Invisalign Treatment: How It Works, Benefits & FAQs

Invisalign Invisible braces: A step-by-step guide

If you have read this far about Invisalign, then it would be reasonable to assume that you are interested in Invisalign treatment for yourself or for someone else that you are responsible for.

So the very first question generally asked is – How long does the Invisalign treatment take? And is this a very long process? The answer to that question is – How long the Invisalign treatment take depends upon the severity of the correction needed and also on whether the patient is able to wear the aligner for the recommended 22 hours a day.

The time needed for Invisalign treatment to work is generally between 1 to 2 years.

The 7 Step – Invisalign Treatment Process

1. Consultation with your dentist.
2. Your Invisalign records visit
3. Your Custom 3D animated treatment plan
4. Invisalign fabricates your sets of aligners.
5. Your begin wearing the aligners
6. Your dentist makes refinement to the treatment plan
7. After the Invisalign treatment – Using a Retainer

Step-1: The consultation with your Dentist

Your Invisalign certified dentist at Orion Dental will examine your teeth and discuss with you the treatment needed to provide you with your best smile. This is the opportunity for you to get answers to questions like: How much will my treatment cost? And how long will the treatment take?

We can also speak with you about payment options.

Step-2: Your Invisalign records visit

At this stage you come in for an appointment with your dentist, who will take impressions of your teeth and ship these impression moulds off to Invisalign, along with your dentist’s comments and recommendations.

Using a special machine, Invisalign then scans your impressions to create a 3-D model of your teeth.

Your invisalign records visit will generally take about an hour. This could however, sometimes take up to 90 minutes.

Step-3: Your Custom 3D animated treatment plan

At this stage your Invisalign certified dentist at Orion Dental will work with the Invisalign team to create your very own custom 3D virtual animated treatment plan.

Invisalign’s ClinCheck software is used to create your treatment plan. This plan maps out the path to your smile, right down to the tiniest shift. This software helps you see the journey from your first aligner to your brand-new smile.

Your dentist will review this plan to monitor how your teeth move throughout your treatment.

Step-4 – Invisalign fabricates your sets of aligners.

Once your dentist’s approves the ClinCheck plan, Invisalign will use the finalized plan to manufacture a series of upper and lower dental casts.

The number of casts needed depends upon the complexity of the movement needed in your teeth, with each cast representing a specific movement stage for your teeth. The average number needed in a treatment is about 25. This can however be less or more again based on the complexity of the case.

Once the casts are finalized, individual aligners are then fabricated for each.

Step-5: Your begin wearing the aligners

Once the aligners are fabricated, Invisalign will ship the entire set to your dentist.

This process generally takes 4 to 6 weeks for from the time that you come in for the Invisalign records visit.

Your dentist will generally give you aligners to wear for a 6 weeks period, and call you in for a checkup at the end of that 6 weeks. These checkups are to make certain that the movement of your teeth is moving to plan, and also for your dentist to keep a watch on your oral health to make sure that you maintain optimal health while the Invisalign treatment is under way.

Occasionally this checkup will show the need for making small adjustments to your teeth or provide Invisalign attachments.

Step-6: Your dentist makes refinement to the treatment plan as needed

This generally happens towards the end of your treatment process, when your teeth have moved close to their final desired position. These refinements are changes needed to ensure that you get the best result.

The refinements could involve your getting some additional aligners.

Sometimes these refinements include the use of Invisalign attachments. These could be buttons and elastics which are used to assist by the dentist in creating tooth movements that the aligners, on their own, would otherwise have difficulty making.

Generally, your dentist will be able to tell you, if buttons and elastics will be required right at the time that your treatment plan was finalized.

Step-7: After the Invisalign treatment – Using a Retainer

Sometimes people think that with the Invisalign treatment over, and once that they have the smile they wanted, that they don’t need to wear an aligner or any other device any more!

The follow-up treatment once your teeth have moved into desired space is as important as the treatment itself.

With the Invisalign treatment over you will need to wear a retainer to ensure that your teeth don’t begin to move back to their old position.

A key benefit of using the retainer is that, the retainer allows your jaw that has softened while your teeth have moved to their new positions, to re-harden with the teeth held in place in the new positions.

You will need to wear this clear retainer also for the same 22 hours a day that you had to wear your aligners. This will be needed for about 6 months.

After this 6-month period, you would need to wear the retainer at night for another 6 months.

While your treatment is complete at this stage, we strongly recommend that you continue to wear the retainers few nights every week on an on going basis.

It is also important that you maintain a schedule for regular check-ups with your dentist for a period of 24 months from the time that your Invisalign treatment ends. Your dentist will be able to spot if there has been even a tiny movement backwards in your teeth, and can recommend an action plan.

 

10 facts to Know Before You Try Invisalign

It doesn’t matter whether you have crooked teeth, overbite, crowded teeth or a gap between your teeth. It’s important to understand a few things about Invisalign before you decide to get the treatment for yourself.

1. Yes, you actually do need to wear the Invisalign aligners

You do need to wear your aligners for between 20 and 22 hours every day. This means that you really have time to take these off for your mealtimes and maybe just a few minutes more. Be prepared that that this is a commitment that you need to make for Invisalign to really work for you.

2. You can’t see Invisalign, but people may be able to hear them when you speak

Invisalign , as the name suggests are really virtually invisible and no one can tell that you are wearing aligners until of course you tell them. It may then be possible to spot them in your mouth.

However, when you first begin wearing Invisalign aligners, you just might have a lisp or sometimes a bit of a mumble, when you speak. Don’t worry, this will go away as you get used to wearing your aligners.

3. Invisalign may not be the right treatment for everyone

It is true that Invisalign is able to treat most orthodontic issues, like crooked or crowded teeth, gaps between teeth, under bites or over bites that are not over very large. However, for cases that are complex and require much larger movement of teeth, it may be best to consider other Orthodontic treatments including metal braces. In some cases surgery maybe the best option. When you consult with our Dentist, we will be able to advise you on what is the best course of action to pursue.

To see if invisible aligners is the right treatment path for you, you can take the Invisalign’s Smile Assessment.

4. You will need to brush your teeth frequently

For Invisalign treatment to work well and for you not to develop cavities in your teeth during the time that you wear the aligners, its important that there remain no food residue around your teeth after meals or even after snacks.

This means that you will need to get used to the idea of brushing your teeth a minimum of 3 times a day, after your major meals and sometimes more often if you have snacked – then additionally right after the snack.

5. You will need to cut down on your consumption of tea or coffees or wine

Tea, Coffee or Wine will all stain your teeth. These will also stain your aligners. Besides which you will be required to remove your aligners before you have the cup of coffee or tea your glass of wine. And you will be required to brush your teeth after these beverages and before you put back your aligners.

This is going to be a jolt for your habit of drinking any of these beverages. You will need to cut down the number of times a day that you consume these beverages or be prepared to brush your teeth after every time that you consume this.

6. Your eating habits might get better

Because you need to brush your teeth after every snack, you will find that you actually cut down on mindless snacking during the day. Once you begin to say no to that 500 calorie afternoon cookie, or that slice of cake, you may suddenly discover that your eating habits are getting better. This can lead to some positive health benefits. However, those benefits will come in larger measure to the person who is more disciplined about their diet and snacking habits.

7. Invisalign does hurt a little but not a whole lot

Unlike metal braces that can feel quite painful when they are tightened by the dentist, wearing Invisalign is relatively painless. Yes, you will feel some discomfort when your teeth move as that is the whole objective of Invisalign but this discomfort will be minor.

8. Invisalign trays can look dirty if you don’t look after them

Just as teeth that are not brushed can look yellow and dirty, Invisalign trays that haven’t been cleaned with a mild detergent or soap can look yellowish – and that is not a pretty sight.

Remember not to clean your Invisalign trays with toothpaste. These need to be cleaned with a mild detergent or soap.

9. The treatment may take longer than your dentist originally thought

The average Invisalign treatment does take about 12 months. However, based on your habits of how long you wear your aligners each day, and how your teeth have responded to the movement needed to correct your condition, you might need a slightly longer treatment time or a bit of finishing time.

While disappointing, this may be necessary.

10. At the end its worth the trouble

At the time that you wear the aligners you may fret about the cake you couldn’t eat at a birthday, or missed that delicious pot sticker at your aunt’s house, you will find that at the end of your treatment that the final result would have been worth the bother!

You will have also acquired better oral care habits along the way. This benefit of better brushing and flossing, while secondary to the straightening of your teeth, may be a major gain from the treatment too.

Finally, you will have a much better smile from teeth that are much better aligned.

 

Why Choose Orion Dental for Invisalign Treatment?

• Dentists with expertise in Invisalign treatment
• Experienced dental office teams
• Individual custom planning of treatment
• Fast results
• Convenient locations for treatment with Invisalign Milton and Invisalign Toronto.
• Availability of payment options

How do I find out if Invisalign is for me?