Teeth straightening in Kelso

Invisalign is an innovative orthodontic teeth straightening treatment that uses clear, removable braces, called “aligners” instead of traditional metal “train tracks”. Invisalign is available at our clinic in the Scottish Borders. The process can transform your smile in a matter of months.

Invisalign aligners are completely transparent and custom-made. The aligners will gradually straighten your teeth without using any metal wires or brackets. You will have new aligners approximately every one week, with each new set gently encouraging your teeth a little further towards their new position. Your aligners can discreetly correct a wide range of orthodontic issues to give you the smile you’ve always wanted.

Removable and nearly invisible

The aligners look like clear, flexible retainers. As they are removable, you can take them out when eating or brushing your teeth. You can also take them out for social occasions so treatment won’t interfere with special plans. Most days, though, you should wear your retainers for 20-22 hours.

Yes, you can easily remove your Invisalign aligners to eat and brush your teeth. You can also take the aligners out if you’re going to a social event. This means that treatment can work very flexibly around your lifestyle! However, most of the time, you’ll be very happy to wear the aligners as they are almost invisible.

It’s understandable that patients often ask if teeth straightening with Invisalign will hurt. For the vast majority of your treatment, you should find the aligners are very comfortable and pain-free. Your teeth will be moved very slowly into position over an extended period of time. It’s possible that you may feel some tenderness in your mouth for a day or so when you first start wearing a new aligner. If this happens, you can be reassured that the treatment is working because the tenderness comes from your teeth slowly moving! We usually find that any discomfort is temporary and settles down quickly.

Invisalign treatment is available to members and non-members of the Gentle Touch. So even if you’ve never been to the practice before, we are happy to offer this treatment to you (assuming the dentist finds that the treatment is appropriate for you). The first step is to book a consultation with us.

Unfortunately, the NHS does not offer Invisalign treatment to children or adults.

In fact, teeth straightening (orthodontic) treatment is not normally available to adults on the NHS at all. Occasionally, it may be offered for dental health rather than cosmetic reasons.

Where orthodontic treatment is offered on the NHS, it’s almost always carried out using metal train track braces, regardless of age. Invisalign is therefore a private-only dental treatment. We are delighted to offer Invisalign to patients not currently members of the Gentle Touch, as well as to our existing members.

We can treat a variety of common misalignment and bite issues with Invisalign treatment. Some patients come with minor issues, others are more complex cases.

Common problems which we can address with Invisalign include:

Crooked teeth
Gaps between teeth
Crowded teeth: when there is not enough room in the jaw to accommodate all of your teeth resulting in some teeth overlapping and/or twisting.
Open bite: when upper and lower teeth don’t meet
Crossbite: when some upper teeth sit inside lower teeth rather than outside)
Underbite: when bottom teeth are in front of upper teeth
Overbite: when the upper teeth close too far in front of the bottom teeth
Excessive overjet: when the upper front teeth protrude outwards

Patients can actually begin to see results very quickly when beginning to wear their aligners. Some patients notice the first subtle differences in just a few weeks. The full treatment time will vary depending on your individual issue. We find that most cases are completed in 6-9 months.

Invisalign is a gradual straightening system. It’s been designed to minimise discomfort and to provide accurate and precise alignment results.

It’s never too late to realign your teeth. All through our lives, in fact, our teeth are constantly shifting and moving. That means that teeth crowding may be something which has developed over the years.

Adults, rather than teens, are the biggest seekers of Invisalign treatment. That’s because it’s a discreet process which tends to suit adults better than traditional metal braces. Invisalign treatment times can also be shorter.

We do not put an age limit on Invisalign treatment at the Gentle Touch. You may be looking to achieve the perfect smile earlier in life, or later in life.