Northern Ireland’s First Invisalign Diamond Provider
Claire Hughes explains why her practice chose Invisalign and how Diamond Provider status is helping to change lives.
Why do we choose to work with Invisalign?
I have been straightening people’s teeth with fixed braces and then clear aligners since we opened the practice in 2013. There are quite a few aligner systems on the market. I had some good results with other systems, but I changed to working with Invisalign in 2020.
I made that change because it is the most efficient and effective clear aligner system in the world, at this stage, is responsible for transforming the smiles of 20 million people worldwide.
We now have a totally digital treatment workflow, and we are constantly working to streamline and improve our methods so our patients can start treatment more quickly. This means I can predictably plan the outcome before we even start, and then I can share that with my patient, in essence showing them the “after” before we even begin treatment.
My team and I find the results, and the metamorphosis of the person, to be kind of addictive. We love nothing more than the buzz we get when someone is so delighted to be able to smile with confidence at the end of a course of treatment. I have been able to treat some of our team members too.
We recently achieved Diamond Provider status for Invisalign treatment and were honoured to learn we were the first in Northern Ireland to achieve this accolade. This is one of the highest levels within the Invisalign grading tiers.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a clear aligner system, a type of brace used to straighten teeth. Invisalign is the market leader and is owned by Align Technology.
How does it work?
It works by systematically changing shape from one aligner to the next, pushing your teeth into a new position towards the final straight smile. Our practice has changed the lives of almost 200 people in the past year with Invisalign.
What is the Diamond Award?
Diamond Provider status is awarded to dentists who have demonstrated experience in transforming a high number of smiles in a particular year. We are also a comprehensive provider, which means we have experience with more complex Invisalign treatments.
What does this mean?
This means we have demonstrated safe and effective treatment planning and expertise with Invisalign. We are highly experienced and able to plan and treat most cases with Invisalign.
Giving back
We are so happy with the success we have achieved using the Invisalign system. Together with our partnership with Msmile network, we have been able to give back a percentage of our profits to a charity called Operation Smile.
Operation Smile helps children in the developing world gain access to operations to repair cleft lip and palate deformities. In the developing world, a child with a cleft lip and palate can fail to thrive because they cannot eat and drink properly, and they are also unable to smile.
By donating to Operation Smile, we have been able to provide eight cleft lip repair surgeries this year to help children smile.
Our efforts have not only transformed smiles in Northern Ireland, but in the developing world too. Next year, I hope to be able to help even more children to smile.
Claire Hughes
Dental & Facial Aesthetics
Spencer House L’Derry Northern Ireland BT47 6QA
t: +44 28 7131 1333
www.clairehughes.dental
