Look, No Braces!

By: Cohan Rajan
Created on 20th September 2011

Dr Cohan Rajan of dental-Spa talks us through the benefits of Invisalign for modern cosmetic dentistry

Invisalign was developed by an adult patient – an IT geek – undergoing orthodontic treatment in California who thought, “there must be a better way”.

His idea went on to become the most widely used and best clear braces system in the world. It combines high precision records along with extraordinarily powerful software to programme treatment for patients who want to enhance their smile.

The system uses a series of clear, removable aligners without any ugly metal components, hence the term ‘invisible braces’ was born, along with a whole new treatment possibility for patients who missed out on orthodontics in their teens.

Invisalign and me

Invisalign was of great professional interest to me, because my patients are all adults, who generally would not tolerate braces that use ugly and uncomfortable metal components, and who have busy schedules that demand a comfortable, time and cost efficient solution for providing a beautiful smile.

So as soon as the system was brought over to the UK from the US I underwent training to enable me to use Invisalign on my patients. With more education and experience, I began to use Invisalign on more complex cases.

The picture above shows the case that convinced me how great a system Invisalign is. I have yet to find a case that I have not been able to treat with Invisalign, and the product keeps improving, reducing treatment times and enhancing clinical outcomes. For my patients that require orthodontic correction, I now only prescribe Invisalign.

Goal driven results

I am passionate about helping my patients achieve their desired goals in relation to smile enhancement. This is why I use Invisalign, in conjunction with CAD/CAM technology to manufacture precision fit, longlasting beautiful crowns and veneers.

I am privileged to have been trained in Waterlase Laser Dentistry to manage the soft tissue; for example, the changing of gum contours. This combination of technologies and training enables me to make surethat my patients receive relatively minimally invasive cosmetic dentistry, predictably.

The reason for this minimal invasiveness is because I prescribe a short and cost effective course of Invisalign to move the teeth into the correct alignment. This process is called pre-restorative alignment.

In the correct alignment, the amount of tooth that needs to be removed to make space for the veneers is minor and I often do not even use any anaesthetic when preparing the teeth.

Reaping the benefits

This pre-restorative alignment process has several major benefits. First, when in correct alignment, the teeth are easier to clean and as described above require minimal preparation and are much more likely to be healthy and last a lifetime.

The second advantage of correct alignment is that the bite is more stable, and the chance of breaking the veneers is much reduced, thus extending the useful lifespan of the veneers.

Finally, correctly aligned teeth look great from every angle, not just from the straight on view. This has been especially important for celebrity clients who are in front of the camera and need their smile to look fabulous, and not to have to be conscious of crooked teeth.

In conclusion, Invisalign is an essential part of my cosmetic dental practice enabling me to deliver the predictable, longlasting, beautiful smiles my patients demand.

The perfect pre-op prep

This case shows teeth that were corrected without pre-restorative alignment. While the improvement is dramatic, and the patient was extremely happy with the natural
aesthetic, you can see how much tooth needed to be removed to achieve this result. Although, in this instance, the teeth remain healthy, the patient was prepared to accept that some teeth would have to have the nerves taken out.

The picture above demonstrates a case where the patient opted for pre-surgical alignment, followed by veneers to correct the discoloured teeth, needing minimal removal to tooth tissue.

Finally, patients who come in thinking that they need loads of veneers find that after alignment with Invisalign and some Deep Bleaching Protocol, they often no longer feel the need for veneers, and are happy with their natural, perfectly aligned, sparkly smile.