Invisalign Treatment in Five Steps

Crooked teeth cause more issues than just dissatisfaction with the condition of your smile. They can also contribute to headaches, mouth and jaw soreness and pain, worn teeth, unhealthy gums and even snoring. Straightening your teeth with Invisalign in South Miami can help to resolve all those issues in one comfortable process. 

Orthodontic treatment plans vary from person to person because every person’s teeth are in different positions and condition and because many people have different goals. Having said that, though, all Invisalign treatment plans include the following five steps. We hope this introduction to that process helps you to decide whether pursuing Invisalign with a dentist in South Miami may be right for you. 

First Step — An initial consultation

This consultation step consists of a conversation and some investigations. The goal of the conversation will be to answer all your questions and to explain what to expect from treatment with Invisalign near you. The investigation stage of the consultation is when we gather all the information needed to confirm you’re a good candidate for Invisalign and to develop a treatment plan. Your dentist in Kendall will capture images of your teeth to help us understand your current condition and to simulate your progress. They’ll also take digital impressions of your teeth that will be provided to Invisalign’s laboratory electronically. 

Second Step — Crafting your aligners

The image scans and digital impressions taken at our first appointment will be sent to Invisalign where technicians will prepare a draft treatment plan for your dentist to review. Before any aligners are manufactured, the dentist will review that treatment plan and make any modifications deemed appropriate based on your needs and goals. Once any modifications have been made, the dentist will authorize Invisalign’s professional technicians to make your set of aligners. Approximately three weeks later, that set of aligners will be sent to your dentist. 

Third Step — Getting you ready

The third step is an appointment with a dentist near you once your aligners are in hand. The appointment will end with you walking out the door with your first aligners, but there are a couple of other preparatory steps that need to be taken. First, many Invisalign treatment plans require the placement of attachment buttons on your teeth. Your aligners will connect to those buttons to attach to your teeth tighter and to produce pressure where required to achieve your goals.

In rare cases, the second step taken at this stage is Interproximal Reduction. That rather intimidating phrase simply describes the process of gently and painlessly sanding the sides of your teeth to make sure your aligners will fit smooth and comfortably between them.

Fourth Step — Twenty-two hours a day and one day at a time

This is probably the part you’re anticipating the most when you imagine Invisalign treatment with a dentist near you — wearing your aligners. Your treatment plan will be based on wearing your aligners for 22 hours daily and removing them only to eat, drink anything other than cool water, brush and floss. Every couple of weeks or so, you’ll switch to the next aligner in sequence. Every few weeks, you’ll return to your dentist in Kendall for a follow-up appointment to confirm all is going as expected. 

Fifth Step — Finishing up

Once you’ve completed your treatment plan, your dentist will review the position of your teeth. In some cases, your dentist will recommend some refinements and, if necessary, will requisition refiner trays from Invisalign. If not, or once the refinements are completed, your dentist will remove your attachment and recommend that you wear a retainer at night on an ongoing basis. Wearing a retainer will prevent your teeth from shifting out of their new positions. After all, you’ve worked hard for your new smile and will want to keep it.

If you have questions that haven’t been addressed here, get in touch with a dentist near you to get all the information you need to decide if Invisalign treatment may be right for you.