Your Invisalign Treatment Journey Explained
Here at Temple Dental, the start of each Invisalign treatment is always an exciting time. We love these journeys, as time and time again we get to see our patients improve their dental aesthetics, health, wellbeing, and overall confidence. Here Dr Michael Orlans took us through the stages of a typical Invisalign journey, and what you can expect along the way.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a relatively new solution to teeth straightening, which has become widely available in dental clinics around the world. They are a great choice if you don’t want to wear braces and treatment can be a quicker than wearing traditional orthodontics. As the trays are almost invisible, Invisalign has allowed patients to feel more comfortable wearing orthodontics in their daily lives, and this has encouraged more patients to choose the treatment over other teeth straightening solutions.
But what are the stages of Invisalign treatment, and what can you expect from your journey here at Temple Dental?
Appointment 1 – Invisalign Consultation
This is where it all begins. The main things that we need to find out at this stage are what your treatment goals are. We will listen carefully so we understand exactly what it is you would like to change about your teeth and why. It important to be as detailed as possible at this stage to ensure we can achieve your goals! We will have a look at your teeth, and give an indication about what is possible, and a rough guide of what outcome we can expect to achieve. We will also explain the Invisalign process to you in more detail and assess your suitability.
Before moving on to the next appointment stage, we must ensure that you are in good dental health. Orthodontic treatment cannot begin unless you are completely dentally fit. This means that you don’t have any dental pain, tooth decay, or active gum disease. If you have come from another dentist, we will require a letter from your previous dentist stating that you are dentally fit, or alternatively we can do a full dental check-up for you. We also need to take a panoramic x-ray. This is an x-ray of all your teeth and roots. It is important that we take this x-ray before embarking on orthodontic treatment to make sure there are no issues with your teeth or roots. Invisalign is safe, but if there are existing problems it could cause larger issues if these are not addressed first.
Appointment 2 – Record Taking
At the second appointment, we will take a full set of clinical photographs. We will then take moulds or scans of your teeth. These need to be completely accurate, as if there is any discrepancy, the Invisalign aligners won’t be able to accurately move your teeth!
Appointment 3 – Invisalign Clincheck
At this appointment, we will show you a detailed simulation of how your teeth are predicted to move, and how long we expect the treatment to take.
What is a clincheck?
An Invisalign clincheck is a digitalised simulation which allows us to show you your teeth and how they are predicted to change. It is a 3 dimensional model on the computer which allows us to view all different angles, and is a great tool to allow us to talk you through the treatment and visualise the plan. As well as visualising the outcome, the clincheck also shows us how long this treatment is predicted to take, where the attachments need to be placed, and how much interproximal reduction (if any) is required. (Please see "Appointment 4 section for more info).
After seeing the simulation, there are three options for you:
- Accept – You may be very happy with our plan and decide to proceed with treatment. At this point you will pay a deposit and we will place the order for your first few aligners.
- Decline – You may decide that you don’t want to go ahead with treatment. This very rarely happens, as we assess your suitability prior to getting to this stage. It is good to know however that you do have this chance to decide to not go ahead with treatment before making any substantial financial investment as you have not committed to the process yet.
- Modify – You may like what you see in the simulation but prefer to change the final position of one or more of the teeth. This is unusual, as we plan every case carefully before reaching this stage to achieve the best possible outcome. However, if you would like to see something slightly different, we can modify the plan and arrange a future visit to present to you a new clincheck.
This is generally a quick appointment, and typically lasts around 20 minutes.
Appointment 4 – The Bond-up
This is the big day! The day where you begin the treatment phase of your journey. By this stage, you will have been shown the plan at the previous appointment, so there are no surprises on the day.
The first stage is to bond the attachments. The attachments, or “buttons”, are made of composite which is a tooth-coloured material. This is loaded into special trays which fit over your teeth. Your lips are retracted to give us full view and access to the front surfaces of your teeth. We then apply a gel to your teeth to prepare the surface for bonding. The trays are then seated and ‘cured’ using the dental light. When we remove the trays, the attachments are in place on the teeth!
The number and position of attachments are unique to every case. See if you can spot all of the attachments on the photo below!
We then perform the interproximal reduction (IPR) where required. This is where we carefully remove very small bits of enamel from between the teeth to provide space for the teeth to be moved to their desired position. Anaesthetic is not usually required for this, although we can administer it if you would like. IPR generally feels like heavy flossing and can sometimes be a little tender on the gums during the process.
Following IPR, we fit your first aligners and show you how to insert and remove them. This is often a challenge the first time you do it but you get used to it very quickly! We will also give you an Invisalign ‘chewy’ and show you how to use it to help with seating the aligners. To learn more about chewys, click here.
This appointment typically takes between 60-90 minutes.
Appointments 5++ – Review Appointments
We typically want to see you once per month. Generally, review appointments are quick, and last between 15-30 minutes. At these appointments, we check that the teeth are moving as they should be, and that the aligners are fitting sufficiently well. The number of review appointments needed depends on how many aligners are in your treatment plan. This is dictated by your treatment needs, which is outlined at your clincheck appointment.
We make sure you are comfortable with the process and answer any questions you may be having! Usually at these appointments we take the next payment instalment. If you prefer, we can sometimes do these review appointments remotely, although generally we like to see you face to face for a thorough review and monitoring of the process.
Invisalign De-bond Appointment
After you have completed your aligners, you will then see us for a final assessment. If you are happy with the position of your teeth, and we are happy with the position of the teeth, we will carefully remove the attachments, and take impressions for your retainers. This appointment typically takes around 45-60 minutes.
Final Visit - Fit of Retainers
At your final visit, we will take final photographs and fit your retainers. These photographs can be used for future monitoring. After you complete your Invisalign treatment, we will review your dentition at regular check-ups and work with you to make sure your teeth stay in the right place!
How long does Invisalign take to work?
In most cases it takes 6 – 12 months, however it can take longer depending on the patient’s teeth. If the case is more complex, the patient may need to wear the retainer trays for up to 2 years.
How do I see an Invisalign Simulation?
The SmileView Visualiser Tool allows you to see what your new smile may look like in just 60 seconds, simply by taking a selfie! This technology is a great way of immediately seeing your results after the full Invisalign treatment. You can view your simulation by clicking here.
Book your Invisalign Consultation
To book your Invisalign consultation please follow the link Book Today
