you start treatment

  • Retainer care for two years

  • Invisalign trays for your entire treatment

  • Regular 8-week review appointments

  • A fixed and removable retainer

Your Invisalign® treatment at Ocean Orthodontics

We offer Sunshine Coast Invisalign® treatment at our orthodontic practice located Maroochydore. We are Invisalign® Diamond Providers.

What to expect

First, we will warmly welcome you to our practice and set you up with a free Invisalign® consultation. If you are ready to proceed, we can begin your treatment plan right away.
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Once your treatment plan is ready, we will order your set of trays from the Invisalign® laboratory.
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Next, we will check the fit of your trays and send you home with instructions for wearing and maintaining them.
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You will switch to the next set of trays in your series every two weeks until your treatment is complete.
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We will need to see you once every two months throughout your treatment for a brief visit to check on your progress.

Our technology

We are proud to offer iTero Element® 3D scanner technology at our practice. We use this state-of-the-art dental imaging system to scan your teeth and take digital impressions. It records highly precise measurements and eliminates the need for the regular kind of dental impressions.
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With the iTero® scanner, we can send your images directly to the Invisalign® laboratory to begin your aligner fabrication process right away.
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The best part about the iTero® 3D scanner is that it will generate a preview to help you visualise what your future smile could look like before you even begin your Invisalign® treatment.

Remote treatment monitoring for Invisalign®

We offer Dental Monitoring for Invisalign® treatment.

Dental Monitoring is a convenient and secure app that lets our orthodontists remotely check on the progress of your Invisalign® treatment. All you have to do is download the Dental Monitoring app and then upload the occasional photo of your smile. We will be able to see your images on our dashboard, and we will send you feedback and recommendations on which set of aligners to wear next.
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The Dental Monitoring app can save you time as you will not have to visit our doctors in person every time they need to see how your Invisalign® aligners are working. This app is easy to use and we will show you how to install it and upload your photos. You can even send a secure message within the app to ask us questions about your treatment!

The cost of Invisalign® treatment on the Sunshine Coast

Naturally, you want to have dental care for yourself and your family which is both high-quality and affordable.
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The good news is that you do not have to decide between regular braces and Invisalign® based on the price alone as both treatments cost the same.
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However, we cannot provide you with an accurate estimate for your Invisalign® treatment here on our website. That has to be determined after meeting with an Invisalign® provider for an in-person consultation. We can only give you a cost estimate once our specialist orthodontists assess the complexity of your case, evaluate your orthodontic needs and present you with all of your treatment options.
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If you need any assistance in paying for your Invisalign® care, we are more than happy to help. We offer several financing options you can choose from to pay for your treatment such as interest-free payment plans and Denticare payment plans.

Meet our team to discuss how we can straighten your teeth with Invisalign®

book your FREE appointment now

See some of the smiles we have created with Invisalign

Before After

Chloe

Main concern

Immediate advise

Treatment plan

Invisalign comprehensive

Treatment length

24 months

Before After

Callan

Main concern

Crooked teeth

Treatment plan

Invisalign comprehensive

Treatment length

24 months

Frequently asked questions about Invisalign®.

How are Invisalign® aligners different from braces?

Invisalign® and braces work a bit differently, but they both aim to achieve the same goal of straightening your teeth. Braces consist of metal brackets that are cemented directly to your teeth and connected by wires and elastic bands. An orthodontist periodically tightens the wires to move your teeth with gentle pressure. Invisalign® aligners are a series of removable, metal-free, plastic trays with no wires or brackets. You will switch to a new set of aligners every two weeks to maintain steady pressure on your teeth.

How much does Invisalign® cost?

Your Invisalign® treatment cost will depend on how complex your case is. The only way to get an estimate is to see us for an in-person consultation. Invisalign® costs the same as regular braces at our practice and we offer plenty of financing options to make your orthodontic treatment as affordable as possible.

Can I eat while wearing Invisalign® aligners?

No. You should take out your aligners before each snack and meal. Eating with your aligners can damage and stain them. Food residue that gets trapped against your teeth beneath the trays can increase your risk of tooth decay.

Do I have to sleep with my aligners in?

Yes. Wearing your aligners for the recommended 22 hours per day means that you will be asleep during some of that time. Your teeth may revert to their original positions if you do not consistently wear your aligners overnight. However, we understand that everyone may forget to wear their aligners overnight from time-to-time. If this happens to you often, just let us know so that we can see if you need any adjustments to your treatment plan.

Does Invisalign® hurt?

All orthodontic procedures cause some degree of discomfort so it is normal to feel a dull ache from time-to-time with Invisalign®, especially whenever you put in a new aligner tray. Invisalign® does not have any sharp metal parts that can cut your mouth or gums.

How long will my treatment take?

That depends on the complexity of your case. Although one of our orthodontists will provide you with an estimate at the beginning of your Invisalign® treatment per your customised plan, we will have to wait and see how your teeth respond. Most Invisalign® cases take about a year while others may take up to a year and a half. If your teeth need only a minor adjustment, then you could see results within three months with the Invisalign® Express treatment plan.

Will anyone notice if I am wearing Invisalign® aligners?

Invisalign® will be our little secret. No one ever has to know that you are having orthodontic treatment since Invisalign® is practically invisible. People might only notice your aligners if you tell them to look closely. To be safe, you can simply remove your Invisalign® aligners for brief sessions when you do not want to risk anyone noticing your orthodontic appliances.

Is Invisalign® treatment right for me?

If you need braces but do not wish to wear traditional metal brackets and wires, then chances are good that Invisalign® is suitable for you. The only way to find out for sure is to schedule an appointment with an Invisalign® dentist in Maroochydore.

Schedule an Invisalign® consultation to get started

Are you ready to learn more about the Invisalign® services we offer?

Make an appointment and meet our team and Specialist Orthodontist in the practice.

Fill out this form to schedule a free consultation with one of our orthodontists to find out whether clear aligners or another type of orthodontic treatment is right for you.

When you click submit, you will be taken to our live calendar to choose your preferred appointment time. This product is not available for purchase by the general public. Always follow the directions for use.

Where we are and how to get in touch

Make an appointment and meet our team in the practice

Ocean Orthodontics

Lvl 3,
33-37 The Esplanade, Maroochydore
Qld 4558
Monday to Friday 8:00am - 5:00 pm

Every 2nd Friday Closed
Chat to us on live chat between 8am and 8pm
book a free appointment