When deciding to invest in Orthodontic care, knowledge is power, and with there being so much information floating about, we’ve decided to help you with your search by providing everything you need to know about Invisalign Treatment, right here.
Since the late 1990’s Invisalign has been revolutionizing Orthodontic treatment and allowing Orthodontists the opportunity to perfect your smile without bulky brackets, pokey wires and invasive head-gear, or making huge changes to your diet and hygiene routine! Invisalign’s SmartTrack material is the latest in technology and can increase efficiency and comfort during your treatment. The aligners are clear – making them virtually invisible, easy to insert and remove and they’re trimmed along the gum-line to offer extra comfort.
Invisalign treatment is effective against many orthodontic concerns including overbite, underbite, crossbite, open bite, gapping between teeth, crowded teeth, and any combination thereof. Invisalign can be used by children and teens with adult and baby teeth, as well as adults of any age! Here at Magic Smiles Orthodontics, we start every patient with a Complimentary Consultation to discuss the concerns and goals you and Dr. Doleac have for your smile so the doctor can make your individualized Invisalign prescription.
Once you and your Orthodontist have agreed on Invisalign Treatment for you, your assistant will scan your teeth with an iTero Element scanner. Unlike impressions – which can be uncomfortable and inaccurate if not done correctly, the iTero Element scan maps out your smile by taking 6,000 images per second – getting every detail of every angle, gum line, and tooth ridge. The scan gets sent to Invisalign, along with a prescription from Dr. Doleac and uploaded to a 3D visual interface called, ClinCheck.
ClinCheck calculates what amount of movement each tooth should have in each aligner, how much force it will take to make that movement, and in what order each move should be made. Dr. Doleac will review each ClinCheck, aligner-by-aligner, to make any changes to the movement(s) he feels necessary. ClinCheck often recommends SmartForce attachments to assist the aligners in moving your teeth.
SmartForce attachments are small and tooth-colored which makes them barely noticeable. Placed on specific teeth, in specific places and shapes, at specific times. They help make sure the appropriate moves are being made (turning, pulling, or pushing), and help to hold the aligners on your teeth.
After the final ClinCheck has been approved by Dr. Doleac, Invisalign uses the iTero scan, ClinCheck details and Dr. Doleac’s treatment plan to 3D-print a series of aligners that are specifically tailored to your individual treatment prescription. Your personalized Invisalign treatment may include the use of expanders, hooks and elastics, or other motion appliances to help with bite correction. Aligner series’ can range from four to 60+ aligners, depending on your specific needs and goals.
At your Invisalign Start appointment, your assistant will bond any SmartForce attachments and hooks to your teeth and make sure your aligners fit appropriately. Then, they will review how to wear and take care of your aligners. Every treatment plan is different, and you may change your aligners every 14 days or every 5 days, depending on your Dr. Doleac’s recommendations and other tools you may use to help with comfort and movement, including elastics. Every patient should expect soreness and discomfort for the first 3-5 days of orthodontic treatment, braces or Invisalign – we’re trying to move tiny bones through a larger bone. You may even have some discomfort from time to time throughout your aligner series, as each aligner could be moving a different tooth at a different time. We recommend using over the counter Tylenol or acetaminophen for these times. Please call our office if you feel the discomfort is too much.
Clenchies (or Chewies) are another great tool to use with Invisalign aligners. They are little rubber tubes to clench between your teeth while wearing your aligners to help massage the aligners over your teeth. This massage helps your teeth understand which direction to go and helps your aligners seat fully on your teeth – forcing them into the correct position over time. Dr. Doleac recommends using them for 60 minutes per day, broken up into 10 to 20-minute increments.
For Invisalign to work appropriately, aligners need to be worn “full-time”, or 22 hours per day, and should only be removed when eating or brushing your teeth (unless otherwise advised by your orthodontist). Compared to braces, Invisalign is minimally invasive, but full-time wear and keeping track of aligners throughout the day is critical. Invisalign treatment does not require any changes to the way you eat, brush, or floss your teeth; while Braces require diet changes – nothing too crunchy or sticky, as well as flossing changes to work round the wires and make sure you don’t pop brackets off your teeth. Aligners typically need to be removed at mealtimes, and special care should be taken to avoid aligners being wrapped up in napkins and thrown away or swiped off tables by pets looking for a snack. There are ways we can get around these losses, such as always using the provided case for your aligners.
Now that you have your doctor prescribed aligners, elastics and Clenchies, the rest of your treatment is up to you! You have been well set up to achieve the smile of your dreams and are now in control of your success, and how quickly your dream becomes your reality. You can complete your treatment faster and more effectively by wearing your aligners appropriately, not losing or breaking them, using elastics as directed, and using Clenchies every day!
When treatment is complete, and you are happy with your Magic Smile 😊 you will get a set of retainers. It is just as important for you to wear your retainers as it was to wear your aligners! Your teeth will continue to shift for the rest of your life, and it is recommended to wear your retainers 12 hours per day, every day, for the rest of your life to keep them where Invisalign put them. To help ensure that this happens, we will keep in contact with you for a few months after we remove attachments.
So now you know everything (or pretty close to it) about Invisalign, and how it can help give you the smile of your dreams! Let us know if you’d like to schedule a complimentary consultation.
Dr. Doleac and the team at Magic Smiles proudly serve the Beaverton, Scappoose, and Portland, OR communities and surrounding areas. In addition to Invisalign for teens and adults, we also offer a range of braces options as well as early orthodontic treatment and accelerated orthodontics.