What are aligners?
Aligners are one of many technological advancements that have made orthodontic treatment less conspicuous, and one of many appliances that dentists use to move teeth and align jaws to create a healthy, beautiful smile.
Invisalign/
Clear Aligners
What are clear aligners/
Invisalign?
Aligning your teeth within “Invisible Braces”
“Invisible braces” are often called Invisalign. Dentists often call them “clear aligners”. “Invisalign” is a brand name that became a generic term, like Kleenex, even though several companies make clear aligners.
How aligners work
Like traditional braces, aligners are designed to move teeth a little at a time. Before treatment begins, we will take diagnostic records including x-rays, photographs, and impressions or digital scans of the teeth.
From that information, we make a diagnosis, and then work within the aligner software to design your smile and plan your treatment process to guide your teeth into a healthy position.
The aligners will treat all of your teeth – not just the few that are seen when you smile. The goal is a healthy “bite” with top and bottom teeth that fit together properly. Most patients come back every 2-4 weeks.
With the end goal in mind, a series of plastic aligners are created using the patient’s initial impressions or digital scans as the starting point. The aligners are plastic replicas of your teeth.
Wearing them puts gentle pressure on the teeth, ever-so-slightly repositioning them.
How long should you wear them?
It is recommended aligners be worn 22 hours a day, or as prescribed by the dentist. Each set of aligners is worn for a week or two before going onto the next set.
Over time, your teeth will reach their ideal places, according to your aligner plan. The total number of aligners will vary depending on the need. As with traditional braces, patients will need to wear retainers after their teeth reach their new positions.
Clear aligners may not be the right appliance to correct every kind of orthodontic problem. Traditional braces may be necessary for certain kinds of corrections.
With clear aligners, tooth-colored attachments will be placed on the teeth to help the aligners move the teeth. These attachments are removed once treatment is completed.
Care needs to be taken regarding sugary drinks when aligners are in, and anything but tap water should be avoided. Liquid can seep into the aligners and cause decay.
