Couple Turns to CU Orthodontic Clinic to Help Make Their Wedding Photos Picture-Perfect

Both Alyssa Kearney and Mark Crapo had braces when they were young but, like many teens, they didn’t regularly wear their retainers. The result was more crooked teeth.

After getting engaged in 2023, the couple decided to do something about it. They wanted to have perfectly straight teeth and beautiful smiles in time for their wedding.

“It was something we’d talked about doing before, but the deadline of the wedding definitely motivated us to get it done,” Mark said.

Both went in for consultations at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine’s Orthodontic Clinic and decided to have their bottom teeth straightened with Invisalign aligners. Second-year CU Dental orthodontic resident Sydney Bichey, DDS, handled Alyssa’s treatment under the supervision of Assistant Professor Klint Butler, DDS, MS. Fellow resident Nhuy Do, DMD, treated Mark, also under Butler's supervision.

Mark proposed to Alyssa at the Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert in Denver in July 2023. They began their Invisalign treatment in early 2024, managing to complete most of it before their Taylor Swift-themed wedding in Paso Robles, Calif., in September 2024. 

“Alyssa’s a big Taylor Swift fan,” Mark said. “We had a Taylor Swift-themed, hidden speakeasy and gave out friendship bracelets to all our guests.”

The wedding pictures were the icing on the cake. 

Beautiful Wedding Smiles

“We’re really happy with the photos,” Alyssa said. “Before Invisalign, I felt insecure about my smile. My bottom teeth were kind of covered when I smiled, but they were pretty crooked. My straightened teeth gave me a lot of confidence on my wedding day and in the photos.” 

Invisalign aligners are clear, nearly invisible, removable trays, similar to retainers. They often appeal to adults who don’t want to look like kids with braces. Plus, aligners are generally more comfortable than traditional braces because patients don’t have to deal with the pain of wires and metal brackets in their mouths. Instead of using brackets, orthodontists bond clear attachments to the teeth that hold the aligners in place.

“Better hygiene is another advantage because you don’t have metal brackets attached to your teeth,” she added. “You don’t wear the aligners while you eat or drink or when you brush your teeth, so it’s much easier to brush and floss.” 

The aligners also don’t require as many visits to the orthodontist because there are no wires that need tightening. After their treatment is planned, many patients receive multiple aligner trays that they can replace on their own about once a week. As a result, most patients only need to see the orthodontist every three weeks to a month.

Lower Costs Were Key

Cost was a major factor for Alyssa and Mark in deciding where to get their treatment. Because weddings have become so expensive, the couple wanted to save money where they could. Alyssa learned from her dentist that she could get Invisalign treatment at a significantly lower cost through the CU Dental Orthodontic Clinic than at a private orthodontic practice.

Depending on the treatment plan and insurance, Invisalign and other services can cost up to 50 percent less at CU Dental than at a private practice.

When a patient comes into the clinic for Invisalign treatment, orthodontists take photos and X-rays, then develop a treatment plan. Next, Invisalign makes the aligners that are individually designed for each patient. 

The plastic aligners work as a push system to move the teeth at tiny intervals, sometimes as little as one millimeter at a time, Bichey noted.

“Alyssa came in with just a little bit of crowding in her lower teeth, and that was fixed quite quickly,” Bichey said. “Her bite was really solid and stable, so we didn’t move the back teeth.” 

Although Alyssa’s teeth were straight in time for the wedding, they still needed to undergo a few final refinements. Knowing that that the couple wanted their photos to be as perfect as possible, Bichey offered to remove the attachments on her teeth before the big event.

Post-wedding, both Alyssa and Mark are wearing their aligners for a few more months for some fine-tuning. After finishing their treatment, they must continue wearing their retainers. 

Aligners Can Be Used for Many Purposes

While Invisalign aligners can be used for many orthodontic issues, most people who need teeth straightening still wear braces, particularly children and teenagers, according to Bichey. Of her 43 current patients, about 11 are using Invisalign.

“There are some cases that are just going to be easier to do with braces,” she said. “The biomechanics behind Invisalign can be a little more difficult, and you don’t always know how the teeth are going to react to the plastic.” 

But there are advantages to Invisalign too. For one, they often enable greater precision than traditional braces.

“Each aligner is designed to move the teeth based on the orthodontist’s instructions, and you can make modifications by selecting individual teeth and moving them exactly where they need to be,” Bichey said. 

She also appreciates the greater autonomy that the aligners give patients. 

“They’re able to just wear their trays, and if they’re good at wearing them consistently, it usually takes less appointment time for both of us,” Bichey said.

Working with Alyssa was both fun and rewarding, she added. “She showed me the wedding photos, and they’re beautiful.”