In 2022, there are more options than ever before available for adult and even teenage dental patients who want to straighten their teeth. Thanks to advances in orthodontic care, it is now possible to straighten your smile using invisible aligners.
Designed to alleviate issues associated with mild to moderate cases of dental misalignment, invisible aligners have boomed in popularity in recent years and now as many as 97% of adult dental patients are able to straighten their smiles using this method. As the name suggests, invisible aligners are the closest thing you find to an invisible orthodontic appliance and are easy to fit around daily life.
At this point, you may be wondering what the catch is but when it comes to Invisalign MacLeod, there isn’t one. And the following article aims to explore what you can expect when you approach your dentist or orthodontist about undertaking invisible aligners.
The consultation
Firstly, you need to attend the consultation during which the severity of your misalignment will be assessed by your dentist. Provided that the misalignment is located near the front of your mouth and is deemed to be mild or moderate, it’s highly likely you’ll be suitable to wear invisible aligners. Following this, an intraoral scan of your mouth will be taken and the image will be sent to a dental laboratory.
Aligner printing
The intraoral scan of your mouth is used as a base point and using computer technology, a dental technician will digitally move this image to the desired final alignment. Each step of this digital journey will then be replicated using a 3D model, which will then be printed using a 3D printer and voila! Now the aligners are ready and custom-fitted to you! In a typical set, there will be 12 to 14 and these will then be sent back to your dentist for you to collect and begin using.
Daily wear
For the aligners to work, you will need to wear them for around 22 hours per day. If you do not, your realignment process may stall or you may find that your teeth begin to revert to their previous positions. To keep your aligners clean, you simply need to rinse them under a cold water tap and should refrain from wearing them when you are eating, drinking beverages that are not cool water and when you are cleaning your teeth.
Tracking and keeping in touch
A core part of ensuring that your clear aligners work is that they are tracking correctly. That is when they are placed in your mouth, they should feel tight against your teeth but as each aligner moves your teeth, they will begin to feel looser and when they feel very wobbly, usually around two weeks with use. You should then move on to the next one. It is easy to ensure that your treatment is going as planned, as many invisible aligners come with downloadable apps for smartphones which will allow you to send images of your smile to your dentist, so you won’t need to attend dental checkups.
Prolonging results
Once the aligner is off and the treatment is completed, you will need to wear a retainer. This will be to ensure that your teeth stay where they have been moved to and that there is no recurrence of the underlying misalignment that was treated.
DISCLAIMER OFFSITE
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
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