Invisalign is a common choice for teens and adults who want an aligned smile without the noticeable appearance of braces. These see-through aligners subtly correct misalignments, crafting a radiant, healthy smile that you can proudly show off.
Generally, the Invisalign journey lasts from 8 months to 1.5 years. This time frame depends on the severity of the misalignment and how strictly the Invisalign user adheres to the treatment plan and guidelines.
Why Align Your Teeth?
Having straight teeth not only enhances your smile, but also promotes oral health. This facilitates easy teeth cleaning and guarantees proper alignment, which means that your bite is balanced and that there's no unnecessary pressure that could lead to tooth damage or gum recession. Moreover, straight teeth boost gum health and ensure the right bite alignment, helping you prevent tooth wear.
What Is Invisalign?
Invisalign is designed to correct a variety of dental issues by straightening your teeth. Via a series of clear aligners, Invisalign progressively shifts your teeth into straighter, better-aligned positions.
What Makes Invisalign Different From Regular Braces?
Invisalign and traditional braces both offer efficient solutions in the field of orthodontic care, but there are important distinctions between the two treatments. These include:
- Look and Feel: One of the main attractions of Invisalign is the subtle and unobtrusive treatment experience it offers. Invisalign is relatively discrete.
- Ease of Use: Unlike braces, Invisalign aligners can be taken out when eating, eliminating the need to avoid certain food or beverages.
- Oral Health Management: As they require regular cleaning and get replaced every week or two, maintaining oral hygiene with Invisalign is generally simpler than with braces, which require meticulous cleaning around brackets and wires.
- Dental Office Visits: Traditional braces typically mean regular monthly dental visits. However, with Invisalign, a virtual care app allows for progress to be monitored remotely, reducing the need for frequent in-person appointments.
- Expense: The cost of both treatments can differ based on your individual treatment plan, so it's recommended that you consult with your dentist to discuss tailored treatment options.
The Invisalign Timeline
Your journey with Invisalign kicks off with a chat about your aspirations for your smile. Your dentist will evaluate your teeth alignment, bite, and any potential aesthetic issues that you might have.
They’ll then devise a treatment strategy by using software to construct a three-dimensional representation of your entire oral cavity. Custom aligners will be designed based on the current shape and alignment of your teeth.
Once you start the active phase of your treatment, you'll start to wear your personalized aligners. These aligners will be switched out every 1 to 2 weeks.
For optimal results, make sure to adhere to all treatment requirements and guidelines. Aim to have your aligners on for 20 to 22 hours daily, and only consider taking them off when:
- Eating or drinking
- Brushing and flossing your teeth
- Cleaning the aligners themselves
Your dental situation may present certain challenges in shifting some teeth as compared to others. As a result, additional custom aligners might be necessary to perfect certain adjustments.
Following the completion of your treatment, your journey will progress to the usage of a retainer, ensuring your adjustments are sustained.
Elements Impacting the Duration of Your Invisalign Treatment
Depending on a variety of conditions, your journey to an Invisalign smile could extend beyond one year. Several elements contribute to the duration of the process, including:
- The complexity of your dental issues, whether that includes severe crooked teeth, improper bite, or crowded teeth
- Adherence to the aligner wearing regimen, which recommends usage for 20 to 22 hours daily and timely changes to new aligners
- The age of the wearer
- The degree of fit of the aligners
Guidelines to Maintain Your Invisalign Schedule
Adherence to your treatment schedule will make the process quicker. Here are some suggestions to help you stay on course:
- Maintain good dental hygiene to prevent additional complications.
- Utilize your aligners for the suggested duration.
- Swap out your aligners on schedule.
- Remember to upload photos via your virtual care application.
- Schedule regular dentist appointments..
- Preserve your aligners by frequently washing and rinsing them, and remember to remove them prior to eating or drinking to prevent potential damage.
What Happens Once I've Finished with Invisalign?
Upon reaching the end of your Invisalign journey, your dental professional will supply you with a set of retainers. These are specifically designed to stop your teeth from shifting back to their old positions. A precise scan of your new, straight smile will serve as the blueprint for these retainers, ensuring a perfect fit and stabilized bite.
Achieve Your Smile Goals
Straightening your smile might be more accessible than you think with Invisalign clear aligners. Get in touch with Dentistes REMA for an Invisalign consultation or to gather more information today!