What is Invisalign Treatment and How Does it Work?

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If you want to straighten your teeth without going through the pain of traditional metal braces, Invisalign treatments are the solution—this type of dental care uses an unconventional approach to fix your teeth alignment while staying virtually invisible efficiently.

Invisalign is well-known for using primarily hygienic clear aligners as orthodontic treatment. Plus, the SmartForce Technology that comes with Invisalign treatments allows the customisation of removable clear aligners that are unique to your teeth.

These virtually invisible plastic aligners will be placed over your teeth so they can gradually move and straighten your teeth alignment without causing too much interruption in your lifestyle. In fact, most people won’t even notice that you’re wearing such aligners.

Now, the Invisalign process is pretty simple:

Your dentist will perform a 3D scan of your teeth

Straightening strategies will be laid out based on your x-rays and scans

Start smiling with custom-made Invisalign clear aligners!

Typically, you’ll have to wear a series of aligners in 3 to 4 sets at a time which you will replace with two weeks interval until the desired outcome is achieved.

Today, we will talk about the things that you need to know before getting promising Invisalign treatments. So, feel free to bookmark this page in case you’re still trying to decide if the treatment is really for you.

Here Are the 10 Things You Need to Know Before Getting Invisalign Treatments

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You’ll feel little to no discomfort or pain

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Coloured food and drinks are not advisable

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Invisalign treatments are 2x faster than traditional metal braces

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You’ll have “button” attachments for your clear aligners

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IPR is neccessary if your teeth are too packed together

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In rare cases, regular braces may be needed

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Rubber bands may be used along with your aligners

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Several sets of clear aligners will be made for you

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You’ll still need retatiners after your Invisalign treatments

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You’ll sometimes feel your teeth loosening – that’s normal

The Invisalign process has revolutionised teeth alignment. Gone are the days when we have to tolerate metal brackets and wires on our teeth for months. With Invisalign Australia, all you need are clear plastic aligners to shift your teeth into a straighter position and achieve that good-looking smile.

And while you’re deciding if Invisalign treatments are right for you, let’s dig deeper into each one of the ten things you should know about these teeth straightening treatments, so you know what to expect.

Feel Little to No Discomfort or Pain – Put in 100% Commitment

Invisalign treatments have done away with the uncomfortable wires and brackets from traditional metal braces.

Instead, Invisalign lets you realign your teeth using removable clear aligners. But remember that you will need to wear these aligners for about 20 to 22 hours a day—your commitment is essential in getting efficient results.

Questions: what happens if you went out to dinner for a couple of hours and forgot to put your aligners back on?

Answer: you will need to make up for the lost time—if you lost two hours, then you will need to wear your clear aligners for an extra two hours for the rest of the day or the next day.

Coloured Food and Drinks Aren’t Friends With Your Clear Aligners

Foods and certain drinks cannot be taken while wearing your clear aligners because coloured liquids can sit in gaps between your teeth and the aligners—staining your teeth.

So, before eating or drinking heavily coloured drinks such as Coke, powdered juice, and coffee, you will need to take off your clear aligners.

Meanwhile, colourless and light-coloured liquids are suitable to consume with your aligners on.

You Can Save Half the Time From Your Invisalign Treatment by Chewing Munchies®

Most patients who want to get the teeth straightening treatments over and done with as quickly as possible.

The way you can do that with Invisalign treatments is by chewing on Munchies® for 10 to 20 seconds while wearing your clear aligners—do this three times a day.

Munchies® are made of soft silicone material; they help push your aligners around your teeth and push back on your ligaments, making the Invisalign process move faster.

And as you perform this little hack, you will find that you can change your clear aligners as early as seven days instead of the usual ten days

Expect Some Button Attachments For Your Clear Aligners

Interproximal Reduction (IPR) is necessary if your teeth are too crowded or packed too tightly together. So, IPR creates tiny spaces between your teeth by polishing minimal amounts of enamel on the areas in between—this creates room for your teeth to move around during alignment.

For IPRs, most dentists recommend a maximum reduction of 0.5 mm or a decrease of 0.25 mm enamel from each tooth. For instance, you have six teeth where 0.5 mm of enamel was removed, that means you gained 3 mm of space where crowded teeth can be aligned properly.

You May Need to Get Some IPR Done

Little button-like attachments will be added to your teeth to start your Invisalign treatments. These tiny attachments act like pot handles that aligners can grip onto as they move your teeth.

Once the treatment is done, your dentist will then remove the attachments from your teeth, leaving you with an attractive smile.

In Some Cases, You *Might* Need Regular Braces

Before they get any treatment on their teeth done, some people often ask “Is Invisalign right for me? Should I go for braces instead?” The right answer always depends on the severity of the case.

In moderate and straightforward cases, Invisalign treatments will suffice and will often give you better and faster results than traditional braces.

But more complicated cases will need proper evaluation before Invisalign treatment can be used. For instance, in cases where multiple teeth have been extracted, closing that gap with Invisalign might become too challenging, and it could probably leave you with less than stellar results.

So, such cases might require the more stern power and control afforded by traditional braces. It is best to consult your dentist/orthodontist so you can choose the best course of action to straighten your teeth.

You May Need to Wear Elastics

Elastics are rubber bands that are attached to the top and bottom of your teeth—they aid in the repositioning and realignment of your teeth and jaws.

Aside from the clear aligners, you may need to wear these elastics all the time, except of course when you remove your aligners while eating or cleaning your teeth.

You Will Wear Several Sets of Clear Aligners

Invisalign clear aligners are digitally designed to move your teeth in specific ways. However, there are cases where teeth don’t move as expected. In such cases, refinement is required to get your teeth to react the way you want it.
Once you finish a set of aligner trays, your teeth will be reevaluated and scanned using 3D scanners to get an accurate reading.

The scan results will be sent directly to Invisalign so they can create a new set of aligners to continue the Invisalign process of getting better alignment for your teeth.

Teeth Retainers Are Necessary After Invisalign Treatment

One interesting thing about our teeth is that the moment an applied force that caused movement is removed, memories in your ligaments tend to shift your teeth back to their original position. To prevent this from ever happening, you will need to apply a passive force to keep everything together. That is basically the job of retainers.

Teeth retainers are an essential part of treatment, whether for Invisalign or traditional braces. Different types of retainers have varying purposes which fit various needs. So, talk to your dentist/orthodontist about what type of retainer you will need as well as the amount of time you will need to wear one.

Your Teeth Might Feel Loose… and That’s Okay

While in the process of aligning your teeth with Invisalign treatments, your teeth might feel loose. This is quite common since your teeth are starting to move, which can often give you a feeling of “looseness”.

This movement in your teeth also opens up spaces where food might get stuck. When this happens, simply floss the food out or use interdental brushes, which are tiny brushes that fit in between teeth. These are handy tools you can use to clean everything out easily.

Final Say

Invisalign treatments are an essential innovation in dental care, especially in teeth alignment. The removable clear aligners often work incredibly than traditional metal braces. However, regular braces might still be used in some rare cases.

Anyway, it is best to consult an experienced Invisalign dentist to make sure you get the best option for straightening your teeth and achieving that most attractive smile!

 

Services we mentioned:

Great experience! First time at Oralux Dental and they took very good care of me. Basha was very gentle and very informative of dental health. I especially liked communicating through sms as they were very responsive. Thanks again

Justine Nolan

 

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Great experience! First time at Oralux Dental and they took very good care of me. Basha was very gentle and very informative of dental health. I especially liked communicating through sms as they were very responsive. Thanks again

Justine Nolan

 

I had my first visit here for a cleaning along with my two little boys, and it was a great experience. Very clean and professional. Barsha was great with the kids even though it was the little one’s first time. Looking forward to our next check-up! (Well maybe not “looking forward” to going to the dentist, but not dreading it at least…)

Ryan Yuzon

 

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