In 1997, Align Technology, today known as Invisalign, was born, thanks to the idea of Stanford University students Zia Chishti, Kelsey Wirth, Apostolos Lerios and Brian Freyburger. Chishti was at the orthodontist getting his braces removed, and afterwards was given a retainer to keep his teeth straight and from moving. When Zia received his retainer, he realized that a retainer similar to his might be just as effective straightening teeth as a set of traditional metal braces. The idea came after seeing how painful and unattractive metal braces actually were. He thought to himself about how he could possibly develop a better, quicker, and less painful way to get straighter teeth, and another form of dental alignment technology was born.
Zia Chishti took full advantage of his idea, and returned to Stanford. His idea was finally brought to life in a garage in Menlo Park, CA with the help of developers, Apostolos Lerios and Brian Freyburger, who used computer-aided design (CAD) modeling, along with geometry and 3D printing technology to develop these “invisible” form of bracers or aligners. With help, also from investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield, Invisalign is now used by dentists around the world after being approved by the FDA in 1998.
If you have a crooked smile, overbite, cross bite, overcrowded teeth, crooked teeth, or a gap in your teeth, Invisalign is the more attractive alternative to traditional metal braces due to the lack of metal and the fact that they are invisible, hence the name “Invisalign.”
Invisalign braces uses clear, plastic trays or aligners that act as a retainer, either for the top or bottom set of teeth, or both depending on the patient’s case. These trays are molded for your specific mouth and customized to fit over your teeth instead of painful, and very visible metal brackets and wires. Instead of dealing with the hassle of the metal braces breaking, poking your cheeks, or just making people want to hide their brace face smile, Invisalign are removable, meaning you can achieve a straight smile while being able to remove the aligners, and be pain free.
Oral hygiene is extremely important, as a healthy mouth means an overall healthy person. As mentioned before, Invisalign aligners can be removed for flossing and brushing. Therefore, it’s easy to maintain a good level of dental hygiene throughout the course of treatment, making your teeth straight and clean. With traditional metal braces, it is harder to maintain good hygiene, because no matter how hard you brush or floss, the metal is still in the way of your teeth, which does not guarantee that your teeth are the cleanest. In turn, this unfortunately increases the risk of plaque retention and tooth decay.
This alternative technology and method to traditional braces has changed the face of dentistry. Your smile is your trademark, one of the first things people see when they meet you. Zia Chishti, along with his partners, created a product that has drastically changed how people can achieve straighter teeth and regain their confidence with a beautiful smile that they don’t have to hide any longer.
At Dedicated Dental in Henderson, Nevada, we are an Invisalign Preferred Provider. We are committed experts at giving our clients the best options for straightening their teeth. Dr. Dung Bui specializes in many dentistry procedures, including the straightening of teeth, and uses Invisalign to offer patients a more aesthetically pleasing and painless way to achieve the beautiful, straight smiles they have always dreamed about. In other words, Invisalign is the best way to transform your smile without interfering with your self-image. Millions of people across the globe have straightened their teeth with Invisalign, and you could be one of them.
To learn more about getting your teeth aligned and looking good, talk to the dentists at Dedicated Dental about straightening your teeth with Invisalign. Call us at (702) 566-5509, or request an appointment online.
