The process of getting Invisalign aligners explained
In recent years there has been something of an overhaul in the way the majority of dental surgeries offer realignment procedures to patients. In years gone by, to have your teeth straightened as an adult, you would need to wear fitted metal braces which could be difficult to look after and were not exactly visually discreet.
Thanks to advances in orthodontic technology and the persuasion of adult dental patients who wanted a more subtle option, the majority of adult patients can now have their teeth straightened using invisible aligners.
Our team at The Dental Retreat is always happy to meet with adult dental patients who are looking for a straightforward way to have their orthodontic issues corrected. In the majority of cases, we can offer Invisalign Macleod, which is an invisible aligner (as the name suggests) and is also easy to fit into daily life.
At this point, you may be wondering how exactly you go about having Invisalign Macleod fitted and if the treatment and procedure is different from that of traditional metal braces. Indeed, it is and in this article, we will explain how.
The consultation
When you want to have Invisalign Macleod fitted, the first thing you need to do is attend a consultation with our cosmetic orthodontics team. They will be able to assess the severity of the misalignment that needs to be treated and will also look at the health of your gums and teeth overall. If there are any signs of active tooth decay or gum disease these will need to be treated. If there are more severe or complicated misalignment issues involving molar teeth, then we may suggest a fitted invisible brace as opposed to an invisible aligner. If all is good, we will usually conduct an intraoral scan of your mouth to get a clear image of your teeth.
The printing
The image that we take at the consultation will then be sent to a dental laboratory. Using the associated computer programming, a set of dental technicians will move your teeth using digital vector pressure points into the desired location. Once this has been broken down into around 12 to 14 steps, these will then be imitated in a physical aligner which will then be printed using a 3D printer.
The wearing
For this aligner to work, you need to wear it for around 22 hours every single day, as well as ensure that your dental hygiene is maintained and that the aligners are kept clean and safe. Each aligner will need to be worn for around two weeks and when you put the new aligners in, they will feel tight. As the teeth move into the position that is set in the aligner, they will begin to feel loose. You should not skip any of the aligners in the series as this can cause problems with the realignment process.
The app
There is an associated app which is downloadable for smartphones which we have to insist that you use. This is so you can keep in contact with our team. While you will not have to attend the dental surgery as often as you would with traditional fitted braces, you will need to send our team photos of your smile once a week so we can assess if the aligner is working correctly.
The aftercare
After around 3 to 6 months of wearing the aligner, the treatment should be complete, although this may be slightly longer if you have a more complicated case of misalignment. Once the aligners are off, you will need to wear a retainer for a prescribed amount of time.
DISCLAIMER
All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.