Invisalign – Long Island City, NY

Factors That Affect the Cost of Invisalign

As we mentioned above, your Invisalign treatment will be completely customized to your specific dental needs, including the severity of your misalignment and if you need to straighten one or both arches of teeth. We can answer any questions you have about the cost of your care at your consultation. However, we also need to mention that how well you follow the treatment guidelines will also impact the price you pay. For example, if you fall off-track with your plan because you consistently didn’t wear your aligners for 20-22 hours a day, then we may need to order new aligners, which adds to your investment.

Invisalign vs. Smile Direct Club™: Which Costs More?

In short, mail-order clear aligner companies, like Smile Direct Club™, cost less. Before you let that sway your decision, it’s important to do your research. For example, mail-order alternatives don’t conduct a thorough exam upfront to make sure you’re a good candidate, which is one of the many reasons so many patients have experienced worsened misalignment. If you want to straighten your teeth without jeopardizing the look, health, and function of your smile, then you should choose professional treatments, like Invisalign.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Invisalign?

Some dental insurance providers do cover some of the cost! So, if you have dental insurance, don’t hesitate to double-check the fine print on your plan. Since our team welcomes Cigna PPO, Aetna PPO, Guardian PPO, and several others, we also have extensive experience helping our patients maximize their coverage. Therefore, you can also bring any questions you have to us – we’re here to help!

Options for Making Invisalign Affordable

Now you may be wondering, “What if I don’t have dental insurance?” Good news: you can save with our LIC Dental Associates Perks Program. You won’t have to worry about any annoying red tape either (i.e., waiting periods, annual maximums, yearly deductibles). Just join and save! Otherwise, you can opt for flexible financing through CareCredit and Lending Club. These third-party financiers offer payment plans so you don’t have to pay for the entire cost of Invisalign upfront.

If you want to learn more about our affordable financial solutions or you’re ready to schedule a consultation, get in touch with our team!

Wearing Your Trays

Patients are often drawn to clear aligners because they are removable, meaning there aren’t any dietary restrictions or cumbersome oral hygiene regimens to worry about. It’s important to remember, however, that you need to wear your trays for the majority of the day in order for them to work. That’s why patients are given the “20-22 hour-a-day” rule. The easiest way to meet your wear time each day is by only taking them out when absolutely necessary, like during mealtimes.

Cleaning Your Aligners

First, let’s talk about what you shouldn’t do. You shouldn’t use hot water or harsh chemicals, like bleach, to clean your trays. Instead, you should use a soft-bristled toothbrush and some clean, lukewarm water to gently scrub each surface after breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snacks. If your aligners begin to take on a yellow hue, then you can also use the cleaning crystals that came in your welcome kit to give them a deeper clean.

Eating & Drinking

With traditional braces, patients need to cut out whole apples, raw carrots, and other crunchy foods from their diet. Since there aren’t any metal brackets or wires, you can enjoy all of your favorite foods with Invisalign (as long as you remove your aligners first, of course). All of that said, do your best not to over-indulge on sugary and starchy foods that can negatively impact your oral health. Fill your plate with lots of nutrient-dense ones instead!

Losing or Damaging a Tray

If you can’t find your aligners, then carefully retrace your steps. Make sure to look in odd places, like the center console in your car or between the couch cushions – just to make sure you truly looked everywhere. If you can’t find them, give us a call.

If your aligners are damaged, even if it’s just a small crack, you should also get in touch with our Long Island dental team. Do NOT use a household adhesive, like superglue, as a band-aid solution.

Routine Check-Ins

Throughout your teeth-straightening journey, you’ll come into our office for check-in visits. These appointments are important for several reasons. To begin, they allow us to take detailed scans of your teeth and monitor how you’re progressing against your treatment plan. We’ll give you your next set of aligners at this time too!

Comfortable Aligners

Not only are clear aligners metal-free, but they are also custom-made to fit the unique contours of your mouth. As a result, you may go throughout your entire teeth-straightening journey without any mouth sores, soft-tissue injuries, and the like. Of course, if one of your trays is a bit sharp, you can always use some dental wax to protect your tongue, lips, and gums too.

See-Through Trays

Without a doubt, one of the biggest draws of Invisalign is that the aligners are see-through, making them “invisible” when worn. To prevent any unwanted attention from being drawn to your smile, be sure to take good care of your trays. Habits like rinsing them with clean, cool water when you take them out and using a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean them again before putting them back on will go a long way in preventing yellow stains from surfacing.

Hassle-Free Oral Hygiene

With traditional braces, patients need interproximal toothbrushes, pre-threaded floss, and other special oral hygiene products to keep their teeth, gums, brackets, and wires clean. The same cannot be said for patients with Invisalign! Since the aligners are removable, all you need to do is take them off and place them somewhere safe while you complete your dental care regimen as usual.

Quick Follow-Up Appointments

Not only are there fewer check-in visits with Invisalign, but the appointments are usually pretty short as well. When you come in, we will ask you a few questions about how your orthodontic treatment has been going and take new scans of your teeth. That way, we can see how your teeth are moving. If they are right on-track with your treatment plan, then we will send you on your way with your next couple of aligners. If they aren’t, then we will need to find a solution, like having you wear your current trays a tad longer.

Boosted Confidence

It’s common for patients with metal brackets and wires to feel like they can’t smile confidently until the very end of their orthodontic treatment. That’s not the case with Invisalign because the aligners are completely clear! As a result, even those closest to you will have a hard time telling when you’re wearing your trays.

No Dietary Restrictions

Whole apples, popcorn, raw nuts, and thin pizza crust are just a few of the many foods that patients need to steer clear of with traditional braces. However, there aren’t any dietary restrictions with Invisalign because the trays are completely removable! All we ask is that you continue to keep starchy and sugary foods to a minimum to help prevent oral health problems from developing, like gum disease.