A guide to Invisalign from our dentist

Most adults who have misaligned teeth are looking for the easiest and most straightforward solution to alleviate this problem.

In years gone by, this would have meant undertaking expensive and potentially uncomfortable orthodontic treatment in the form of fitted braces. However, now most patients will be able to use a more comfortable and discreet option to straighten their teeth in the form of Invisalign aligners.

When you come to see our team at Dee Kay Dental, our dentist Sheffield will be happy to discuss the possibility of you using these aligners and will perform every stage of the process for you, from the initial consultation right through to the fitting of them, providing you with advice and guidance on the way to ensure that you get the most out of this orthodontic treatment.

But what exactly is involved in undertaking Invisalign with our dentist Sheffield? The following article provides a very brief guide, but your case may differ slightly, so be sure to contact us if you have any further questions.

Initial consultation

At the initial consultation, our dentist Sheffield will perform an assessment of your misalignment and its severity to ascertain whether or not you are suitable. Invisalign is only used if there is a mild to moderate case of dental misalignment, and so if it is found that you have a more complicated case, you would be suitable for a fitted brace. If we deem that you are suitable for Invisalign, we will take an intraoral scan of your mouth to begin the process of creating the aligners.

Creation of the aligners

The aligners are created in a laboratory by dental technicians, and using the initial scan, the first aligner in the series is created. Using computer technology, each stage of the realignment procedure is mapped out and created into a three-dimensional form of an aligner. Worn in sequence, these will straighten your teeth with minimal force and discomfort. In a standard set of aligners, there are between 12 to 14 aligners, and these will be created in around 6 weeks from your initial visit to our team.

Wearing the aligners

As the aligners are removable, you will need to wear them every day to ensure that they have the appropriate amount of time in contact with your teeth to move them. In short, you will likely need to wear them for 22 hours per day or as advised by our team. In order to keep the aligners clean, you will need to rinse them under a cold water tap and remove any food or debris with a soft-bristled toothbrush.

Potential complications

If you do not wear the aligners for the required time each day, then the process may slow, or the misalignment may begin to revert, causing your teeth to move back to their previous positions. So, be sure to keep them in! On top of this, there is an issue relating to missing or damaged aligners. Do not use damaged aligners, and contact our team to have a replacement sent out to you.

The app!

Invisalign aligners come with an associated app which is downloadable for your smartphone. We urge our patients to use this app to keep in contact with our team by sending us weekly selfies of their smiles, so we can ascertain from a distance whether or not the treatment is working.