SureSmile Aligners in Chicago, IL

What SureSmile aligner treatment at AAP Dental includes

SureSmile aligner treatment at AAP Dental includes a consultation and examination, a digital scan or impressions, a 3D treatment plan reviewed by the dentist, a series of custom aligners, check-up visits every 6 to 10 weeks, and retainers at the end of treatment.

• Consultation and records: the dentist examines the bite, takes digital X-rays and photographs, and confirms that the gums and teeth are healthy enough to move.
• Digital plan: SureSmile software maps each tooth movement, so you see the projected result before the first aligner is made.
• Aligner series: each aligner moves the teeth about 0.25 millimeters. A mild case uses 10 to 20 aligners, a moderate case 20 to 40.
• Attachments and refinements: small tooth-colored buttons give the aligners grip for rotations, and refinement aligners fine-tune the result in the last months.
• Retainers: a retainer holds the result, because teeth drift back toward their old positions without one.

SureSmile aligners cost and payment options

SureSmile aligners cost less when the case is mild and more when the case needs 40 or more aligners, because the fee follows the number of trays and the length of treatment. AAP Dental quotes the fee after the consultation, when the number of aligners is known.

AAP Dental accepts most traditional dental insurance plans and does not participate in HMO plans. Payment options include CareCredit financing, flexible payment plans, cash, checks, and credit cards. Some traditional dental plans include an orthodontic benefit for adults. Call (773) 763-3600 to verify yours before the consultation.

What SureSmile aligners treat and the results to expect

SureSmile aligners treat crowding, spacing, mild to moderate overbite, underbite, crossbite, and relapse after earlier braces, and the first visible change appears within 8 to 12 weeks. Teeth move because each aligner applies light, constant pressure that remodels the bone around the root.

• Crowded front teeth align within the first half of treatment, which is the change most patients notice first.
• Gaps between teeth close at about 1 millimeter per month.
• Mild bite problems improve as the arches are widened and leveled. Severe jaw discrepancies need braces or surgery instead.
• The result lasts for life when the retainer is worn nightly, because the bone and ligaments stabilize over the first 12 months.

Who SureSmile aligners are for

SureSmile aligners suit adults and teenagers with all permanent teeth, healthy gums, and mild to moderate crowding or spacing. Aligners are not recommended for patients with active gum disease, untreated decay, or severe skeletal bite problems, because teeth must be moved in healthy bone and some corrections need fixed braces.

Patients must commit to 22 hours of daily wear. An aligner worn 15 hours a day stalls treatment. AAP Dental also offers Invisalign, and the dentist explains which aligner system fits your case at the consultation.

Before, during, and after SureSmile aligners

SureSmile Aligners at AAP Dental follows 3 stages: preparation, the visit itself, and aftercare, and each stage has its own instructions below.

Before SureSmile aligners

A dental cleaning and any needed tooth-colored fillings are completed first, because aligners fit over the teeth and decay should be treated before the trays are made.

During SureSmile aligners

1. Wear each aligner 22 hours a day and remove it only to eat, drink anything other than water, brush, and floss.
2. Change to the next aligner every 1 to 2 weeks as the dentist directs. The first 2 to 3 days of each tray feel tight.
3. Visit AAP Dental every 6 to 10 weeks to check the tracking and collect the next sets of aligners.
4. Clean the aligners with a soft brush and cool water, because hot water warps the plastic.

After SureSmile aligners

Wear the retainer full time for the first 3 to 6 months and nightly after that. Keep the 6 month cleaning schedule, and consider take-home whitening after treatment, because the trays can double as whitening trays in some cases.

SureSmile aligners vs braces

SureSmile aligners differ from braces by being removable and nearly invisible, while braces are fixed to the teeth and correct severe cases that aligners cannot. Choose aligners for mild to moderate crowding and choose braces for large bite corrections.

Why choose AAP Dental for SureSmile aligners in Chicago

• Dr. Eduard Vernovsky, DDS has completed continuing education in Invisalign and has offered clear aligner treatment at AAP Dental alongside general dentistry.
• One Harlem Avenue office handles the cleaning, any fillings, the aligner treatment, and the retainers, so no referral to a second office is needed.
• Saturday hours from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM make the 6 to 10 week check-ups easy to keep.
• AAP Dental accepts most traditional insurance plans, CareCredit, and flexible payment plans for aligner treatment.

SureSmile aligners near Harlem Avenue: location and hours

AAP Dental Group sits at 5037 N Harlem Ave, Chicago, IL 60656, at the corner of Harlem Avenue and Foster Avenue on the Northwest Side. Patients come from Norwood Park, Harwood Heights, Norridge, Edison Park, and Park Ridge, all within 15 minutes of the office. Weekday hours at AAP Dental run Monday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Tuesday 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM, Wednesday 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, and Thursday and Friday 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Saturday hours run 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, and the office closes on Sunday.

SureSmile Aligners questions

SureSmile Aligners patients at AAP Dental Group ask these 5 questions most often, and each answer below is the dentist’s short reply.