What You Need to Know About Invisalign Aligners
June 19, 2013
A mark of a beautiful smile is when all of your pearly whites are properly aligned. Orthodontic treatments can help with any bad bites or malocclusions. While traditional orthodontic braces are common among teenagers, older individuals are opting for Invisalign in Studio City CA. This form of plastic aligners are clear and invisible, compared to the very much visible bands and brackets of traditional orthodontic braces.
How can Invisalign aligners correct the alignment of your teeth?
These aligners are placed over your teeth, however, they will not fit the way that teeth whitening trays or mouthguards will. Rather, these aligners will have an ill-fit and this is necessary for the movement of teeth. When a tooth does not fit properly once the patient tries on the aligner, the forces generated will push on that tooth, allowing the same to move to its proper location. Once the tooth has started to move, your aligner will begin to feel more comfortable. This will signal your dentist that a new pair of aligners are needed to proceed with the treatment. A pair of aligners can only move teeth little by little. Hence, a number of aligners are required so that teeth can be moved sufficiently enough for your bite to be corrected.
How many pairs of aligners would you have to wear until your bite can be sufficiently corrected?
The actual number of pairs of aligners which you would have to wear until all of your teeth can be moved to their proper places will depend according to the extent of your malocclusion. For mild cases wherein only a tooth or two needs to be moved, you may have to go through as few as ten pairs of aligners. However, more severe instances can require up to 50 pairs of aligners before the bad bite can be corrected.
Can you throw away your Invisalign aligners once you are done with them?
Before you start discarding these used aligners, you first need to consult your dentist about doing so. It’s possible for your dentist to ask you re-wear sets which you have used in the past especially if there are deviances in your treatment plan.
How long will the treatment take?
Again, the actual treatment period will depend on the severity of your malocclusion problem. However, the average time it takes the Invisalign treatment to be completed would be around 12 months to 24 months or roughly a year to two years.