Everything You Need to Know About the Invisalign Process

Around 4 million people in the US wear braces. While we often associate braces with our teenage years, more and more adults are also transforming their smiles.

In fact, dentists see more than 1.4 million adults every year about getting adult braces.

But if you're thinking about getting braces, you might want to consider Invisalign, which gives you straighter teeth without using invasive and cumbersome traditional braces. Never heard of it?

Well, you could be missing out! Read on for everything you need to know about the Invisalign process.

Invisalign is a world-class way of straightening your teeth discreetly.

You're probably familiar with traditional metal braces. A dentist attaches a bracket to each of your teeth individually and runs the braces along with them.

But these metal braces aren't the most attractive and can make users feel self-conscious when wearing them. This is the opposite of wanting to feel more confident about your smile!

This is where Invisalign can help. Invisalign treatment replaces the metal brackets and wires with clear trays that you can take in and out when you need to. These trays look like clear mouthguards and work to straighten your teeth in the same way as traditional braces.

The trays work step-by-step. Each tray will move your teeth slowly toward the position you want. You wear one tray until your teeth fit perfectly in, and then your dentist gives you a new one to move them further along.

The process continues until your teeth are where you want them to be. For some people, this might involve using quite a few trays, while others may only have to use a couple. It really is as simple as that!

Sound good? Well, let's take a look at exactly what you can expect from the Invisalign treatment.

Your journey will begin with an Invisalign consultation with your dentist. It's extremely important that you discuss any type of dental work with them before you proceed.

At the consultation, they will discuss the ins and outs of the process and answer any questions you have. If you're satisfied, they might also begin the process for you.

Because Invisalign braces are specifically designed for you, your dentist has to take measurements of your mouth. This involves taking a mold of your top and bottom teeth. They may also take X-rays of your teeth.

The molds are used to make your personal trays. As such, you shouldn't go into your initial consultation expecting to walk out with your first set of trays. These have to be specially made and delivered to your dentist before you can fit them.

Once your trays arrive, your dentist will invite you back to fit them.

This appointment shouldn't take long. Provided that your dentist's measurements are accurate, your trays should be perfect for your mouth.

In order to attach your trays, your dentist will attach tiny 'buttons' at the tops of some of your teeth. Don't worry — these are almost completely invisible, and your dentist will remove them at the end of your treatment. They're made out of a similar material to fillings, and they help keep the trays in place when you're wearing them.

Once the buttons are in place, it's just a matter of popping in the trays! You can take them out whenever you want to — for example, when you're eating or cleaning your teeth. But the more time you spend wearing them, the quicker you'll see results.

So what happens after your first set of trays has worked?

Your dentist will book you for routine appointments throughout your treatment. They will often book an appointment based on when they expect you to need your next tray. But you can book a check-up more regularly if you think that the trays are working quickly.

At the appointments, your dentist will assess how much your teeth have moved. Based on this, they will either tell you to keep wearing your current tray or give you a new tray. This steps you up to your next stage of treatment!

Once your teeth are exactly where you want them to be, then you should keep wearing your tray for a while to ensure that they don't move back. You can keep wearing your tray at night like a retainer in order to maintain the effects of your Invisalign treatment.

At your final appointment, your dentist will remove the buttons from your teeth, which is quick and simple. This just feels like having your teeth cleaned. Once the dentist removes your buttons, you and your perfect smile are ready to go!

Invisalign is a great option for anyone looking to achieve a perfect smile. It's a simple and effective procedure, but let's take a look at some of the other benefits of Invisalign braces:

1. The Invisalign trays are a lot less invasive to fit than traditional 'train track' braces.
   
2. The trays also look much better than traditional braces. In fact, you can barely see when someone is wearing them.
   
3. You can remove them, which makes it easier to clean your teeth and benefits your overall oral hygiene.

And if that doesn't satisfy your curiosity, here are some frequently asked questions about the Invisalign process.

Not at all! Getting your molds, fitting your trays and wearing your trays shouldn't cause any pain at all.

The only time that you might feel a little discomfort is on the first day of wearing your new trays. This is because your teeth are starting to move, but the discomfort should pass within a day. And traditional braces can also cause this level of discomfort.

You can't clean your teeth while wearing your trays, but you can take the trays out to clean your teeth. This gives you better access for a thorough clean.

There is no one answer to this question because it depends on how much work your teeth need. But the more you wear your retainers, the quicker you will notice a difference.

Younger patients will also see quicker results because their teeth move more easily. But the beauty of Invisalign is that you don't get stuck with ugly train tracks, so you won't feel self-conscious wearing them!

You can only spot Invisalign trays from very close up, so they're much more subtle than traditional braces. The attaching 'buttons' are tiny and match your tooth color. So there really isn't anything to see!

And if you're going out for the evening and don't want people to see them, just pop them out. Not wearing your trays every now and then won't affect your treatment in the long run.

You shouldn't wear Invisalign trays in place of a proper mouthguard when playing sport. Take your trays out and wear a proper mouthguard in order to protect your teeth.

As you can see, the Invisalign process is a great way to achieve your dream smile without having to wear ugly and uncomfortable train track braces. And you can really polish the whole thing off with some lovely teeth whitening for the best smile in the room!