Invisalign in Las Cruces
Clear Aligners at Our Las Cruces Orthodontic Practice
Invisalign straightens teeth using a series of clear, custom-made trays instead of brackets and wires. For a lot of our Las Cruces patients, that is the deciding factor. You can straighten your teeth through a work presentation, a wedding, or a senior year of high school without the treatment announcing itself. Farnsworth Family Orthodontics offers Invisalign at our Missouri Avenue office for both teens and adults.
Not every case is an Invisalign case, and we will tell you plainly if yours is not. Some bites move faster and more predictably with braces in Las Cruces, and a free consultation is the fastest way to find out which side of that line you fall on.
How Invisalign Works
We start with a digital scan of your teeth. No impression trays, no putty. That scan becomes a three-dimensional model your orthodontist uses to map out every movement from where your teeth are today to where they need to end up. The plan is then broken into small steps, and each step becomes one aligner in your series.
You wear each tray for roughly one to two weeks, then swap it for the next one. Each aligner is shaped slightly differently from the last, and that difference is what nudges the teeth forward along the plan. Most patients check in with us every six to ten weeks so we can confirm the teeth are tracking the way the plan predicted.
If you want a deeper look at the mechanics, our article on how clear aligners straighten teeth covers it well.
Why Patients Choose Invisalign
- Discreet: the aligners are clear and most people will not notice you are wearing them
- Removable: take them out to eat, so no food restrictions during treatment
- Easier hygiene: you brush and floss normally, with nothing to work around
- Comfortable: smooth plastic with no brackets to irritate your cheeks and lips
- Fewer emergencies: no wires to poke and no brackets to pop off
- Sports and instruments: trays come out for a game or a band rehearsal
The One Thing That Determines Your Results
Wear time. Invisalign only works when the aligners are actually in your mouth, and the target is 20 to 22 hours a day. Every hour short of that is an hour your teeth are not moving, and consistently falling below the threshold means your teeth stop tracking with the plan. When that happens, treatment stretches out and we may need to rescan and produce new aligners.
We are direct about this at the consultation because it is the honest dividing line between patients who love Invisalign and patients who struggle with it. If you know you will not keep them in, braces will serve you better, and there is no downside to admitting that up front.
Invisalign for Teens
Teen aligners include compliance indicators, small blue dots that fade as the aligner is worn, so parents and our doctors can see at a glance whether wear time is on track. They also account for teeth still erupting, which is a common consideration in this age group. Our teen's guide to Invisalign is worth reading together before your consultation.
Invisalign for Adults
Plenty of our adult patients had braces as kids, skipped the retainer, and watched their teeth drift back over the following decade. Others never had treatment at all. Either way, healthy teeth move at any age, and clear aligners make the process manageable alongside a career and a professional life. Our overview of what adults need to know about Invisalign covers the common questions.
What Invisalign Can Treat
Clear aligners handle crowding, spacing, and many overbite, underbite, crossbite, and open bite cases well. Complex rotations, severely impacted teeth, and cases requiring significant jaw repositioning are usually better served by fixed appliances, sometimes in combination with other treatment. Our doctors will walk you through exactly what your bite needs rather than pushing you toward one option.
After Treatment
You will finish in retainers, same as with braces. Teeth drift back toward their original positions without something holding them, and that is true no matter which treatment moved them. Our guide to retainers explains the wear schedule and how to care for them.
Start with a Free Invisalign Consultation
Want to know if you are a candidate before you come in? Try our virtual smile assessment from your phone. When you are ready for a full evaluation, visit our Las Cruces office at 2701 Missouri Ave., Ste. D, call 575-522-1500, or schedule your free consultation online.