Invisalign® is a low-profile way to adjust the position of your teeth without needing to wear noticeable brackets in your mouth. The trays are simple to use and gradually shift the teeth over time to improve oral health and the aesthetics of your smile. The Invisalign process only takes a few steps from start to finish, so you can focus more on improving your smile than dealing with the hassle of braces.
Using Invisalign is simple, but it works best for those who can stay consistent with their oral routine over time.
The first step in the Invisalign journey is to get scanned by a dentist. Using a 3D modeling system, the dentist can see the current locations and orientations of all the patient's teeth. From there, they can use technology to create a final goal for the dentition and map out a gradual plan to get there by shifting the teeth slowly.
Once the scan is complete and the treatment plan is made, the dentist will send the information to a fabricator to create the aligners. The patient will return to the office to pick up their first set of aligners as soon as they are ready, which usually only takes a few weeks.
Patients can begin wearing their aligners immediately. They should not be taken out except when eating, drinking anything other than water, or brushing and flossing. Essentially, aligners should be worn for between 20 and 22 hours each day. Otherwise, they will not have enough time to gently exert pressure on the teeth to move them.
The aligners may be slightly uncomfortable for the first day or two. This is normal, and it means they are working to push the teeth into their new positions.
Once the planned time has passed (usually about two weeks), the patient returns to the office to pick up a new set of aligner trays. They replace their old aligners with these new ones, which will continue to move the teeth. Repeating this act every few weeks is required for the duration of the Invisalign treatment.
The process of continually swapping aligners is why patients must wear their trays for most of the day. If they do not, their teeth will not be in the right positions for the next aligners to take over, and a new series of trays may need to be created.
If a patient notices at any point that an aligner set is causing pain due to rubbing or coarse edges, they should let their dentist know. The dentist can file down these troublesome areas to improve the comfort of the trays.
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Invisalign in Andover, MA
Your smile is an important part of your self-esteem, and being able to smile freely during tooth alignment treatment is a bonus for many people. If you want to explore your options for using Invisalign trays to adjust the positions of your teeth, contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Request an appointment or call Bagnall Family Dentistry at 978-475-3997 for an appointment in our Andover office.
.bagnall-blog Quick answer Business trips barely change your aligner routine. Wear your trays 24 hours a day, keep them in while eating and drinking almost everything, and remove them only to brush and floss your teeth and clean the trays. 24/7 Recommended daily tray wear A few days Typical speech adjustment time Fewer visits Office…
.bagnall-blog Quick answer If your Invisalign fits differently today, the most common reasons are that your teeth moved as intended, or the trays were left out too long and your teeth shifted slightly. A snug or tight feeling early in each tray cycle is normal, but a tray that will not seat at all warrants…
.bagnall-blog Quick answer Invisalign may cause a slight, temporary lisp during the first few days that can briefly reduce voice-recognition accuracy. Still, most speakers adapt within about a week, and both their pronunciation and the software normalize. 1 week Typical speech adjustment window s, sh, th Sounds affected first 24 hrs/day Recommended wear time Fewer…