Dr. Steven Polevoy is one of the few dentists in Westchester to become an INVISALIGN PREFERRED PROVIDER – a special designation for dentists with extensive experience with Invisalign.
He started offering Invisalign treatment to his patients in 2003- when the technique was just starting to gain recognition. Since that time, he’s helped many of your neighbors improve their smiles – and thanks to him, they are smiling with confidence!
Most people are amazed how truly invisible the aligners are. Dr. Polevoy has had this treatment himself, and most of our patients never knew he was wearing his aligners.
That’s the biggest advantage of Invisalign over traditional braces.
During the process, your lifestyle remains intact and people will not notice you are in treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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Both do the same thing, but in a different way. Everything a dentist can accomplish with Invisalign can be done with braces. However, many adults don’t want metal braces and wires to interfere with their lifestyle. For cosmetic dentists, Invisalign can achieve great results.
Each case is different – but most people are done in 8-12 months. The results begin to show very quickly – within a few weeks of wearing the aligners, you will begin to see changes in your smile.
There are some cases that can take a lot longer. The huge advantage of Invisalign over any other orthodontic treatment is that thanks to advanced technology, we know how long the treatment may take even before we begin. Invisalign’s software, ClinCheck, is an amazingly accurate tool that predicts the length of treatment and the final outcome.
While the results and time period is not guaranteed, we have found that it comes very close to the actual outcome.
Invisalign Aligners are a series of clear, custom-made aligners. Each aligner is designed to move your teeth very slightly – a fraction of a millimeter at a time. You wear each aligner for 22 hours/day, taking it out for eating and brushing your teeth. Each aligner is worn for 2 weeks,and after it has done its job, you move on to the next one.
You see us every six weeks for progress monitoring. The visits are usually very brief and take just a few minutes.
Does Invisalign hurt?
Because each aligner is only designed to move your teeth very slightly, the movements are gentle and the pressure is light. Some very minor soreness is expected in the very beginning of the treatment, but it is never a concern.
Retention is extremely important, especially for adults. We strongly recommend wearing a night-time retainer for many years after the active treatment is over. We will provide you with several pairs of retainers – to make sure that when you lose one, you have another one ready to keep everything in place.
While individual fees vary depending on the length of your treatment, you can expect it to be between $3,000 and $5,000.
One of the most common questions we hear is “Does my (Cigna, Metlife, Guardian, Delta Detnal) insurance pay for Invisalign?
This is a question we hear almost daily. While most dental insurance questions can be answered easily and quickly, this one is more complicated.
While we can give straightforward answers to most questions about dental insurance, Invisalign, and adult orthodontics in general, is one of the most difficult questions to answer.
Many dental insurance plans cover orthodontics for children, but most do not pay anything towards adult orthodontic treatment.
Typically, there is a clause in your dental insurance policy that states “Orthodontics covered up to the age of..”, with 19 being a common age.
However, there is a minority of plans that cover orthodontics for adults as well. In that case, the plan might state “Orthodonitc coverage for all subscribers.” If your plan says that, chances are we can get your dental insurance to pay a significant portion of your Invisalign treatment.
How much it will cover depends on a plan. Most dental plans will cover 50% of the Invisalign fee, up to the maximum set by the insurance company. Maximums range fro $1000 to $3000.
If you are unsure if you dental insurance covers Invisalign, please give us a call. Sometimes, all we need to know is who the insured works for, and we can figure out the rest. If we can’t – a quick phone call will give us all the information we need.
We look forward to speaking with you!
If you dental insurance plan has coverage for adult orthodontics, Invisalign may be covered. However, few plans have that coverage. Our insurance coordinators will help you with the specifics of your plan. Please see more details about insurance coverage and Invisalign.
Invisalign is not for everyone. There are some conditions which Invisalign doesn’t correct very well. For example, most dentists have problems correcting severely rotated teeth, extreme crowding or spacing, and extensive bite problems. In addition, your teeth must be in good shape to be treated orthodontically. Advanced periodontal disease can make treatment difficult. All cavities must be filled prior to treatment.
There are other companies that offer clear aligner therapy. One is ClearCorrect – a process similar to Invsisalign. Like Invisaling, it can treat a wide variety of cosmetic conditions.
In addition, there is a number of aligner therapies that have more limited applications.
SmartMoves can correct small malalignments, when only one or two teeth need to be moved.
Similarly, RedWhite&Blue and Simply5 can correct small to medium cosmetic dental problems.
However, Invisalign is the most versatile and effective system for the most extensive variety of dental condition, and is typically our number one choice for cosmetic orthodontics.
If you do not have advanced gum disease, your teeth are generally healthy, you are probably a good candidate for Invisalign. As discussed above, some conditions are not well treated by aligner therapy. Dr. Steven Polevoy has been providing cosmetic orthodontics to your neighbors for over 10 years. His wealth of experience will allow him to tell you exactly how Invisalign can help you.
We see lots of adults who would like to have a straighter smile.
They may have never had braces before, or they did but did not wear their retainers, or their teeth may have moved over the years. Now, they would like to have a straighter and more even smile, and they are looking through the various options.
While one option is restorative, like porcelain veneers, we prefer to leave that option for last. We can achieve perfect results with porcelain veneers, and they are very durable, but the downside is that these require some maintenance, and may need to be changed every 15 years or so. If we can achieve same results with orthodontics – and maintain the results with retainers – our patients will have their smile for life.
The two options we recommend are Invisalign and Six Month Braces.
What is the difference? Which one is better? What do they cost? What are the pros and cons?
Invisalign |
Six Month Braces |
Advantage |
|
Effectiveness | Can deal with most alignment problem, but falls short when teeth rotated or spacing/crowding is very extensive | Can deal with more problems |
Six Month Braces |
Speed | Most treatments take 9-12 months | Treatment takes 6 months |
Six Month Braces |
Retention | Will require long-term retainers to be worn at night – for many years. | Will require long-term retainers to be worn at night – for many years. |
Even |
Comfort and Esthetics | Virtually invisible. From personal experience, I can attest that most people did not know I had Invisalign on.Can be taken out for important meetings or presentations. No eating restrictions. No discomfort. | Even though the modern adult braces are extremely cosmetic, they are still not as invisible as Invisalign. They are porcelain, not metal, and everything, including the wires, are tooth colored.However, from conversational distance, people will see you have something on. No discomfort. |
Invisalign |
Cost | $4000-5000 | $4000-5000 |
Even |
Insurance Coverage | Varies by the plan, as discussed in this post. | Varies by the plan, as discussed in this post. |
Even. |
Ability to combine treatments | Invisalign aligners can be used as whitening trays so you can whiten while you straighten. | None. |
Invisalign. |
Conclusion | As you can see, Invisalign and Six Month Braces both work very well and very quick, but can appeal to different people. If speed and efficiency is your primary concern, Six Month Braces is the clear winner. However, if you feel having braces on is a significant cosmetic concern, then we recommend Invisalign. |
Many patients have asked about the benefits of veneers as compared to Invisalign. While veneers are certainly an option for improving your smile, they only cover up certain dental imperfections, rather than correct them. This means that some existing periodontal problems could remain. Applied to the front side of the teeth only, veneers also require the removal of the surface enamel of each tooth—an irreversible procedure—and need to be replaced every so often. This can become very expensive… Coffee, tea and red wine need to be avoided to prevent discoloration, and care must be taken to prevent chipping or breaking the veneer. So while the surface look of the teeth may improve with veneers, the underlying tooth and gum problems could still exist.
Of course, there’s always the option of not seeking treatment at all. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but do keep in mind that, if left untreated, many orthodontic issues can often lead to more serious dental and health issues. Learn more about the health benefits of straighter teeth and a proper bite.
Making the decision to straighten your teeth is much easier when you know that Invisalign is flexible enough to let you live your life the way you want to. With Invisalign, you don’t need to worry about the gum and mouth irritation other teeth-straightening methods can cause.
With Invisalign, the aligner trays are not only smooth and comfortable to wear, but they’re also removable. That means you can continue doing all the things you normally would, from brushing and flossing, to eating whatever you like. With other devices, brushing and flossing properly can often take up to 30 minutes!
Special occasion coming up? No problem — just take your aligners out for that time and pop them back in when you’re ready. Of course, even when you’re wearing them, most people won’t even know you’re going through treatment, because they are virtually invisible!
Invisalign is also ideal for your busy schedule, with fewer doctor visits required (approximately every six weeks).
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