What goes into straightening your teeth with Invisalign

It is fair to say that almost everybody has known one person in their life who has worn the traditional orthodontic metal brace.

And as such, most people are aware of what goes into the fitting of an orthodontic brace and how this tool is used to move teeth. Regular trips to the dentist, the occasional hygienist appointment and, of course, the initial fitting, which if you are waiting for your friend or family member to finish, can seem to take a very long time.

With the invention of invisible aligners, many people have questions as to how these tools are fitted and if the same steps are required for them to move your teeth. In this article, we aim to shed some light on these queries.

At Clear Braces Direct, we have been using Invisalign London with our patients for over 5 years and can speak to you through each step of the process, so you can assess if this is the treatment option that you want to undertake to straighten your teeth.

So what exactly is involved in the fitting of Invisalign London? Read on to find out.

Assessment

First thing’s first, at Clear Braces Direct, before you undertake any kind of orthodontic treatment, we will need to call you in for an assessment. This is so we can ascertain if your misalignment can be corrected using Invisalign London and if your teeth and gums are healthy enough to undertake this treatment. If you have any tooth decay or gum disease, then this will need to be remedied before this treatment option can begin.

If we determine that you are suitable for this aligner, we will use an intraoral scanner to take a picture of your teeth. This takes only a few seconds and is a more accurate way of recording the position of your teeth.

Printing

Using the images from the intraoral scan, a dental team will then use computer technology to move your teeth digitally into the desired location. This will determine how many aligners are needed for your teeth to become straightened and which areas of your teeth will need to have pressure applied by the aligners to straighten them.

Once this has all been hammered out, the aligners will be printed using a 3D printer; usually between 12 and 14 aligners are created at the stage.

Fitting

The fitting is quite simple. You simply place the first aligner in the series over your teeth and this is done. It is worth noting that each aligner will feel tight when you first place it over your teeth and when it starts to feel loose, it may be time to switch to the next aligner in the treatment process. But there is no awkward fitting required!

Daily wear

The daily wear of your invisible aligner will require you to clean it using cold water and a toothbrush, to ensure that no debris is pressed against your teeth and gums. You will also need to wear the aligner for 22 hours a day and when the aligner is not in your mouth, we advise you to place it in the carry case provided to prevent it from becoming damaged.

Retainers!

Once your teeth are straightened, you will need to wear a retainer to prevent them from moving back to their previous positions. Keep these in as not wearing them can undo months of work!