Invisalign
How Invisalign Works
Invisalign is made from a highly elastic material to form plastic trays. Each tray is designed to fit snugly against your teeth and apply gentle but constant pressure, so teeth gradually move into the proper positions. Here are the basics:
- Consultation: You meet with your dentist for an exam and 3D imaging to determine if you are a good candidate for Invisalign
- Planning: Your Bethesda Invisalign provider develops your entire alignment plan from start to finish.
- Collect trays: Trays are ordered and, when they arrive, you are provided with several weeks’ worth of trays at each dental visit (which occurs every six to eight weeks for a progress check and to collect more trays).
- Treatment: Each set of trays is worn for about two weeks and moves a few teeth at a time before being switched out for the next trays. This process continues until all trays are completed and your smile is in complete alignment.
Daily Life with Invisalign
Braces of any sort are an obligation and responsibility. Invisalign has a clear set of rules that must be followed to make the treatment effective and to allow you to complete it in the designated time frame. The good news is that what you must do is simple and if you’re consistent and dedicated to the process, your smile will be straighter in no time.
Here is what daily life is like with Invisalign:
- Wear time: The trays must be worn 20 to 22 hours a day at a minimum. This might feel excessive, but if you had brackets on your teeth, they’d be on there around the clock, so enjoy the few hours of breaks you get for meals and cleanings.
- Mealtime: Aligners must be removed for every meal so the trays do not get broken or become stained. You also want to avoid getting food particles and bacteria stuck in between the teeth and trays and potentially causing tooth decay.
- Cleanings: You want to clean your Invisalign aligners morning and night, just like you brush and floss your teeth, but it’s also important to clean the trays and your teeth after every meal and before you join the aligners and your teeth back together again.
Most Invisalign treatment lasts about one year, but some people will need to wear the trays longer or might only require several months of treatment depending on the complexity of their misalignment.
Fast Facts About Invisalign
You will learn more and more about Invisalign with every conversation with your Bethesda dentist, but here are some of the most essential components to know:
- Enjoy the freedom: Patients have no food restrictions. Eat what you want, when you want – just remove your trays first.
- The most discreet method: Go about job, work, school, and play with trays that are clear, thin, and nearly impossible to see.
- Attachments may be necessary: When trays need to exert more force in a particular area, small composite attachments are temporarily placed on your teeth to anchor the trays.
- Get ready for your retainer: Every orthodontic treatment ends with a retainer to keep newly shifted teeth in place and Invisalign is no different.
Are You a Good Candidate for Invisalign?
Invisalign can correct overbites, underbites, cross bites, gapped teeth, and crowding, just like metal braces. The best part is, the treatment is barely noticeable. Find out if this alignment option can work for you. Schedule a consultation with one of our dentists and certified Invisalign providers at Bethesda Family Dentistry serving Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Derwood, Gaithersburg, Kensington, Mclean, North Bethesda, Potomac, Silver Spring, Rockville MD and Washington DC..
