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Dr. Nichols Nelson, DDS is a top-rated dentist on dentalinsider.com

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February 27,2019 Anonymous Dr. Nelson is great and so is his assistant, minimal discomfort and excellent service.

February 24,2019 Carolyn M.  Thanks for being so great with kids.

February 23,2019 Lynette T.  A big shout out to Mandy...best "teeth cleaner" ever!!!

January 28,2019 John U.  Awesome staff!

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November 23,2018 Gerald H. Everybody who provided service to me, receptionist, dental assistant, dentist were outstanding!! Would highly recommend to anyone!!

October 31,2018 Therese D. Everyone is always so friendly and welcoming. I wouldn't change a thing with the experience I've had.

Clear Aligners Provide a Less Embarrassing Orthodontic Choice for Teens

By Woodland Dental Group
July 25, 2015
Category: Dental Procedures
Tags: clear aligners  
ClearAlignersProvideaLessEmbarrassingOrthodonticChoiceforTeens

For decades, traditional braces were the only orthodontic choice for moving misaligned teeth. Although they’re quite effective, they can cause discomfort and, for teens especially, embarrassment due to their noticeable metallic appearance.

In recent years, though, technology has produced an alternative to braces that’s proven effective for many types of patients. Besides being less cumbersome and disruptive to everyday life than braces, clear aligners have another advantage that appeals to teens — they’re much less visible.

Introduced in the late 1990s, clear aligners are a system of individual trays made of nearly invisible polyurethane plastic worn over the upper teeth. The trays are computer-generated based on the patient’s individual mouth structure captured in photographs and x-rays. Each tray in the sequence is incrementally smaller in size; the patient begins wearing the first aligner in the series for about two weeks, 20 to 22 hours a day. They then switch to the next tray in the series for about the same amount of time, and continue in this fashion until they’ve worn each aligner in the series.

Besides their improvement in appearance, aligners also have another advantage: unlike traditional braces, aligners can be removed from the mouth for eating or on a limited basis for rare important social occasions. Brushing and flossing are also much easier with aligners, which don’t pose the same access problems as traditional braces.

Clear aligners were once only effective with select types of orthodontic patients, which didn’t always include teens. Over the last decade, however, significant changes to design and additional implements have widened their application to more patients, especially teens. For example, we can now add tiny “power ridges” to the aligner design that give greater precision over desired tooth movement to create a more controlled and efficient force on the teeth. More recent aligners are also being produced with a thinner, more comfortable material.

A thorough orthodontic exam will tell whether your teen is a good candidate for clear aligners. If so, they’ll benefit from a more comfortable and less embarrassing experience while gaining a new smile for life.

If you would like more information on clear aligners, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Clear Aligners for Teens.”