Invisalign is a revolutionary orthodontic treatment. It’s also fast becoming the preferred way to straighten crooked teeth and balance bite forces. Unlike bracket-and-wire braces, clear aligners by Invisalign aren’t bonded to the natural tooth structures. Instead, you can take these simple, plastic trays out as needed. This allows for easy brushing, flossing, and eating. It also means that you can take several, short breaks throughout the day to alleviate your discomfort. Read on to find out what Invisalign aligners do, how they work, and whether their results are permanent.
Understanding Invisalign
Invisalign is a customized, computer-guided orthodontic treatment. At the start of Invisalign treatments, we use proprietary software to map patients’ mouths and determine their ideal tooth positions. This same software generates the “blueprints” for clear aligner trays. Depending upon your orthodontic goals and the severity of your alignment issues, you’ll receive between 15 and 50 sets of progressive aligner trays throughout your treatment.
Once fashioned, your first set of aligners will promote tooth movements to balance your bite forces. These appliances snap securely onto the upper and lower arches and conform to the teeth. By applying constant pressure, Invisalign clear aligners gradually correct the bite. During regular check-ups, you’ll receive detailed progress reports that let you know when it’s time to upgrade to a new set of aligners.
Invisalign Treatment Is Short and Easy
While orthodontic treatment with braces can take 24 months or longer, Invisalign treatments last just 12 months. In just one year, you can enjoy improved chewing and talking abilities and enhanced smile aesthetics. Invisalign also creates safe, stable foundations for many cosmetic dental improvements.
Invisalign can successfully treat:
- Malocclusion (overbites and underbites)
- Uneven tooth spacing
- Large tooth gaps
- Crooked teeth
- Displaced teeth
However, Invisalign is not a suitable treatment for teeth that are completely rotated in their sockets, overlapping, or severe tooth crowding.
See also How Invisalign Works
The Long-Term Benefits of Invisalign
Most people seek Invisalign to improve the look of their smiles and boost their confidence. While Invisalign delivers on both fronts, it also provides an impressive range of functional benefits. Balancing your bite forces will make it easier to chew your foods thoroughly and completely without sustaining excessive tooth wear. Properly aligned teeth are also easier to clean. Together, these benefits minimize the long-term risks of tooth damage, cavities, and gum infections.
Surprisingly, treatment with Invisalign can also improve your digestive health. After all, food digestion begins in the mouth. With improved chewing abilities, many people experience less bloating, gas, and digestive upset. Some even have a better able to absorb key nutrients.
Maintenance and Aftercare
Unfortunately, natural tooth alignment is fixed. Without ongoing, post-treatment maintenance, your efforts to straighten your teeth and balance your bite forces could be reversed.
This is just as true for Invisalign as it is for metal and ceramic braces. Without regular pressure that keeps them in place, newly aligned teeth will eventually migrate back to their former positions. This is why those who receive treatment with Invisalign must wear retainers.
What to Know About Wearing Retainers After Invisalign
During Invisalign treatment, it’s important to wear your clear aligners for at least 21 hours each day. Although you can take them out as needed, they should never be out for more than three hours in total.
During the first month that follows Invisalign treatment, you should wear your custom retainers 21 hours a day or more. Much like clear aligners by Invisalign, retainers are removable. You can remove them during eating and oral care. However, unlike Invisalign aligners, they shouldn’t cause any tension-related discomfort.
Retainers don’t move or shift the teeth. They simply hold them in their new positions. This eliminates the need for quick breaks to alleviate excess discomfort.
The Recommended Schedule for Retainer Use
In the second month that follows Invisalign treatment, wear your custom retainers for at least 20 hours each day. You can enjoy four “free” hours and can use them for brushing, flossing, eating, and relaxation.
In month three, you’ll only need to wear your retainer for 18 hours each day. By the fourth month, you can wear your retainer for just 16 hours a day. After six months have passed, wearing your retainer for just 12 hours a day is suitable for maintenance.
After seven months have passed, you can transition to wearing this appliance for just eight hours. You’ll need to continue using your retainer for eight hours a day (or night) for the rest of your life. This is also true of retainer use following treatment with metal or ceramic braces.
You might have additional aftercare instructions if your orthodontic treatment plan was multi-pronged. If your treatment paired Invisalign aligners with an Invisalign palate expander, you may have an additional appliance to wear.
To maintain your results throughout the years, schedule regular check-ups. It’s important to take good care of both your teeth and your teeth’s alignment. You should schedule routine dental visits twice annually and orthodontic care every six to 12 months.
Potential Changes Over Time
For some patients, proper tooth alignment radically changes the face. More often than not, these changes are positive. For instance, you might have a stronger-looking jawline and less of a receding chin. In general, these changes promote better facial balance and symmetry. They can even make people look younger and provide a significant boost in confidence.
The soft tissues that surround your teeth will also adapt to their new positions. Even your cheeks and lips might look a bit different. As the teeth beneath them become more or less prominent, their positions and shape will evolve.
Adverse Changes in Tooth Alignment
Facial changes resulting from Invisalign treatment are rarely adverse. However, the cosmetic changes that patients experience when negligent in post-treatment maintenance can be. If you repeatedly fail to wear your retainer for the required amount of time, you’ll see the results of Invisalign treatment gradually reverse.
Decreased Chewing and Talking Abilities
Changes in tooth alignment caused by insufficient retainer use can also affect your chewing and talking abilities. This is particularly true if you have experienced problems in these areas before treatment. They can also render existing retainers unusable. As the alignment of your teeth evolves, you may find it increasingly difficult to put your retainer back in.
Consultation and Follow-up
Following up with your Invisalign treatment team is essential for maintaining your results. Whether you used Invisalign as a standalone solution or required extraction or palate expansion, your provider can tell you the best aftercare for your needs. We can also use the same software that mapped your initial treatment to track your long-term outcome.
What to Do When Retainers No Longer Fit
If you’ve been lax in wearing your retainer and find that it no longer fits, schedule an appointment right away. As needed, we’ll either resize your retainer or fit you with another, final pair of aligners to correct the problem.
Conclusion
Treatment with Invisalign can produce permanent, lifelong results. You can maintain beautiful, perfectly aligned teeth with the right aftercare. However, as with braces, treatment with Invisalign requires lifelong retainer use.