Considering clear aligners to enhance your smile? Invisalign utilizes a sequenced series of BPA-free plastic trays to gradually shift teeth into more optimal alignment. Each tray applies light forces to teeth to inch them toward desired positions gently. Unlike conspicuous metal wires, Invisalign offers an inconspicuous teeth straightening approach with amazing results when worn properly.
Curious about what the process entails before committing to treatment? Here’s an overview of key steps from the initial impression to the last tray to demystify what achieving a healthier smile via Invisalign involves.
Initial Consultation Appointment
- The journey begins with an introductory appointment where your dentist will:
- Analyze the current state of your smile, including crowding, gaps or bite issues to treat
- Take digital impressions of your teeth to plan out custom-fit aligner trays
- Discuss what you hope to achieve through treatment
- Explain estimated treatment length and costs based on your case complexity
- This visit determines your candidacy and allows for clear communication about the process ahead so you can make an informed decision.
Receiving Your Aligners
Once approving the custom treatment plan outlining the movements of each tooth across stages, the initial set of aligners are ordered from the lab. About 4-8 weeks later, the first trays arrive and treatment kicks off.
At insertion appointments, the doctor ensures proper fit, and bite and offers use instructions to get the best results during wear. Expect:
- Attachments placed – Tiny tooth-colored bumps on select teeth that add friction so aligners “grab onto” and shift teeth effectively.
- IPR performed – Interproximal reduction entails gently contouring overlapping edges of teeth allowing aligners to settle flush.
- New aligner every 2 weeks – The frequency of tray changeouts enables incremental motions.
With custom-made aligners in hand, it’s time to start gradually improving smiles!
Switching Aligners Out
Replacing worn aligners with new trays every 10-14 days advances progress in gentle increments to avoid overstressing structures. Each tray incrementally repositions multiple teeth simultaneously.
During each aligner changeout appointment, your orthodontist checks tracking is on schedule, attachments remain intact and teeth are tolerating forces well. Additional impressions or scans may be needed periodically to order revised trays if necessary.
As you move through sequences of trays, notice your smile transforming step by step. Crooked teeth begin sliding into alignment and your confidence grows seeing the developments unfold!
Final Teeth Straightening Touches
To put the finishing touches on treatment and ensure straightened positioning holds, dentists often prescribe:
- Overcorrection trays – About the last 2-3 trays exert extra repositioning pressure on still wayward teeth.
- Refinement trays – After initial sets are complete and teeth are nearly ideal, refinement aligners target final nuances.
- Retainers – Similar to the last Invisalign tray or wire devices keep finished corrections stabilized long term once aligners cease.
With retainers and a few final trays, smiles look fabulous from every angle – wider, brighter, and straighter at last!
Additional Dental Work
Some cases benefit from supplemental procedures in conjunction with Invisalign for maximizing outcomes:
- Tooth removal – Pulling singular problematic teeth makes space for proper alignment.
- Composite bonding – Tooth-colored material reshapes uneven edges or fills gaps left by missing teeth.
- Teeth whitening – Lightens enamel for extra smile-enhancing effects after straightening.
Performing complementary dental work transforms smiles further by tackling complicating factors.
Post-Treatment Checkups
Maintenance appointments commence once active orthodontic treatment concludes. Every 6 months, recheck progress and detect potential minor regression during the retention phase of sustaining straightened smiles. Your doctor determines when retention can cease once confident smiles achieved will remain naturally stable long term.
Proper Invisalign
Wear Invisalign only works if worn properly for 20-22 hours per day outside of eating times. Always keep aligners in while drinking anything other than water. Improper compliance wearing aligners infrequently or disregarding orthodontist instructions risks needing refinements or restarts completely compromising efficiency hence treatment duration and success.
Invisalign-Friendly Snacks
Choose softer foods easily chewed without aligners in place. Items like yogurt, cottage cheese, softened veggies and fruits with peels, smoothies, protein shakes, eggs, well-cooked tender pasta or grains minimize necessary wear break durations for optimal continual aligner contact time essential progressing teeth movements each successive set.
Avoid Staining Foods/Drinks
Curtail darkly pigmented beverages like coffee, tea, wine, soda, berries, tomato sauces, and curries are notorious for tenaciously adhering to appliance smooth glossy surfaces appearing ever more noticeable as they accumulate sans diligent daily scrubbing risks wearing down plastic durability over time. Rinse aligners after swishing water following any consumption of notoriously staining fare.
Invisalign Support Network
Seeking peer support bolsters Invisalign success sharing struggles and simple solutions more easily discovered collectively rather than alone. Comparing notes, aligner tips and experience discovered wisdom from fellow aligners wearers smooths an otherwise largely personally isolated treatment journey traveled seeing others rarely undergoing simultaneously similar particular challenges assurance brings better compliance and outcomes.
Hope these extra Invisalign alignment and lifestyle compliance suggestions further equip patients on the clearest path towards confidently realizing ultimate smile destination goals through collaborative doctor-patient journeys maintained responsibly with each small step together. Let your orthodontist know other questions arising during treatmentAnytime as we’re here supporting your fantastic smile transformation process fully!
The Streamlined Route to Healthier Smiles
Rather than embracing a mouth filled with unsightly metal for over two years, Invisalign allows straightening smiles in expertly planned phases – subtly and comparatively rapidly. The Pay-off? Enviable grins with carefully guided movements via SW19 Confidental Dental Clinic, Wimbledon Dentist innovative clear tray technology. From first impressions to overcorrection trays and beyond, each calculated step leads closer to the spectacular final reveal. Call our Invisalign dentists in Wimbledon, London today!