A beautiful smile full of straight, pearly white teeth sends the message that you are happy, healthy, and confident. With Invisalign teeth straightening treatment, you can achieve the smile you’ve always wanted without unsightly, uncomfortable metal braces. Dr. Don Mungcal, dentist at Downtown Dental in Los Angeles, CA, is an expert in working with patients to understand their cosmetic dental goals and using Invisalign to transform their smiles.
Benefits of Invisalign
Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment that straightens your teeth to get similar end results as traditional braces, but instead of using metal brackets and wires that are affixed to your teeth, Invisalign straightens your teeth with a series of transparent removable trays.
There are many benefits of Invisalign treatment over traditional braces.
- Nearly invisible: The Invisalign trays are clear and thin, so they are nearly invisible to others when you are talking and smiling.
- No restrictions on what you can eat: With traditional braces, you need to avoid crunchy, sticky, and hard foods, but the Invisalign trays are completely removable, so you don’t need to limit what you eat.
- Fast treatment time: The average treatment time for Invisalign is between 12 and 18 months, whereas traditional braces can often take up to 3 years.
- Better oral hygiene during treatment: Since you can fully remove the Invisalign trays, you don’t need to brush around brackets and wires and can properly brush and floss all your teeth during your treatment time.
- Comfortable: The Invisalign trays are more comfortable than braces since they don’t involve any metal or wires that can bend and poke your mouth.
- Whiten your teeth at the same time: The aligners can serve the double function as teeth whitening trays so you can straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time. Dr. Mungcal can provide you with a professional grade whitening gel to use with your aligners for great results.
How Invisalign works
At a consultation appointment, Dr. Mungcal takes a series of highly precise images of your mouth. These images are used as a starting point for your discussion with the dentist about what you like and don’t like about your teeth and what your goals with the Invisalign treatment are. Then, the dentist uses the latest software technology to create images that show you what your end results will look like with Invisalign treatment. Dr. Mungcal takes a shared approach to decision-making about your Invisalign treatment so that your end results will match your goals and you are completely satisfied.
Based on your current mouth and your projected end results, a series of Invisalign trays are then custom-made for your teeth. The first trays will begin to slightly shift your teeth into the correct position. You will then switch out the trays for the next set of trays approximately two weeks later, which then further shift your teeth. This process is repeated with new sets of trays every two weeks as your teeth progressively shift into their optimal position, which typically takes about 12 to 18 months total. The total amount of time it takes depends on your initial tooth position and the way your jaw bites down.
During the time that you are being treated with Invisalign, you will see the dentist about once every six weeks to check on your progress and receive your next batch of trays. When you put new trays in, you may feel some slight discomfort. This typically goes away within a couple of days and any pain can be managed with over-the-counter medications like Tylenol. You may also feel like your teeth are slightly loose. The loose tooth sensation is normal and occurs because as your teeth move, your gums take time to shift their position around the teeth. Once your teeth are in their final position, your gums will permanently affix to them and your teeth will no longer feel loose.
The cost of Invisalign is similar to the cost of traditional braces. Dental insurance typically covers a portion of orthodontic treatment, and Invisalign treatment is typically covered under this category. The team at Downtown Dental can help you determine whether the treatment is covered and if so, how much of the cost will be covered.
Dr. Don Mungcal is committed to helping you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted. Take the first step in transforming your smile by calling Downtown Dental at 213-863-9464 to schedule your appointment today.
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Home » Blog » Transform your smile with Invisalign teeth straightening in Los Angeles
Dr. Don Mungcal
Dr. Tara Mavadat
Dr. Ivan Chan
As the cornerstone and founder of Downtown Dental,
Dr. Don Mungcal is a proactive and
exceptionally talented dentist who is determined to contribute to the health and wellbeing of his community by
attending to their dental care needs.
With over 28 years of experience and service,
Dr. Mungcal makes it his responsibility to
be the best version of himself by being his patients’ go-to point for any and all dental concerns. In addition
to being meticulous in his work ethic, he is also an individual who understands development and change. He
updates and informs himself constantly through various continuous educational programs that he undertakes. He
also invests in the latest state-of-the-art technology to provide world-class dental services.
Dr. Mungcal graduated from
UCLA and the
University of the Pacific Dental
School and is presently a member of several acclaimed medical associations, including the
California Dental Society.
Dr. Tara Mavadat was always passionate about
dentistry and is committed to helping patients achieve excellent oral health and beautiful smiles that last
long. Having earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of the Pacific Dugoni School of
Dentistry, she focuses on comprehensive general dentistry with an emphasis on preventive dentistry. Her primary
goals are to provide comfort and quality as well as exceptional esthetic outcomes to every patient.
Dr. Ivan Chan is enthusiastic about dentistry
and his patients' oral health and is dedicated to providing compassionate and effective care. He is a highly
skilled dentist who received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego. He earned
his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) at the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry.
Dr. Chan has extensive training in general dentistry. He focuses on creating lasting smiles while attempting to
prevent gum disease and cavities. He looks forward to assisting you with all your needs while assuring you that
your trust is always in good hands, regardless of your needs!