Sure Smile® is an orthodontic treatment that works to gradually straighten teeth through the wearing of a series of clear, custom-fit, removable aligners.
There are no brackets or wires like traditional metal braces. Sometimes called “invisible braces” or “clear braces”, clear aligners are a technological
advancement that has made orthodontic treatment less obvious, while moving teeth and aligning jaws to create a healthy, beautiful smile.
Clear aligners are custom-made plastic trays that you wear to straighten your teeth.
Patients, especially adults, often prefer this type of treatment over traditional braces for a few reasons.
They are:
Less noticeable: Clear aligners are just that—clear, so you can straighten your teeth discreetly.
Removable: These aligners usually need to be worn for 22 hours/day but you can take them out if you need to, for a photoshoot, a speech, or any important event where you don’t want to wear them (although it’s important to not exceed the time allowed to have them out).
Convenient: Clear aligners often require fewer visits to the dentist or orthodontist than traditional braces—indeed, some clear aligners allow 100% remote treatment.
These aligners specifically require in-office dentist appointments, including an initial face-to-face consultation.
The average treatment time for SureSmile aligners is around 6 to 12 months, which is pretty typical for this type of invisible braces.
Sure Smile orthodontics treatment begins with an in-office appointment with your dentist.
The steps in SureSmile treatment can be summarized in the following five different stages:
1. Make an appointment: schedule your first consultation with us!
2. Initial consultation: At this consultation, Dr. Yeh will confirm eligibility and take scans of your teeth so they can plan your aligner treatment.
3. Treatment review: Dr. Yeh will meet with you to go over the scope of your aligner treatment.
4. Get your aligners: You’ll return to visit our office and get your first set of aligners.
5. Monthly visits: Monthly visits to our office are required, to get your new sets of aligners and to ensure that
everything is going according to plan.
6. Last appointment: We will confirm whether or not you are ready to complete your treatment, and you’ll
get retainers to wear to keep your teeth in their newly aligned position.
SureSmile aligners are worn for two weeks at a time before you switch to a new set of aligners, though this can vary.
This is the typical wear-time for most invisible braces and clear aligners.
It’s possible that if during one of your monthly check-ins your dentist decides that you aren’t ready to move on to your next aligner, you’ll need to
continue wearing your current set for a bit longer, but it won’t be much longer, as these aligners aren’t designed to withstand continued wear.