There are several problems with crooked teeth. They can detract from your appearance. They can undermine your confidence and self-esteem. Crooked teeth can contribute to or worsen headaches. You’ll experience more jaw and mouth soreness and pain, and may even be more prone to unhealthy gums. As if those problems weren’t serious enough, crooked teeth can even make it more likely that you’ll snore. If you’re looking for a way to avoid, minimize or eliminate those issues, ask your dentist whether you’re a good candidate for Invisalign. Here’s an outline of the steps in a typical Invisalign treatment plan to help understand what to expect.
First Step — An initial consultation
This consultation step consists of a conversation and some investigations. The goal of the conversation will be to answer all your questions and to explain what to expect during treatment with Invisalign’s clear aligners near you. The investigation stage of the consultation is when we gather all the information needed to confirm you’re a good candidate for Invisalign and to develop a treatment plan. Your dentist in Kendall will capture images of your teeth to help us understand your current condition and to simulate your progress. They’ll also take digital impressions of your teeth that will be provided to Invisalign’s laboratory electronically.
Second Step — Crafting your aligners
The image scans and digital impressions taken at our first appointment will be sent to Invisalign where technicians will prepare a draft treatment plan for your dentist to review. Before any aligners are manufactured, the dentist will review that treatment plan and make any modifications deemed appropriate based on your needs and goals. Once any modifications have been made, the dentist will authorize Invisalign’s professional technicians to make your set of aligners. Approximately three weeks later, that set of aligners will be sent to your dentist.
Third Step — Getting you ready
The third step is an appointment with a dentist near you once your aligners are in hand. The appointment will end with you walking out the door with your first aligners, but there are a couple of other preparatory steps that need to be taken. First, many Invisalign treatment plans require the placement of attachment buttons on your teeth. Your aligners will connect to those buttons to attach to your teeth tighter and to produce pressure where required to achieve your goals.
In rare cases, the second step taken at this stage is Interproximal Reduction. That rather intimidating phrase simply describes the process of gently and painlessly sanding the sides of your teeth to make sure your aligners will fit smoothly and comfortably between them.
Fourth Step — Twenty-two hours a day and one day at a time
This is probably the part you’re anticipating the most when you imagine Invisalign treatment with a dentist near you — wearing your aligners. Your treatment plan will be based on wearing your aligners for 22 hours daily and removing them only to eat, drink anything other than cool water, brush and floss. Every couple of weeks or so, you’ll switch to the next aligner in sequence. Every few weeks, you’ll return to your dentist in Kendall for a follow-up appointment to confirm all is going as expected.
Fifth Step — Finishing up
Once you’ve completed your treatment plan, your dentist will review the position of your teeth. In some cases, your dentist will recommend some refinements and, if necessary, will requisition refiner trays from Invisalign. If not, or once the refinements are completed, your dentist will remove your attachment and recommend that you wear a retainer at night on an ongoing basis. Wearing a retainer will prevent your teeth from shifting out of their new positions. After all, you’ve worked hard for your new smile and will want to keep it.
If you have questions that haven’t been addressed here, get in touch with a dentist near you to get all the information you need to decide if Invisalign treatment may be right for you.
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