Orthodontic Treatment Using 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.
During your treatment with Invisalign, you will be changing your clear aligners to the new set roughly every two weeks. During this time the aligners will very slowly be shifting your teeth into the prescribed positions.
How long you will need to undergo orthodontic treatment will depend on your unique situation. Speak with your orthodontist to learn about what to expect.
During your treatment, you can remove your custom aligners for eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing.
What to Expect Before Your Treatment
Before you start your treatment, you may have crooked, misaligned, or gapped teeth. Invisalign is created to help target and minimize these concerns.
After attending a consultation with your orthodontist, they will provide you with a custom treatment plan.
Your orthodontist can also use accurate digital scans and the Invisalign Outcome Simulator to show you how you can expect your teeth to look at the end of your treatment.
No matter the issue being treated, you will need to closely follow the treatment plan that has been developed by your orthodontist.
What Will Happen After Treatment is Complete
Your results after Invisalign will depend on your individual treatment plan, but overall you can expect to see straighter teeth.
Invisalign may also reduce any spaces that you had between teeth and alter your bite in a positive way.
What to Expect in the Long Run From Invisalign
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 9 to 12 months for your body to build enough bone to stabilize the teeth.
Once 12 months have passed, you should have enough new bone around your teeth to keep them in place. For this reason, you won’t have to wear your orthodontic retainers as often to maintain your straight smile. At this point, your orthodontist may say that you only need to wear the retainer 3 to 5 times a week.
Once you have regained bone your teeth will be less likely to shift back to their previous positions but you can still expect some changes to your jaw structure as you age. This means that your teeth may still slowly shift. 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 orthodontist regularly for an exam!
You've Lost Your Retainer. What Now?
If you lose your retainer, make sure to contact our Abbotsford dental office to schedule an appointment. 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. While you are here, your orthodontist will take impressions of your teeth to have your new retainer created.