Invisalign is a revolutionary dental treatment that allows you to get the straight teeth of your dreams without braces. In this article, we'll show you just how the Invisalign process works from start to finish so that you can better understand what it entails and be more comfortable with your decision.
The first step of your dental treatment is to schedule a consultation with an Invisalign provider. During this appointment, you'll meet the doctor and dental team that will be providing your care throughout the process. Search online for "invisalign dentist near me" to know the available options and ensure that you choose the closest Invisalign dentist best suited for you.
Dentists discuss your medical history and past dental treatments such as fillings or root canals to determine whether you're a good candidate for Invisalign.
If they decide that you are, then they will go over all of the details about what's involved during each stage of treatment. This will help to ensure that there aren't any surprises along the way. You also get to set up your custom trays, which means we make them specifically for you.
Some fine-tuning may be needed after these initial impressions before we send them off to the lab, but you can wear them home and start your transformation. During the consultation, you'll also get a tour of our office so that you feel comfortable coming back for each appointment.
The first step in the treatment is creating 3D computer models that map out how teeth will look after treatment. After this, a series of custom trays are created using these models sent to your dentist's office, where they create impressions to make your aligners. They send these molds of your teeth to an Invisalign lab so they can be designed specifically for you and fit perfectly every time. Your doctor or orthodontist may adjust some tiny details on these impressions before sending them to our dental laboratory.
Still, as long as everything looks good initially, then it's all smooth sailing from here on out--no additional modifications needed. This is especially helpful if excessive force is used during impression-taking since this won't impact how well the final product fits. After creating these trays, the only thing left is waiting until they come back in a few days.
During the next visit, you'll be given your custom trays so that you can start wearing them immediately. You will wear these for 22 hours a day except when eating or brushing and flossing. The first two weeks are considered active treatment where we're seeing how everything fits together in real life. This is also when you'll begin to see some visible changes as your teeth shift into their new positions with every adjustment made by our orthodontist. If any additional fine-tuning needs to happen after the initial impressions were taken, then it's done at this time.
You will start wearing your first set of aligners. They should be worn for around twenty-two hours per day, except when eating or drinking. You must wear them as directed so they can do their job properly. Aligners are replaced with a new set every two weeks until the desired position is achieved. Depending on your specific treatment plan, it will take approximately nine to eighteen months for your teeth to straighten completely.
Every two weeks is an appointment where we'll check on how your treatment is progressing and make any necessary adjustments to your custom trays. These appointments typically last around 15-20 minutes, but the total time spent in our office for each visit will be no more than 30 minutes since you're not getting any additional work done during these visits and can get back to your day. All of this hard work has been worth it, though, because by now, people may begin noticing a difference in how straight your teeth look. The appointments are worth it.
The final step of your Invisalign treatment is a retainer. This is to make sure that your teeth don't relapse back into their old positions and maintain the beautiful smile you've worked so hard for. You'll wear this for as long as our dental team recommends, but typically it's around 12-18 months. It's important to remember that even after completing your Invisalign treatment, you should continue seeing us every six months for a regular check-up to ensure everything is still on track.
The Invisalign treatment helps to restore back your smile and improve it. It is important to ensure that you understand the process involved in Invisalign treatment to ensure that you get the best out of it.
