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Smile with Invisalign Teen®!

February 5th, 2025

Invisalign Teen is designed with today’s youth in mind. These clear, removable orthodontic aligners can straighten your teeth without the need for metal wires and brackets. Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign Teen aligners are comfortable, nearly invisible, and removable, which allows you to remove them as you eat your favorite foods and brush and floss your teeth. Invisalign Teen motivates teenagers to enjoy life without restrictions while promoting better overall dental care.

Key features of Invisalign Teen

Teenagers are constantly on the move and require special options when it comes to their braces. Invisalign Teen utilizes the same technology as Invisalign for adults; they consist of a series of clear plastic aligners that gradually move the teeth. Extra features designed especially for teens include:

  • Blue wear-indicators on the aligners that gradually fade from blue to clear to help you, and our team, gauge wear time
  • Aligners designed to compensate for the growth of molars and new teeth
  • Customization to fit your mouth correctly and comfortably
  • Removable and nearly transparent to ensure you can eat with freedom and smile with confidence
  • Six free individual replacement aligners in the event that your aligners become misplaced or lost

Conditions improved by Invisalign Teen

Between 70 and 80 percent of adolescents in the United States require braces, according to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). Invisalign Teen uses advanced technology to treat a broad range of orthodontic conditions. These include overbite, underbite, crossbite, widely-spaced teeth, and overly crowded teeth. Injuries and tooth and jaw problems may also require the use of braces to correct jaw and teeth alignment problems.

How does Invisalign Teen work?

Like any orthodontic treatment, Invisalign Teen requires a customized treatment plan created by Dr. Tony Skanchy. Generally, each set of aligners is worn for approximately two weeks and removed when you brush, floss, eat, and drink. Your teeth will gradually move with the series of aligners, which typically ranges from 18 to 30 aligners in total. You’ll visit our Sandy, UT office every eight to ten weeks to check your progress and make any needed adjustments.

Invisalign Teen introduces a whole new way to make your smile straight without the unappealing look and hassle of traditional metal braces. This revolutionary method of correcting smiles is being used by teens everywhere, including right here at Alta View Orthodontics, to straighten their teeth with confidence.

Why should I visit the dentist during my treatment?

February 4th, 2025

So, you just got your braces on, and you're wondering why you should continue visiting your general dentist since you’re seeing Dr. Tony Skanchy every other month. Patients always ask us if they should continue to see their dentist while in orthodontic treatment. In short, the answer is yes.

Today, we thought we would share a few reasons why it’s crucial to keep up with your regular visits with your dentist in addition to coming in for your regular adjustments at Alta View Orthodontics.

One of the best reasons to visit your dentist while you undergo orthodontic treatment is to remove plaque and tartar. Having braces provides additional nooks and crannies in which food particles and bacteria can hide. Eventually, plaque and tartar can form around your brackets, bands or other appliances which can lead to cavities. Having your teeth professionally cleaned can help ensure most, if not all, plaque and tartar is removed. Even if you are undergoing clear aligner treatment, dental checkups and cleanings are equally as important.

The next reason to visit a dentist is to help protect your teeth from decalcification, or the loss of calcium in your teeth. A potentially serious condition in which white spots on your tooth surfaces, decalcification is irreversible and if left untreated, can lead to cavities. Decalcification is preventable; patients who cut down on sugary sweets and acidic foods, practice good oral hygiene, and visit their dentist regularly can help prevent decalcification.

The final reason we recommend visiting your dentist while you have braces is this: cavities can prolong your treatment. If you are interested in completing your orthodontic treatment on time and without any delays, visiting your dentist every six months or as recommended can go a long way toward making that a realistic goal. Your dentist can provide fluoride treatments or other treatments that strengthen your teeth and protect them from cavities.

Making sure to visit your dentist will help ensure your teeth look their best once your braces come off. If you do not have a general dentist and would like a recommendation on finding one in the Sandy, UT area, please give us a call or let us know at your next adjustment appointment!

Happy 2025!

January 29th, 2025

"Alta View Orthodontics is a 5-star experience all around. Super friendly staff, wonderful service, and very helpful. Dr. Tony Skanchy provided top end treatment and is a true professional in his field! The overall experience was fantastic!"

-Daniel Miller

The start of the new year is an opportunity to start fresh for everyone. That includes those looking to prioritize their oral health. Having good oral health is a multi-step process that involves extra attention and care. Let’s talk about it!

Good oral health is defined by the absence of disease like tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer. It also involves maintaining clean teeth, healthy gums and fresh breath.  To maintain a healthy smile, it’s important to follow a great oral health routine. This includes brushing and flossing twice daily, having regular dental check-ups, eating a balanced diet, and avoiding tobacco products.

If you find yourself struggling to keep on top of your oral health, don't give up! It's easy to improve your oral hygiene with a few changes.

If you’re struggling trying to figure out where to start, we suggest beginning with getting yourself a good toothbrush. Multiple studies have found and provided evidence that powered toothbrushes seem to have a slight edge over manual ones when it comes to plaque removal. Researchers also found that oscillating powered toothbrushes (which have a small round head that rotates quickly in one direction and then the other) were slightly better at reducing plaque than sonic electric toothbrushes (which have an oval head that moves or vibrates rapidly from side to side).

Your next step should be adding in a flossing routine. Your floss options include regular floss, a floss pick, or a Waterpik. Remember, flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth clean and gums healthy.  

If you have braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind each wire. Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers of both hands, leaving a few inches of taut floss between them. Gently slide the floss between each set of teeth using a back-and-forth motion. Floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gum line to remove plaque and food particles. Repeat this process until you’ve flossed all your teeth.

If you find that your floss is not removing all the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, a Waterpik is a great tool to help with those tricky areas.

Maintaining good oral health is crucial as it affects your overall health. Brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day is the most effective step you can take. This routine helps eliminate bacteria that cause plaque, a sticky, germy film that adheres to teeth, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease if not removed.

If you’re ready to get started on your orthodontic journey, give us a call! For this month only, we are offering a special promotion of $750 off Invisalign. This is a great opportunity to improve your smile. Call us to schedule a complimentary consultation today!

What are the benefits of Invisalign®?

January 22nd, 2025

A popular option for straightening teeth at Alta View Orthodontics, Invisalign can be a great method for improving your smile, and can help patients with crowded teeth, crossbites, overbites, underbites, and more.

Invisalign, which is different from traditional braces, works by applying a series of clear, retainer-like aligners in order to eventually move your teeth into their ideal positions. Patients typically swap aligners approximately every couple of weeks.

At Alta View Orthodontics, we have lots of experience using this technology to give our patients the beautiful and healthy smile they’ve always wanted. During your initial visit at our Sandy, UT office, the first thing we do is take an impression of your teeth as they are now and digitize it. Using special software, we look at the current positioning of your teeth and compare it to the way your teeth should look.

Not only are the aligners invisible, they are also removable, so you can eat and drink what you want, and brushing and flossing are easier. Invisalign’s aligners are also comfortable, with no metal to cause mouth abrasions during your treatment. And, no metal and wires usually means you spend less time at our office getting adjustments. With Invisalign, you can view your own virtual treatment plan when you start, so you can see how your straight teeth will look when your treatment is complete!

Depending on the severity of the problem, Invisalign treatment may take anywhere from three to 18 months to complete. You should be aware that Invisalign is not as effective as traditional braces in treating bite problems, teeth that are lower or higher than others, or severely overcrowded teeth. Both teens and adults are now great candidates for Invisalign, so we invite you to contact our Sandy, UT office to set up an initial consultation and learn more on how Invisalign can give you the smile you’ve always wanted!

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