Invisalign straightens teeth, but not only that, it does it quickly and is almost invisible which is what makes it the most sought after orthodontic treatment available at the Cosmetic and Dental Implant Clinic Stockton. It is most commonly used by adults who need to keep their orthodontic procedures discreet in professional environments, however active individuals who partake in sports can also benefit from this treatment as there is little to no risk of it injuring the soft tissue in the mouth during play and it is also removable so that custom gum guards can be worn too.
How does Invisalign work?
The process from start to finish can take anywhere up to about 9 months with most cases being complete in 6 months for adults. Invisalign uses revolutionary new technology to create custom clear aligners that gently push the teeth into place. The process is said to be much gentler than the experience those with traditional metal braces have had and it is also a lot more forgiving on the soft tissue in the mouth like the cheeks, lips, and tongue.
How are custom aligners created?
Patients who want to get their teeth straightened with Invisalign are to first have a consultation appointment with their dentist where they discuss their smile goals in detail, at this appointment the dentist will take a series of detailed photographs and X Rays of the teeth in order to document the start of the process for the lab. Then they will take a scan of the mouth which is completely painless and the scan will generate a 3D image of the teeth on a computer. The computer will then use this image to simulate what the teeth are expected to look like after treatment and also indicate how long treatment is expected to take for each individual case.
All this information and data which is collected here is then sent off to the Invisalign lab where the clear aligners are 3D printed to fit the patient’s teeth exactly. The first aligner is created to fit the teeth with the smallest changes in order to affect the teeth and begin to shift them. Then each aligner thereafter will change in small amounts to keep pushing the newly positioned teeth into the right place. Each patient will receive their full set of aligners ahead of time so that they don’t have to keep going into the dentist to change them, this makes the treatment one of the more convenient ones out there.
More about the aligners
Each clear aligner is invisible and completely removable which means that they will not be noticed when worn and they can be removed for eating and cleaning. This means that patients don’t have to change their lifestyle or food choices at all and can continue to clean their teeth without any changes or hindrance in their routines.
After treatment
While the aligners need to be worn for 22 hours a day in order to affect change, the teeth will need to be kept in place with a clear retainer which is often worn at night in order to hold their new shape as teeth always want to shift back to their original positions. These retainers are part of the full invisalign package.