Orthodontic FAQs

Yes! You can easily snack on certain foods and drink most beverages with your aligners in without issue.

Treatment time will vary from patient to patient and depends on the goals for your treatment and what concerns we are addressing. Invisalign and braces take the same amount of time with some cases being even quicker with Invisalign. The average Orthodontic cases is about 12-18 months.

No problem! You can usually move ahead to your next aligner and wear it for a couple extra days. If needed, we can reorder aligners at no cost to you.

We typically see our braces patients about every 6-8 weeks. Invisalign patients will have on average about 4-7 in-office appointments for their entire treatment! We monitor our Invisalign patients with the help of the Dental Monitoring app that checks in on your progress remotely on a weekly basis, eliminating your in-person check appointments.

Patients change their aligners weekly with a small exception to certain movements that we may need to speed up or slow down.

Invisalign and braces patients will receive a final Invisalign Vivera retainer. We always tell our patients to aim for lifetime retainer wear! Our teeth always have a chance to shift back as our facial structure changes as we age. Retainer wear ensures your time, money, and hard work does not go to waste!

Dr. White has been a pioneer in the Invisalign specialty since inception. At many points in his career, he has attempted to treat patients with nighttime wear only and it simply does not work in the long run. The Invisalign appliance was not designed to work under that limited time wear, even if worn for additional days. While it is a great marketing tool for some doctors to offer, we have not found it to work seamlessly in practice.

We know finances can be the biggest factor is deciding to take the leap into Orthodontic care. We want to remove that worry by offering low down payments, no-interest financing, and extended financing past your treatment time.

This is the #1 concern of most of our parents. While we have found the vast majority of our child and teen patients to be incredibly compliant with their aligners, there are always exceptions to that trend. Our goal is for you to get the desired result which is why we offer a Smile Guarantee! Your child can switch into braces at any time during their treatment with no additional cost if the process and appliance is not right for you or your child!

The term “candidate” is one that is sometimes used by either Dentists or Orthodontist and is a bit outdated. Dr. White has been treating the simplest to the most complex cases with aligners since 2001. Invisalign is an appliance just like any other Orthodontic appliance and takes years to master how to properly diagnose, treat, and execute treatment. As long as you have healthy bone, we can treat you with Invisalign just as we would with braces!

Absolutely not! We believe money should never factor into making the right decision for you or your child, which is why we charge the same for braces as we do Invisalign.

Patients are recommended to wear their aligners 22-23 hours a day. You take them out for full meals and to brush your teeth.

Absolutely not! As long as your bone and gum health are sufficient, we can easily treat you at any age. Our oldest patient to date was 85!

Dental Monitoring has been an amazing technology for our practice that we implemented in 2017. Through your smart phone, we easily track your progress weekly through a five-minute scan you send in. This information will let us know whether any attachments have come off, monitors your hygiene, and lets us spot any issues with your treatment that we need to course correct. There’s even a messaging center for you to connect right with our office and Dr. White. By eliminating those in office appointments you don’t have to worry about taking time off of school or work to come in!

With any Orthodontic work, there is some adjustment period that varies from patient to patient. Our braces patients will experience a little more soreness and adjustment when first starting out and as they move up in arch wires. Most of our Invisalign patients have little to no discomfort. Any discomfort usually subsides within the first week.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends children to first be seen around age 7 for a consultation. Sometimes there are issues that can easily be corrected at a young age in order to allow their permanent teeth to erupt in a better position. For most children, early Orthodontics is not needed, however, doing a free consultation early gives you peace of mind that you are setting them up for success later on as all of their teeth come in!

Only the simplest of cases are able to be treated with one series of Invisalign. The majority of patients will need a few series to complete the necessary movements. Your first series will usually achieve about 60% of the work needed. You will then go into refinement series that will complete the final details and movements.

The way in which your teeth move is very similar between two. Braces can be thought of as purchasing clothing off of the rack and getting it tailored. You make slight adjustments throughout from a generic prescription. With braces you don’t have as much control as you do with aligners. Invisalign is like a custom suit for your mouth! Every detail is planned in 3D renderings and customized to fit your needs, facial structure, bone level constraints, etc. Those movements are built into each stage of aligners!

As long as you have Orthodontic coverage under your dental plan you are able to be treated with braces or Invisalign and they are billed exactly the same to your insurance company.

The Invisalign Expander is an amazing recent achievement for early Orthodontic care. We are thrilled to be one of the few Orthodontists in the country to offer this appliance. Instead of a fixed expander being bonded to the teeth, the Invisalign Expander is removable and is changed daily to comfortably widen the palate. This allows for a much more comfortable and seamless process than a fixed expander.

Invisalign First is a great option for our child patients that need some early work in order to get teeth into alignment and create room for permanent teeth to come in. Because the aligners are 100% customizable, we are able to move permanent and baby teeth in a way so we do not harm the permanent roots that are still developing. It also is a great option for the little ones that might be nervous with dental appliances as the appointments are quick and easy and the aligners just pop right out!

Dr. White has treated thousands of cases in preparation for jaw surgery or cosmetic work. It is his preferred way to treat those dental needs as it can ensure that we are achieving the exact movement needed in order for the next specialist to complete their complex work.

Absolutely! You can easily whiten with your Invisalign aligners throughout treatment or once you are done with your Invisalign Vivera retainer.

An orthodontist goes through all the same training as a dentist, but then goes on to an additional 2-3 years of specialized training in order to become an orthodontist. While a dentist is great at keeping your teeth clean and healthy, only an orthodontist has the knowledge to efficiently and accurately straighten your smile.