Invisalign in Sunbury

The Invisalign process begins with a consultation in our office, where Dr. Miller will perform an oral exam to assess the severity of your misalignment and identify any bite problems. Digital x-rays will be taken to rule out oral health problems. 

If we determine that your orthodontic case isn’t too complex to be corrected with Invisalign, we will take impressions of your teeth and send them to the Invisalign lab that will create your aligners. 

We will determine if you need any attachments to help the aligners do their job. If so, composite resin buttons will be bonded to your teeth to help anchor the aligners. Using your impressions, a highly realistic 3D model of your teeth will be created to digitally plan your treatment and tooth movements.

You can see what your final alignment will look like on this software. A mold of your teeth is created using your teeth impressions and this is used to create your aligners. 

Once we have received your aligners, you will pick them up and begin your treatment plan by wearing the aligners for 22 hours per day and switching out your aligners every 2 weeks. Each set of aligners will progressively shift your teeth until they become straight. 

You will also attend routine appointments every 6 weeks so you can receive more aligners and check on your treatment progress. At the end of treatment, any attachments will be filed off and you will wear a retainer to maintain your results.

Invisalign can correct a variety of orthodontic problems, including crooked or misaligned teeth, small to moderate gaps, overcrowding, and bite problems. Invisalign can correct all sorts of bite problems thanks to the advent of Invisalign attachments and elastics. However, there are still some limitations. Invisalign may not be suitable for severe bite problems.

Attachments help exert extra pressure onto certain teeth that can’t rotate with aligners alone. When paired with elastics, this can also shift the jaws forward or backward to correct bite problems, something that Invisalign was previously unable to do many years ago.

This depends on the severity of your orthodontic problems. Some patients will have a very short treatment time, such as 6 months for small gaps, while others with more severe malocclusions could need to wear Invisalign for a few years. The average length of treatment is 12-18 months and most patients enjoy a shortened length of treatment compared to metal braces.

To care for your aligners, you need to clean them twice a day with a soft bristle toothbrush and either denture cleaning solution or Invisalign cleaning crystals. You should soak your aligners once a day for a deeper clean, but don’t soak them for longer than 15 minutes.

Remember to remove them before eating and drinking hot or flavored beverages. Brush and floss your teeth after eating before putting your aligners back in. Store your aligners in their storage case when you aren’t wearing them so they don’t become lost or damaged and rinse your aligners when taking them out and before placing them back over your teeth.

Invisalign is a unique orthodontic treatment that enables you to correct misaligned teeth without disrupting your smile. 

You can also eat a restriction-free diet, feel more comfortable due to gentle pressure on your teeth, and the removability of the aligners makes treatment more hygienic. Contact us at Shine Dental today to schedule a consultation with our Sunbury dental team and find out if Invisalign is right for you.