Invisalign FAQs
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a type of clear, removable aligner that slowly move your teeth into their optimal position. There are no unsightly metal brackets or wires, and none of the restrictions or possible emergent complications that come with traditional metal braces.
Each set of your Invisalign aligners are designed to apply pressure in specific areas of your teeth, guiding their individual movement. Each subsequent set builds off of the previous aligners positioning and continues to move your teeth into their ideal position.
Compared to traditional metal braces, Invisalign aligners are practically invisible! People may not even notice that you are straightening your teeth. You can remove your aligners to eat and drink and brush your teeth, leading to less food being caught in your teeth and better overall hygiene during treatment. There are no metal wires or brackets that can break or bend causing an inconvenient emergency trip to our office.
Is Invisalign for me?
Yes! Whether you are an adult who has teeth that have shifted over time or a teen looking to straighten their teeth for the first time, Invisalign is an excellent comfortable and aesthetic choice for your orthodontic needs.
A majority of adults have had some sort of orthodontic treatment in their lifetime. If you are anything like Dr. Mario, you also know that you should be wearing your retainers every night to hold their final position but life sometimes gets in the way of total compliance.
Whether you want to get back that once perfect smile or straighten your teeth for the first time, Invisalign’s clear aligners are a great solution. They are removable, comfortable, and practically invisible so most people won’t even know that you are straightening your teeth!
Invisalign Teen works very similar to the treatment for adults but with one small difference. These aligners have a discreet blue dot on a back tooth that changes color over time so that parents can be sure their child is compliant with wearing their aligners.
Yes! Invisalign is a very popular treatment for orthodontic relapse cases. Your teeth always want to shift towards the middle, and once one tooth begins to move slightly others are likely to follow. Relapse from braces can occur within months of compliance failure with your retainers.
Invisalign is a great solution to help get back your perfect smile without anyone knowing that you are doing so!
Yes! Veneers and crowns can alter the way that we design your case, but it will not stop you from being able to solve your orthodontic needs with Invisalign.
If you have a bridge or multiple splinted crowns, these teeth cannot move separately and treatment may not be as effective if treatment is desired in this area.
Schedule a consult with Dr. Fiorentini to determine how yours crowns can affect your particular case.
What is the treatment process?
During your Invisalign consultation, Dr. Fiorentini will discuss your particular case, answer any questions you may have, and help to determine if Invisalign is the right treatment option for you.
X-rays, pictures, and a digital impression of your teeth will be taken and sent to Invisalign.
Please bring any questions you may have and be prepared to discuss what your main concerns and expectations are for treatment. Please bring along your insurance card, and filled out medical and dental history intake forms.
Whether you want to get back that once perfect smile or straighten your teeth for the first time, Invisalign’s clear aligners are a great solution. They are removable, comfortable, and practically invisible so most people won’t even know that you are straightening your teeth!
Dr. Fiorentini will review the proposed treatment plan and determine the optimal movement of your teeth and final positioning. Your individualized plan will outline how many aligners are needed and the total treatment time. The total treatment time is specific to each case and the severity of the malocclusion.
Invisalign aligners made of durable, comfortable, BPA-free plastic are fabricated and delivered to your dentist. Wear your aligners throughout the day (at least 20-22 hours!!) only removing to eat or brush and floss your teeth. Because the aligners are nearly invisible, most people won’t even notice you are wearing them!
As you wear each set of Invisalign aligners, your teeth will slowly shift. Approximately every one to two weeks, you will start a new set of aligners to continue this movement of your teeth through treatment.
Depending on your particular treatment plan and the required tooth rotation, you may require an Invisalign attachment to be placed on certain teeth. The role of the attachment is to help lock the aligners even more tightly to your teeth and to assist in efficient movement. These attachments are made of the same composite bonding material that we use for our tooth colored restorations.
Dr. Fiorentini will give you a few aligners at a time to take home and will want to see you every six to ten weeks to monitor your progress. Usually this is a straightforward, routine visit, but occasionally we will need to make some necessary adjustments before giving you your next sequence of aligners.
In order to protect your investment, retainers are recommended to keep your teeth in their final treatment position. Your final retainers are custom made for you with a resilient acrylic that provides the stability to maintain your ideal smile. We must stress that these retainers are a very important part of your treatment. In order to keep your teeth straight for the long term, retainers must be worn consistently to bed every night. If they are not worn, there is a chance that your teeth may relapse.
The total length of your treatment depends on a variety of factors. The complexity of your particular case and the overall compliance with wearing your aligners daily are both factors in treatment time. On average, Invisalign treatment time is 12 to 18 months, though many cases can be completed in just a few months.
Wearing your aligners
The overall cost of Invisalign is dependent upon how complex your particular case is and how many total aligners are required.
Invisalign offers a line of different products, from Invisalign 5 which is enough to correct a very small malocclusion all the way up to Invisalign Full which can treat the most severe of problems. A full, comprehensive Invisalign treatment is very similar to the cost of traditional braces.
If your treatment requires less trays to be fabricated by Invisalign, we will pass the savings along to you and the overall total cost may be even lower.
There are several options to make Invisalign treatment more affordable for you, from using insurance and tax-free dollars to a monthly payment plan.
You should be wearing your aligners for 22-24 hours per day, only taking them out to eat, drink, and brush and floss. The more compliant you are with the time each aligner is in position per day, the faster your treatment will be.
No! One of the main benefits of Invisalign is that you can remove the aligners to eat. There are no wires or brackets to worry about bending or breaking, or food getting caught. You may want to carry a toothbrush to quickly brush after eating or rinse with water just to prevent any food residue from getting caught in your aligners.
Your Invisalign aligners are designed to apply a specific, constant force to certain areas of your teeth to guide them into their correct position. You may feel some discomfort on the first few days of wearing each set of aligner until your teeth begin to shift into the proper position. This is completely normal and is a sign that your aligners are doing their job!
Your trays will begin to feel looser as you wear each set longer and the teeth move into their position. If you have any concerns or have continued discomfort, please contact our office.
Invisalign aligners are very thin, but they still add a slight thickness to the backs of your teeth. Your tongue may take a few days to get used to this new position for speech, but it should disappear quickly. One trick we like to tell our patients is to read out loud or sing with the aligners in to get your mouth used to them quickly.
Dr. Fiorentini recommends your time in treatment to be a great trial for quitting smoking. Cigarettes and now E-Cigarettes have many harmful ingredients and can lead to oral cancer, periodontal disease, and many other unwanted side effects.
Smoking while wearing your aligners can stain them rather quickly.
You should refrain from eating any food or chewing gum while wearing your aligners. Your Invisalign aligners have anatomy that matches each tooth and food or gum will stick and cause a big mess.
There are no food restrictions, but please remove your aligners before eating or chewing gum.
If you lost your aligners, please contact Dr. Fiorentini immediately. Depending on where you are in your treatment, we may be able to push you ahead to your next set of aligners or we may have to have a new set made which will delay treatment.
Contact us right away to find out which course of action to take!
It all depends on your particular case and how long you have gone without wearing your aligners. If it has only been a short time, your aligners should still fit but you may need to wear them for a prolonged time before starting the next set. If they do not fit, please contact Dr. Fiorentini to determine the correct course of action.
