Invisalign® in Richmond Hill, GA

Who Clear Aligners Can Help

Clear aligners are a good fit for many common concerns:

• Crowded or overlapping teeth
• Gaps and spacing
• Teeth that have shifted over the years
• Teeth that relapsed after braces because a retainer was lost or skipped
• A bite that no longer lines up the way it used to

Adults are a large share of aligner patients today, often people who wore braces as kids. Teens who are responsible about wear time do well too. An exam is the only way to know whether aligners fit your situation.

How Treatment Works at Belfast

1. Consultation and exam

Dr. Yates examines your teeth, gums, and bite, and asks what bothers you. Decay, gum disease, or a cracked tooth gets addressed first. We do not move teeth that are not healthy.

2. Records and a plan you can see

We take records of your teeth and build a plan that maps each stage of movement. You see the projected result before you commit.

3. Aligners and check-ins

You receive your aligners with clear instructions on wear time and when to switch sets. Check-in visits are short and spaced out, so you are not driving to the office more than you need to.

4. Retainers

When treatment finishes, retainers hold the result. Teeth want to drift back, so wearing your retainer as directed matters as much as the aligners did.

Part of a Bigger Plan

Dr. Yates takes a comprehensive view: fix the health of the teeth you have, then move them into the right position. Aligners are often one step in a larger plan.

For example:

• Restorative work first. Fillings, crowns, or gum treatment come before movement so the aligners fit healthy teeth. See our restorative and comprehensive dentistry page.
• Alignment before cosmetic work. Straightening first often means less tooth reduction later for veneers or bonding.
• Whitening at the end. Once teeth are aligned, teeth whitening is a simple finishing step.

Because Dr. Yates provides surgical, restorative, and cosmetic care in one office, most of these steps happen here. You are not passed between practices for each phase.

When Aligners Are Not the Right Tool

Some bites need more than aligners can deliver. Severe crowding, significant jaw discrepancies, and certain rotations are often better handled by an orthodontist with braces or a combination approach.

Dr. Yates will tell you that directly. She has worked alongside orthodontists throughout her career. They send their surgical extractions to her, and she sends cases to them when that is the right call. You get an honest recommendation, not a pitch.

If you are referred out, we stay involved. Extractions, restorative work, and follow-up care that support the orthodontic plan can still happen at Belfast.

Living With Aligners

• Eating. Take them out for meals and anything other than water. Brush, or at least rinse, before putting them back.
• Cleaning. Rinse them each time they come out and brush them gently. Skip hot water; it can warp the plastic.
• Talking. A slight lisp for the first day or two is common and fades quickly.
• Afterward. Retainers, usually worn at night, keep teeth where you worked to put them.

Cost and Financing

Invisalign® cost depends on how far teeth need to move and how many aligners the plan requires. We give you a written estimate after your exam, before anything starts.

If you have dental insurance with orthodontic benefits, we will help you understand what your plan covers. For the balance, we offer third-party financing through CareCredit and Sunbit; see our financial options page. Patients without insurance may also want to look at our membership plan.

Invisalign® FAQs