What is Invisalign?
Invisalign clear aligners are a series of clear, custom-made aligners that straighten your teeth without the use of traditional metal and wires. They are designed to be a discrete option for straightening your smile.
They will make small adjustments to your teeth gradually, as you wear each set of clear aligners for approximately two weeks.
Your dentist will determine the duration of your treatment plan based on your individual needs.
During your treatment, you are able to take your clear aligners off to brush and floss your teeth as well as to eat and drink.
Before Your Treatment
Before you start your treatment, you may have crooked, misaligned, or gapped teeth. Invisalign can help treat any one of these issues or a combination of them.
After attending a consultation with your dentist, they will provide you with a custom treatment plan.
Your dentist can also use accurate digital scans and the Invisalign Outcome Simulator to show you how your teeth could look once your treatment is over.
It doesn't matter which treatment is being resolved, it's very important that you carefully follow the plan your dentist prescribes.
After Your Clear Aligners Treatment
Your results after Invisalign will depend on your individual treatment plan, but overall you can expect to see straighter teeth.
You may also see an improved bite or a reduction in the gaps between your teeth.
What You Can Expect Long Term
Once you stop wearing Invisalign, you need to wear orthodontic retainers so your teeth are held in place while new bone is deposited. It takes about 9 to 12 months for your body to build up enough bone to stabilize the teeth.
After 12 months have gone by, there should be enough new bone around your teeth to keep them in their spots. This is why you shouldn't need to wear your orthodontic retainer as frequently to keep your smile straight. Your dentist might suggest wearing your retainer 3 to 5 times during the week.
While your teeth won’t move as dramatically once the jawbone regains bone tissue, they may move forward and inward as you get older. This change isn’t something you notice overnight, but rather something that gradually happens over decades. This is just another reason it's important to visit your dentist regularly for an exam!
What Will Happen If You Lose Your Retainer
t's essential to contact our Calgary dental office and book an appointment if you lose your reatiner. Whether you accidentally threw out your retainer on your lunch tray, the dog ate it, or it broke, we can get you fitted for a new retainer as soon as possible so you don’t lose the progress you made with orthodontic treatment. During your appointment, we’ll take impressions of your teeth to create a new retainer.