How Does Invisalign Work?

If you’re asking this question, you’ve probably heard that Invisalign is the “invisible” alternative to braces, but just how does that work? It all begins at your first Invisalign consultation. Your dentist will have discussed your teeth straightening options, and you’ve thought it over.

You’ve chosen Invisalign because it doesn’t just sound like something that won’t affect the way you look, it also sounds so convenient. After all, although you need to wear Invisalign aligners most of the time, you can remove them when eating or brushing your teeth.

You decide that these clear aligners are just the thing you need to perfect your smile without the embarrassment and difficulty when eating food or brushing your teeth. And so, the treatment process begins.

Scoping Out Your Smile

Using a scanner or by taking impressions, your dentist determines the exact shape and alignment of your teeth as they currently are. He or she will show you how your teeth will move into place over time when using Invisalign, helping you to visualize the final result.

The fun part of this step is that your dentist can show you a 3-D simulation – watching how your teeth will move into place makes you feel confident about the process, and you can see exactly what to expect once the teeth straightening process is complete.

Now you’re feeling motivated and you can’t wait to start. Twisted teeth will straighten; ugly gaps will close up; crowded teeth will settle into a more comfortable spacing.

You Get Your First Set or Sets of Aligners

Using the information gathered from scanning or taking impressions of your teeth, your first sets of aligners are made. The clear material they’re made of means that hardly anyone will even spot them, and they fit perfectly onto your teeth, applying gentle pressure to the ones that need to move.

But precisely because Invisalign is so gentle, you will need to use a slightly different aligner after a week or so – your dentist will provide these aligners too along with instructions on when to switch over to the new set.

Checking Progress

The way your teeth will realign is relatively predictable, but your dentist still needs to make sure that everything is going according to plan. After receiving your aligners, you will probably need to book another appointment in about six weeks’ time.

Your dentist will then make sure that everything is going according to plan, and based on your progress, the next sets of aligners will be made for you.

Repeat and Complete the Course

How many aligners you go through will depend on a lot of factors including just how much your teeth need to move. But it’s not a shot in the dark. Your dentist will have explained how long the treatment will take and how much it will cost (less than you may think) before you even started.

As the tiny differences each set of aligners makes become more apparent, you’ll be getting more and more excited. At last, you wear the final set of aligners – and you’re smiling with confidence! How easy is that?

Choose an Invisalign Trained Dentist

Because Invisalign is such a unique teeth straightening option, dentists need to attend specialized training to offer the service. That means you’ll visit not just any dentist, but an Invisalign-trained dentist. And in case you hadn’t guessed it yet, we are trained and experienced in helping our patients to achieve straight teeth using Invisalign!

Call us to make an appointment and discover the breakthrough that is helping teens and adults achieve the straight teeth that not only improve their looks, but that also has health benefits they (and you) can’t ignore.