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FAQ

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

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Clear aligner orthodontics involves taking impressions to create stage-by-stage aligners that you change every 3 weeks. If you're in Korea, we typically give you 3 stages at a time, and check progress when you visit to provide the next stages. For those living abroad, since visit intervals are longer, we provide aligners for the entire period - 6 months' worth if you come after 6 months, 1 year's worth if you come after a year. However, since direct monitoring is difficult while you're abroad, we provide more detailed precautions. In conclusion, clear aligner treatment is possible from abroad, and many international students are receiving it.
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If extraction is necessary, it must be done for good orthodontic results. Whether extraction is needed is a matter of diagnosis, not treatment method. If diagnosis indicates that extraction is necessary for orthodontics, we recommend bracket-based wire orthodontics rather than clear aligners. While clear aligners can handle extraction cases, horizontally moving teeth after extraction is technically challenging, so we only recommend extraction with clear aligners for those who cannot do wire orthodontics due to occupational or residential issues.
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Wire braces allow dentists to control tooth movement more precisely, so for challenging cases, wire braces may produce better results. However, clear aligners have also improved significantly over 20+ years, with attachments bonded to teeth bringing them to a level where they can achieve similar results to wire braces. It varies by case, so you can decide together during consultation.
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You must wear them for at least 20 hours per day. Wire braces apply force to teeth 24 hours a day, whereas clear aligners only apply force when worn. If you leave them out for long periods, teeth return to their original position and no progress is made. If you only wear them for 12 hours and leave them out for 12 hours, there will be almost no effect. 20 hours means wearing them almost all the time except during meals.
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Clear aligners are thin plastic appliances, so unless you're particularly sensitive, there are almost no reports of speech impediment or drooling. Lingual orthodontics, where brackets are attached to the tongue side, can affect speech and saliva production due to tongue irritation, but clear aligners rarely have such problems.
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If you lose an aligner, you won't have a stage to wear and teeth may return to the previous stage. Therefore, it's good to keep the previous stage aligner when moving to a new stage. For example, while wearing stage 4, if you keep stage 3 aligner and lose stage 4, wearing stage 3 will prevent significant regression. If you lose it, contact the clinic - most have records and can remake that stage's aligner for you.

Q&A Board

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get orthodontic treatment while living abroad?

Do I need tooth extraction for clear aligner orthodontics?

Are there differences in treatment duration or results compared to wire braces?

How many hours per day should I wear them?

Will there be speech impediment or drooling issues?

What should I do if I lose my aligners?