If you want to straighten crooked teeth, your dentist might suggest Invisalign. This take-home treatment allows you to fix minor alignment concerns in your smile by wearing custom-made plastic aligners.
These oral appliances can help you achieve your smile aesthetic goals when worn at least 22 hours each day. The results may be gradual, but you can see great improvement in your smile when you wear Invisalign as instructed.
You can feel more confident in this treatment when you know how your dentist constructs these aligners. Read on to learn about the process behind teeth straightening treatment from your dentist with Invisalign.
Taking Impressions of Your Smile
Your dentist first looks at your smile during a consult to decide if Invisalign will provide the best option for straightening your teeth. If so, then the dentist will then take an impression of your smile.
The dentist will either do this with a physical mold or with digital image scanning technology. Either way, your dentist can capture a precise image of your unique smile. The dentist can use this impression to create a personalized treatment plan using Invisalign.
Developing Personalized Smile Design
Your dentist approaches smile design strategy on an individualized basis for each patient. They will look at the existing structure of the patient’s smile as well as their desired results and medical history when forming this treatment plan.
Many factors can contribute to the success of Invisalign treatment. Your dentist has the expertise to know how each of them will impact the process. Then they can fine-tune the treatment and construction of the aligners as needed.
Your dentist will maintain open communication with you during this step of the process as well as the rest of your treatment. They can also give you a good idea of the final look you can expect so that you can feel confident in your treatment plan.
Constructing Custom Aligners
Using the smile impressions and dental plan, your dentist can build aligners that will give you the best results. They are made from durable plastic that will appear translucent while still giving effective alignment adjustments to the patient.
The custom-made aligners ensure a comfortable yet secure fit along with the ideal final results. This way, patients can feel assured that they will not slip out of place at inopportune moments.
The patient will receive all of the required sets of aligners at once from their dentist. They will get enough sets to swap them out every two weeks. The length of the treatment and therefore the number of aligners will vary for each patient based on their unique treatment plan.
Your dentist can provide you with aftercare guidelines to make sure your Invisalign continues to look and feel its best as you gradually straighten your teeth. If it appears warped or ill-fitting, let your dentist know. You will likely visit your dentist for routine check-ups during the course of this treatment too.