What was the worst thing about old-school orthodontics? The fact that you had to wear train tracks on your teeth? Or that everyone knew you were wearing train tracks on your teeth. Quite apart from the discomfort of traditional wire and metal braces and the many lengthy follow-up dental appointments, the stigma that went along with it was among the worst parts.
Invisalign has developed a sleek and sophisticated system for straightening crooked teeth and correcting spacing issues using clear, discreet, and removable thermoplastic aligners. Invisalign can straighten your teeth in the same time as traditional braces — or faster — using retainer-like sleeves that fit over your teeth but that you can remove to eat, brush and floss. And the very best part?
According to many patients we’ve supported with Invisalign in Edmonton, the best part of Invisalign is that the entire process is practically invisible. Many will not know you’re straightening your teeth unless you tell them. Invisalign has eliminated the stigma of braces.
Invisalign is not the perfect solution for every patient, but it has helped hundreds of thousands of mature teens, young adults, and older adults to achieve their goals of straighter teeth quickly and discreetly finally. The Invisalign process is advanced and sophisticated and breaks down into six steps.
1. Assessment
Invisalign in Edmonton starts with evaluating your teeth to determine if Invisalign is a good option for achieving your goals. If there are better options for what you want to achieve, our dentist will tell you that…
2. Developing Your Treatment Plan
Invisalign’s 3D imaging system will scan your mouth and make impressions of your teeth. Our dentist will send all that data to Invisalign to build a set of aligners — not one, but a series of aligners — to gradually and sequentially shift your teeth to their preferred locations.
3. Eager Anticipation
Producing your aligners and getting them back to our dentist usually takes approximately one month.
4. Wearing the Aligners
You will wear each aligner for two weeks before switching to the next one — the order is important. Occasionally, you’ll attend the dentist’s office to ensure your progress. You’ll wear your aligners for 20 to 22 hours daily, taking them out to floss, brush, and eat. Tempting as it may be to leave your aligners out longer, you can maintain your progress and prevent stretching out your treatment plan by wearing the aligners for at least 22 hours daily.
5. Refinements as Required
After you’ve worn the last aligner for the designated period, our dentist will compare your teeth’s new position to their original position and the projected final result. If further refinement is required to finish transforming your smile, our dentist will requisition refinement trays from Invisalign, which will take some time to arrive.
6. Consolidating Your Gains
Once you’ve completed your series of aligners and any refinement trays, you’ll need to wear a retainer while sleeping to preserve your newly shaped smile. Our dentist in West Edmonton will recommend that you wear that retainer several nights a week for the rest of your life. Doing so will combat the natural tendency of your teeth to shift position and preserve the work you put into your Invisalign treatment.
If you’re tired of crooked or oddly shaped teeth and looking for a discreet option to change them, Invisalign may be the answer. Contact our dentist in Edmonton and request an assessment appointment to see if Invisalign is right for you.