Invisalign is the best method of getting straighter teeth, without necessary to wear metal braces. Using transparent aligners to repair defects in the teeth, Invisalign braces have transformed the industry by giving patients an option to metal wired braces. Invisalign is a transparent dental aligner made from polyurethane plastic that does not need cementing or bonding like clear and metal braces. One of the features about Invisalign is that this dental aligner could be removed while eating, brushing teeth or attending important functions. Other benefits of Invisalign are the:
– Ability to enjoy hard and crispy foods.
– Comfortable fit offered by the aligner’s flexible and soft material.
– Discreet look of the aligner.
– Prevention of teeth grinding.
Purpose of Invisalign
Invisalign are a set of customised clear plastic aligners, created based on the moulds of the mouth. Made of durable, strong plastic, the aligners put pressure on the teeth, fixing them into place. This essentially gives one the same effect as traditional braces, with the added advantage of being invisible to other people. The aligner trays are replaced every 1-2 weeks, with a brand new set that gradually aligns the teeth into the desired position.
Invisalign as a Retainer
Mostly, after any type of orthodontic treatment, the patient needs to wear a retainer for a time to ensure the teeth are able to survive their new position. The good news is, one might not even need to visit a dentist about that. The last pair of aligners could act as an Invisalign retainer if handled correctly:
- One can start by wearing them all the time for a month.
- When this is done, one can wear them only at night for two months.
- Patient can start wearing them every other night, while doing the movement test.
- After a month or so, one should try and back off to every few nights, again being careful to do the movement test
- The shift to once a week
- Eventually, one can try once a month, then backing off completely.
The Invisalign Treatment
Once the patient and the dentist decide that Invisalign is the best choice for the patient, the dentist will use specially designed computer software to create a tailored, multi-step alignment plan. Invisalign slowly moves the teeth to the correct position by applying tight pressure similar to the method used with braces. Typically, movement is divided into many stages. Each stage needs a different, customized set of plastic mouth trays created by the Invisalign manufacturers; the tray sets are worn for around two weeks. The patient receives a new set after those two weeks till their teeth are straightened. So overall, most patients go through dozens of stages over the course of one year.
Post-Treatment
Although there are differences between wearing braces and transparent aligners, the straightened teeth should be retained after the treatment is finished. So once any patient completes the Invisalign system, he should follow the dentist post-treatment instructions for retaining the proper alignment. In many cases, post-treatment includes wearing a retainer for a particular amount of time.
While this system is not fine for every alignment issue, Invisalign has successfully straightened the teeth of more than one million patients till date. Thanks to the consistent development of Invisalign’s transparent aligner technology, Invisalign dentistry continues to improve. Complicated malocclusions, mostly called misalignments that were once only fixable with more invasive techniques may now be corrected with Invisalign trays, providing people with more teeth straightening options.
