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Clear aligners like Invisalign® have become increasingly popular over the past several years and rightly so. They’re removable, easier to clean than braces, and hardly anyone knows you're wearing them. They are great in treating many cases, but they aren't for everyone.

Below, Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen and our team cover some of the instances where clear aligners just aren't the answer:

• If drastic tooth movement is required – Fixed appliances deliver much more significant tooth movement. So if your case is a drastic one, clear aligners may not be the best choice.
• If you need to move molars – Molars have much stronger roots than your other teeth and would require significantly longer to move with clear aligners. A fixed appliance is the best choice in this instance, especially if you have a substantial overbite or underbite that needs to be dealt with.
• If you're the type who often forgets or loses things –If you would forget to wear your aligners for the prescribed amount of time (usually at least 22 hours per day), clear aligners are probably not the best choice for you. Forgetting to wear them can delay treatment and even make it so you need to regress to the previous set of aligners to be able to move forward with treatment. And let's face it, if you're not careful, removable aligners are easy to lose. Losing aligners delays treatment and is expensive since you need to buy replacements to stay on course. Replacing a lost set of aligners usually takes between seven and ten days—a definite setback in treatment.
• If you're looking for the fastest treatment possible – Clear aligners usually can't move teeth as quickly as fixed appliances. So if you're looking for the fastest way to achieve your desired result, clear aligners may not be the best bet.

Feel free to talk with Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen about your options regarding braces and clear aligners. We know there are pros and cons to both, so let’s find the option that works best in your life and for your specific needs in terms of treatment. Schedule an appointment at our Andover office today!

Happy October from Chan & Chen Orthodontics! We love an opportunity to get festive and the start of the fall season is no exception.

There is a lot going on in the month of October. First of all, it’s National Orthodontic Health Month! We are embracing the power of healthy smiles and how orthodontic treatment can help you perfect your smile at any age. A beautiful smile is one of your best assets, boosting your self-esteem and giving you the confidence to present yourself in any environment. Orthodontic treatment helps to align both the teeth and the jaws, creating a healthy balance of esthetics and function. With many advances in technology, today we have more choices than ever to achieve a healthy smile.

October also means Halloween! Halloween may be rather different this year, but when it comes to indulging in sweet treats, Dr. Kathleen & Dr. Ivy recommend avoiding hard or chewy candy for those with braces or appliances. Usually chocolate is an acceptable treat since it can melt in your mouth. With Invisalign, there are no food restrictions so you can enjoy what you like. Whether you have braces or Invisalign, be sure to brush and floss your teeth after eating treats!

In our office, we diligently continue with our usual protocols as outlined on our website under the coronavirus tab. Our usual highest standards of infection control have been further enhanced with several medical-grade air purifiers and an upgraded HVAC system. We are totally obsessed with clean air and keeping everyone safe and healthy!
The 8th annual Andover Coalition for Education Scarecrow Festival is on from October 17-31st in downtown Andover. Come check out our scarecrow at the corner of Main and Chestnut Streets. This year we are paying tribute to the frontline heroes battling the pandemic. Our hearts and gratitude go out to our frontline workers.

We are currently holding a pumpkin decorating contest. You can decorate your pumpkin at home and send a photo to us at info@ccorthodontics.com. We will post the photos @chanchenortho on Facebook and Instagram, and have a vote for the prize-winning pumpkin. We look forward to seeing how creative everyone can be!

We hope everyone has a wonderful start to Fall and a safe Halloween.

How long? Well, a beautiful smile is both science and art—proper teeth and jaw alignment united with aesthetically pleasing results. Orthodontists achieve both these outcomes with a careful analysis of any dental and facial problems, a treatment plan designed specifically for each patient’s needs, and adjustments through each phase of treatment to carefully bring about that beautiful smile.

And that’s a long way of saying, there’s no one, standard answer as to how long a patient will wear braces because there is no one, standard patient. Often, treatment takes from 18 to 24 months, but it can be months shorter or months longer depending on a variety of different circumstances.

• Different Needs

Your orthodontic needs and goals will generally determine your treatment time. Some patients need only a bit of alignment, which can lead to a fairly short orthodontic experience. Some have malocclusions such as crossbites and open bites that require more complex and lengthy treatment.

And, while we used to think of orthodontics as a teenage rite of passage, that’s certainly no longer the case. Some children will need two-phase orthodontic treatment, where early procedures before the adult teeth even come in ease the way for any necessary second stage treatment when the permanent teeth arrive years later. And some adults will want orthodontic work later in life, where denser bone tissue might lead to (somewhat) longer treatment.

• Different Appliances

Today’s orthodontics offers you many choices in appliances. Lingual braces are an almost invisible option, with brackets and wires on the inside of the teeth. Aligners use clear, custom molded trays to move the teeth into a better position with each new tray. Even traditional braces are smaller and sleeker today, with metal or less visible ceramic brackets. Depending on the orthodontic goals you want to achieve, there might be a small difference in the amount of time each appliance will take to get you to those goals. Talk to us about all your options and what they mean for treatment time.

• Different Levels of Participation in the Process

This is one area you can make a real difference! If you follow our instructions for using your appliances most effectively, you’ll make progress as quickly as possible. If you have aligner trays, be sure to wear them for as long as directed each day. If you have rubber bands attached to brackets on your upper and lower teeth, wear them for as many hours as required, because these little bands are actually the tools that are moving your teeth into alignment. If you don’t wear your braces or aligners as directed, not much is going to happen, and certainly not on schedule.

Give our Andover office a call, and we can discuss your goals for creating your very best smile. Once we’ve decided on a treatment plan, Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen can give you a fairly good estimate as to how long your particular treatment will take. And, when you get to share that beautiful, healthy smile, the time you’ve spent achieving it will be well worth it!

The number one goal of orthodontic treatment is to give you or your child a beautiful, healthy smile that will last a lifetime. One of the first things people notice about others is their smiles so take the first step towards getting the smile you’ve always wanted and make your initial consultation at Chan & Chen Orthodontics

A good bite not only makes it easier to eat and speak, but will enhance your dental and overall health as well. Straight teeth aren’t just pretty, they’re healthy as well. Teeth that are properly aligned are easier to clean reducing the risk of gingivitis and periodontal disease. 

Let your smile express yourself! Give us a call at our convenient Andover office to schedule your consultation today!