Best Invisalign
Dentist in NYC

Dr. Lena Sapozhnikoff is not only a Gold Plus Provider of Invisalign in NYC. She brings a unique blend of art and science to her Invisalign treatments. As a highly trained top Invisalign provider in NYC, she easily accomplishes remarkable things that other dentists wouldn’t attempt with clear aligners. Dr. Lena is an Invisalign whisperer!

On this page, you’ll find answers to all of your questions, including:

WHAT DOES INVISALIGN COST IN NYC WITHOUT INSURANCE?

Everyone wants to know how much Invisalign costs in NYC, of course. Before you begin treatment, you need to know! The price of Invisalign will vary based on how many aligners your specific case requires, but the average cost of Invisalign in NYC is between $3500 and $8000. At Dr. Lena’s Lower Manhattan dental practice, Invisalign costs between $4500 and $8500.

HOW MUCH DOES INVISALIGN COST WITH INSURANCE?

A lot of patients ask us: Does insurance cover Invisalign? Invisalign insurance coverage varies. Some dental insurance policies don’t cover orthodontic treatment for adults. Others do cover Invisalign at a certain percentage or dollar amount. There is also usually a lifetime maximum coverage amount for Invisalign or braces. In short, insurance coverage for Invisalign is often between $1500 and $2000, leaving patients to pay or finance the remainder.

MONTHLY COST OF INVISALIGN IN NYC

Dr. Lena Dentistry happily accepts interest-free monthly payments for Invisalign and flexible third-party payment options in our Lower Manhattan dental practice. Many of our patients take advantage of this, because a monthly payment for Invisalign can be much easier to manage than a lump sum of several thousand dollars. With insurance and a down payment of 30%, a 12-month Invisalign treatment costs around $340 per month, or $500 per month without insurance.

HOW DOES INVISALIGN WORK?

Using a BPA-free, nontoxic clear plastic material that is designed specifically for moving teeth, Invisalign clear aligners straighten teeth in a manner similar to metal braces. The difference, however, is that Invisalign clear braces are—you guessed it!—invisible. No metal brackets, no wires, and no “tightening.” Each new aligner you switch to gently moves your teeth closer to their ideal destination in your mouth.

It’s easy to get started. What information does the doctor need to get your case started? Once we’ve done the following, we can start your Invisalign treatment anytime:

• Digital models of your teeth captured with the iTero scanner
• A CBCT scan that shows how teeth are positioned in bone, as well as any TMJ issues
• A full set of orthodontic photos

Dr Lena uses this information to analyze your case and set up a treatment plan that is ideal to your health and aesthetic goals.

HOW LONG DOES INVISALIGN TAKE TO STRAIGHTEN TEETH?

Full Invisalign treatment times can range from a few months to two years, but the majority of treatment times last between 12 and 18 months. Patients must wear their clear aligners 20–22 hours per day, or their full Invisalign treatment may take longer.
Patients also may have things come up, such as medical reasons to pause Invisalign treatment. If this occurs, Dr. Lena can resume your Invisalign treatment when you’re ready at no additional charge.

INVISALIGN VS BRACES

Of course, there are pros and cons to each, but NYC Invisalign dentist Dr. Lena Sapozhnikoff believes the pros of Invisalign far outweigh the cons. Here are the benefits of Invisalign vs braces:

Aesthetics: Everyone’s favorite thing about Invisalign clear braces is that they’re clear! An added benefit to seeing NYC Invisalign dentist Dr. Lena for your Invisalign treatment is that she goes above and beyond to customize for aesthetics, placing attachments onto the backs of teeth wherever possible.

Flexibility: If you have a special event coming up, like a wedding, keynote, or class reunion, Dr. Lena offers a service of removing your composite attachments and placing them back after the event at no additional charge. This could never be an option with braces!

Cost: A common question is about the cost of Invisalign in NYC. It used to be more expensive than metal braces, but most providers are now able to offer both at about the same price, thanks to improvements in technology.

Comfort: A lot of folks ask, “Will Invisalign hurt?” New trays can cause a bit of discomfort on the first day or two, and the edges may rub here and there. But we don’t see the kind of pain and discomfort we do with braces. Invisalign is far more tolerable!

Convenience: Invisalign patients can take their aligners out to eat, drink, brush, floss, and rinse.

Freedom: Since you’ll remove your Invisalign trays to eat, there are no food restrictions. Eat what you want, brush and floss, and place the aligners back into your mouth. It’s easy peasy!

In her Lower Manhattan dental practice, Dr. Lena is proud to offer both Invisalign and metal braces. There are times when braces might be more appropriate, and Dr. Lena can help you decide which treatment is best for you. To learn more about Invisalign vs braces for your situation, schedule an Invisalign consultation with Gold Plus Provider, Dr. Lena.

Disadvantages of Invisalign

No orthodontic treatment is perfect, even with the best Invisalign dentist in NYC. We’ve talked about the pros; but what are the Invisalign cons?

Lifestyle

Invisalign treatment does call on patients to make some adjustments, such as finding creative, discreet ways to remove aligners before meals. And you’ll be cleaning your teeth and aligners after each meal. Overall, however, most patients report that their Invisalign braces have helped them up their oral hygiene game.

Compliance

You do have to wear your Invisalign aligners 22 hours a day, which can be challenging, precisely because they’re removable. It can be tempting to take them out “for a little while” when a new tray is creating uncomfortable pressure on your teeth. Metal braces come with the same discomfort (usually more), of course, but patients don’t have to resist the urge to remove them, because it’s not possible!

Cost

Wait. Wasn’t that a benefit of Invisalign? How is it also a disadvantage of Invisalign? The cost of Invisalign is a benefit because it’s usually about the same as braces. It’s a drawback because orthodontics are just costly! Dr. Lena and her Invisalign Gold Plus Provider colleagues work extra hard to provide the highest standard of care to their patients. We offer a monthly payment option to help patients manage the cost of Invisalign.

INVISALIGN AT HOME

Invisalign, just like any other orthodontic therapy, does require doctor supervision to make sure your roots remain safely centered in your jaw bone, among other important conditions. The movement of teeth during orthodontic treatment must occur in specific increments and in a specific order. The American Association of Orthodontists cautions consumers against direct-to-consumer aligners for these and other reasons.

Dr. Lena has good news for you, however! She does offer a customized, one-on-one remote treatment option for patients who can’t get to her lower Manhattan dental practice. If you’re living temporarily outside of NYC, traveling excessively for work, or splitting your time between NYC and another home, not to worry! You won’t have to find another Invisalign dentist. With some planning and a few video chats, you’ll be able to maintain your Invisalign treatment with Dr. Lena.

WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR INVISALIGN?

Most patients who are candidates for metal braces are candidates for Invisalign. This is another reason to come see the best Invisalign dentist in NYC. Many dentists and orthodontists will try to steer patients with more complicated cases toward braces. Indeed, there are times when braces might work better or faster. But Dr. Lena maximizes the Invisalign technology to an extent that many providers do not, offering her patients a true, viable alternative to metal braces.

INVISALIGN ON REDDIT

If you don’t know—but you probably do—Reddit.com hosts frank conversations on every topic under the sun. It’s one of the internet’s last vestiges of real-life experiences and opinions. You might be interested to check out the wealth of Invisalign before and after pictures shared there. To save you some time, we’ve gathered a few of the most common Invisalign questions from Reddit, along with a summary of the community’s consensus.

IS INVISALIGN WORTH IT?

One of the top discussions is around the question of: “Is Invisalign worth it?” The Invisalign Reddit community reports a resounding yes! Common refrains include:

• Patients only wish they’d done it sooner.
• Make sure you choose the best Invisalign dentist. You want someone who will take the time to answer your questions and listen to your concerns.
• Invisalign gave wearers a huge boost in confidence. They report getting so many compliments on their smile now.
• Invisalign is kind of high maintenance, but still better than braces and still worth the effort.
• Don’t worry about dating, it presents no problem. Plus, anyone who wouldn’t like you because of your clear braces is a jerk

WHAT’S THE WORST THING ABOUT INVISALIGN?

Nothing is all great, right? Pros and cons; there are benefits of Invisalign and drawbacks. Let’s see what the Invisalign Reddit community has to say on the worst things about Invisalign. The worst things include:

• You can’t chew gum with Invisalign.
• You must brush and floss after each meal.
• Snacking just isn’t worth the trouble sometimes.
• There can be pain or pressure, especially early in treatment, though much less than with braces.
• Invisalign is expensive.
• The feeling of a foreign object in your mouth may take some getting used to.
• Invisalign refinements can add time to treatment if the provider doesn’t calculate them into your plan.
• The clear aligners can affect talking and may cause a slight lisp.
• Providers weren’t always up front about the need for bite ramps, attachments, or rubber bands.

Some commenters also noted that Invisalign caused new problems in their bite or took much longer than projected. This often comes back to two crucial imperatives:

1. Wear your aligners for the full 22 hours each day.
2. Choose the best Invisalign dentist in NYC, Dr. Lena Sapozhnikoff. She treatment-plans each case with goals of complete bite health and function in mind, referencing CBCT imaging for the highest accuracy. Dr. Lena also includes refinements in your treatment plan, and that’s why her time estimates are so accurate.
3. Or, if you aren’t in NYC, look for a Diamond or Gold Plus Provider in your area.

Problems can still arise in treatment. But choosing a top Invisalign provider who will explain everything up front, and complying with treatment (including retainer use), prevents most of them!

THINGS I WISH I KNEW ABOUT INVISALIGN BEFORE

On the topic of providers being up-front, Dr. Lena takes the time to let her patients know what to expect during their Invisalign treatment. And she’s such a skilled NYC Invisalign dentist that her treatment time estimates are quite accurate.

But, courtesy of Invisalign Reddit, here are some everyday tidbits that you might like to know even before your Invisalign consultation:

• While you wait for Invisalign refinement trays to arrive, you may have to wear a single set longer than usual. You’ll need to take meticulous care of this set so it doesn’t get yucky.
• Some people will notice your Invisalign. The aligners are clear but not 100% invisible.
• If you have a teeth-grinding habit, and you continue to try to grind while wearing Invisalign, you’ll wear holes in your trays. Noteworthy here, however, is that Dr. Lena has literally never seen this happen with any of her patients.
• You might lose weight because snacking is a nuisance, or conversely, you may find you make up for that by eating more in a single sitting.

WHAT ARE INVISALIGN RETAINERS?

After your Invisalign treatment is done, you’ll receive a set of retainers that looks a lot like the clear aligner trays you wore throughout treatment. Like your full Invisalign treatment, the retainer usage goes in phases.

For the first six months or so, we’ll ask you to wear your Invisalign retainers full-time. The next phase is different for different patients. Dr. Lena will recommend one of three forever-scenarios for retention:

• Continue wearing the retainers at night.
• Get a bonded (permanent) retainer on your bottom teeth.
• Receive a bonded retainer on both top and bottom teeth.

You may notice Dr. Lena’s approach is different from what other Invisalign dentists recommend. Over hundreds of cases, she has found that dropping down to occasional retainer usage causes many patients to stop using them altogether. When patients stop wearing their retainers, their teeth will move again. Invisalign treatment is too big an investment in yourself to allow it to relapse. Dr. Lena’s focus is on improving your bite and your smile for good!

ARE INVISALIGN RETAINERS FOREVER?

Many patients wonder, “Do I need to wear a retainer forever after Invisalign?” You will need to wear your Invisalign retainers for the rest of your life, or as long as you practically can, to protect your investment. What we mean by that is, without your retainers, your teeth will eventually shift back to some state of malocclusion. There is, however, some silver lining:

By the time you’re ready to wear your Invisalign retainers, you’ll be very accustomed to wearing the aligners. In fact, it will be somewhat easier since you’ll only have to wear them at night.

Many patients report that the structure of both their Invisalign treatment and wearing Invisalign retainers afterward helps them keep great dental hygiene habits.

ARE INVISALIGN RETAINERS FREE?

NYC Invisalign Gold Plus Provider Dr. Lena Sapozhnikoff, having a slightly different approach to retainers, will make a personalized recommendation for your retention. She does provide every patient with one set of free retainers at the end of their Invisalign treatment.

After the initial six months of full-time retainer use, you may choose to continue with Invisalign retainers or a bonded retainer. If you choose Invisalign retainers, they cost $300 per retainer, or $600 for a set (top and bottom). Align Technologies also offers a set of four, called Vivera.

HOW LONG DO INVISALIGN RETAINERS LAST?

Your Invisalign retainers should last anywhere from four to ten years. They’re made of a thicker version of the SmartTrack® material than your clear aligners, so they are built to last. There are some mitigating factors that could cause them to be replaced sooner, including:

• If you clench your jaw or attempt to grind your teeth while wearing your Invisalign retainers, they’ll wear out faster.
• If your dental arch changes shape for any reason, we’ll need to make a replacement Invisalign retainer(s). Dental work, periodontal work, or a lost tooth can cause this. Insufficient or improper cleaning can also result in a shorter lifespan for your Invisalign retainers.
• Your dog eats them. No really, pets love to chew on Invisalign retainers!
• Heat: If you wash your Invisalign retainers in hot water, leave them in the car, or accidentally run them through the dryer in a pants pocket, they can become warped.
• And, of course, loss. Retainers can get lost. We find it’s especially common among our teenage patients to lose Invisalign retainers. But it’s so easy for any of us to leave them at a restaurant or drop them from a coat pocket. (We recommend putting your name and phone number on the case, btw!)