How Does Invisalign Work? Warren & Southgate MI If you have a bite misalignment or crooked and overcrowded teeth, the first thing you may think about is wearing braces for your orthodontic treatment. Before you visit us at one of our orthodontic offices in the Warren & Southgate areas of Detroit, you might have done some preliminary research and established that you may need to get metal braces. Traditional wire braces are a great solution, but they come with their fair share of disadvantages, such as decalcification, restrictions to eating certain foods, and future adjustments. However, there is an alternative solution that can straighten teeth without wearing metal braces, and that is Invisalign. At All About Orthodontics, we provide Invisalign clear aligners to help patients elevate their smile by straightening teeth discreetly. No metal, no wires. What Are Invisalign Clear Aligners?Invisalign aligners are revolutionary tooth straightening appliances that utilize clear aligners to shift teeth gently to a new position. Invisalign is a patented clear aligners system. A patient uses removable, almost invisible trays to slowly shift teeth over several months until the desired results are achieved. The nearly invisible nature of Invisalign and the comfortable feel in the mouth are two things that have made the system so popular in the past 10 to 15 years. How Invisalign Differs from Traditional BracesFirst, Invisalign employs clear aligners to push teeth to desired aligned positions, while traditional braces utilize wires and metal brackets. Regular braces are obviously visible, but Invisalign works unnoticeably because the aligners are clear. Additionally, Invisalign is comfortable and convenient to wear, while traditional braces are affixed to the teeth until the treatment is complete. With Invisalign, there is no need to fret about the gums and cheeks getting hurt or irritated by wires since the aligners are crafted from a smooth yet strong plastic material. On the other hand, traditional braces tend to cause irritation to the gum tissue and the cheeks. There are no diet restrictions with Invisalign because you remove them while eating. Invisalign has little to no impact on your lifestyle. You can eat all of your favorite foods while undergoing your orthodontic treatment. It is important that you keep up with your daily dental hygiene routine. After eating, make sure you give your teeth a good, gentle brush and floss before putting on your aligners again. For regular braces, there are certain foods you want to avoid, like hard, crunchy, and extremely chewy foods like nuts, meat, hard candy, lollipops, and bubble gum. This is not the case with Invisalign. The Invisalign ProcessSeveral steps are involved in Invisalign treatment from the start to the finish. Initially, an exam is performed, your treatment plan is mapped out, and the aligner trays are fabricated. You then follow the teeth straightening plan up to the end. Initial Consultation and ExaminationDuring the consultation and examination, imaging solutions are obtained, including digital x-rays, 3D scans, and photographs. The details help establish the nature of the misalignment and whether Invisalign can resolve the issue. Certain misalignment or bite malocclusion issues might not be resolved with Invisalign. In such cases, our orthodontists may suggest traditional braces. In the consultation phase, our orthodontists will see whether you might have any prevailing dental issues that have to be addressed. Dental cavities, gum disease, or things like toothaches are treated before commencing the treatment. Customized Treatment PlanFrom the same details obtained in the consultation and examination phase, the trays are fabricated. The imaging solutions aid with the mapping of your treatment and the fabrication of the custom-fitting aligners. From start to finish, you can watch how the teeth will be shifting over time. Our Invisalign orthodontist will explain and showcase these details on a screen to show what the results will be. Fitting Your First Set of AlignersOnce the trays are ready, our orthodontists will fit the first ones to see that they are secured properly over the teeth. After the first fitting, we will provide you with guidelines on how you will be using the other trays. You will not need to come in every time you want to switch to the next set of aligners. Progression and Transition to New AlignersYou will wear the aligners daily for no less than 20 hours. If possible, wear them for 22 hours each day so that effective results can be achieved. Regular visits, as per the instructions, will help you establish when you will need a new set of aligners. Typically, you will need to switch to new aligners every two weeks. Sometimes, the orthodontist, after evaluation of the progress of the treatment, will alter the timeline for changing to new aligners. Monitoring Your TreatmentDuring the time you are going through the treatment, you will need to make scheduled visits to one of our orthodontists to monitor the progress of your treatment. We may advise you to come every four to six weeks to get checked. Here, we look at the trays, the shifting of your teeth, and whether the aligners are doing their job as projected in the treatment plan. We will let you know if new aligners are needed or if you should continue with the present ones. Different people have different dental profiles and other nuances that would not give a definite timeline for the effectiveness of Invisalign. However, on average, it takes between six to 18 months to see results. This period is affected by the number of aligners you will wear within that period. The duration also depends on the type of misalignment to be treated. It takes three to six months to correct mild cases of overcrowded teeth, 18 to 24 months for overbites, and at least 18 months to fix gaps between teeth. Invisalign is Available at Your Warren & Southgate Orthodontist!Whether it is crooked teeth, unevenly spaced teeth, or overcrowded and protruding teeth, our orthodontic team can help you upgrade your smile. We devise a personalized treatment plan for your teeth straightening with Invisalign aligners. Contact us at All About Orthodontics to meet one of our orthodontists to discuss your misalignment issues and establish whether Invisalign is right for you. Call 586-999-8818 to set up an appointment. |
 Dentistry Made Affordable Warren586-999-8818 Southgate734-999-4774 Clinton Township586-834-8000 HoursMon - Fri: 9:00am - 7:00pm Sat: 9:00am - 4:00pm |
