Invisalign Treatment

Invisalign Treatment in Rocky Mountain House
Local General Dentist in Rocky Mountain House, AB

​Invisalign clear aligners are customized to each patient and created using advanced 3D technology that allows you to view your treatment plan and anticipated end result. This means you’ll be able to see your expected end result before you even begin treatment, and can have your dream smile in mind. 

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Straighten Your Smile With Invisalign

Invisalign has become an extremely popular alternative to traditional metal braces. Invisalign is lightweight, comfortable, and almost invisible. 

Benefits of The Corrective Ability of Invisalign

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Discretion

Invisalign is particularly popular among older teenagers and adults due to its discreet, clear appearance. Unless someone is very close to you, it’s unlikely they’ll even be able to tell you’re wearing aligners.

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Invisalign allows you to get your dream smile in an almost unnoticeable way, leaving you with a clear smile for socializing, working, and going to school. You’ll have the confidence to speak up and lead in your team meetings, meet new clients over dinner, give your in-class presentation, or smile confidently on a first date. Feeling confident and happy about your smile automatically gives you a boost of self-confidence that will only continue to grow once your treatment has been completed.

Remove For Cleaning, Eating, and Drinking

One of the best parts of Invisalign treatment is the flexibility that comes with being able to remove your aligners as needed. You can have a morning coffee before work, a smoothie after your workout, or a midday snack without having to worry about anything getting caught on an attached appliance.

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You’re also able to remove your aligners when it’s time to brush and floss your teeth. While their easy removability is certainly a huge benefit that gives you a sense of normalcy during treatment, make sure you don’t leave them out of your mouth for too long, and always put them in a safe place when they’re not being used. Your aligners should be worn for a minimum of 22 hours per day, so try to keep snack and meal times as short as possible to give you more than enough time to wear them. 

Easy to Clean

Unlike traditional braces, which require a few extra steps, your clear aligners are very straightforward and easy to clean. Invisalign has a designated cleaning solution for your aligners, and all you need to do at least once per day is soak them in the solution. It should only take about 10-15 minutes to get them perfectly clean and bacteria-free. 

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Aside from soaking them, you can also gently scrub your aligners clean with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Make sure that you use a non-scented antibacterial soap for this process, and not toothpaste. The reason for this is toothpaste can discolour your trays, or even leave an obvious sheen or film on the surface. This will make them appear unclean, which will make them more noticeable in your mouth. Invisalign treatment is intended to be as discreet as possible, and taking good care of your aligners will help them to remain virtually unnoticeable! 

No Tightening = Less Dental office visits

When you have braces, you need to periodically visit our office to have your braces tightened. Because your Invisalign trays can typically be given to you in advance, there’s no need for frequent dentist appointments for adjustments. 

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You’ll still need to see your dentist, just not as regularly as a patient with traditional metal braces. Your appointments may also be shorter when they do occur, as no tweaks or adjustments will need to be made. Your appointments will typically only consist of a quick exam to make sure everything is going smoothly, your aligners are doing what they should, and that you’re comfortable with the progression of your treatment. You can also take this time to ask your dentist any questions you may have, or speak to any concerns. 

How Long Will I Have to Wear Invisalign?

One of the huge benefits of Invisalign is the ability to remove the aligners as needed. This makes everyday things like eating, drinking, and cleaning your teeth completely stress-free and totally unchanged. However, during your Invisalign treatment, you’ll have to wear your aligners for a minimum of 22 hours per day. This is necessary to guarantee your progress remains on track, and your smile is shifting and realigning at the desired pace. Failing to wear your aligners for at least 22 hours a day can result in falling behind in treatment, and not being able to move on to your next set as soon as possible.

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The total length of time you have to wear aligners will vary from patient to patient. If you only have minor issues that need to be corrected, such as one or a few crooked teeth, you may only need to go through a few aligners to achieve your new smile. However, severe malocclusions can often require more time to correct. Issues such as straightening crowded teeth or closing gaps can take anywhere from eight weeks to a year to fully correct. More complicated issues like deep bites, underbites, or overbites could require up to two years of Invisalign treatment. We will evaluate your smile before you begin your Invisalign treatment and will be able to give you a general idea of how long you’ll be wearing your aligners, as well as how many aligners you may need to complete treatment. 

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Remember that no two treatments will be identical, and your dentist will always recommend the timeline that works best for you and your needs.

How Does Invisalign Work?

We know that traditional braces use wires to pull the teeth into alignment, so how do clear aligners straighten your teeth without them? While braces are more of a one-size-fits-all treatment and can be bonded to teeth without having to first create a model, Invisalign works a little differently and is a little more customized. 

Creating Your Aligners

Once you and one of our specialists have decided that Invisalign is the best option for your orthodontic treatment, we will take impressions and photographs of your mouth. Both the photos and impressions are very detailed and will depict each side and angle of your face, neck, teeth, and jaw. This data is used to document the orthodontic issues that you’re facing, which can then be used to develop your custom set of clear aligners. 

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These computer-generated images will allow us to customize a treatment plan to target and fix any malocclusions, and will also show a preview of what the final product may look like. You’ll be able to view this treatment plan together and see your new smile right in front of you. Once you’re happy with everything and all the necessary data has been taken, we will send everything off to the lab to be created. This typically takes a couple of weeks. You can trust that all of the data that was taken will go into creating an extremely customized treatment plan that will help to meet all of your goals and expectations. It’s time to get excited! 

Switching Aligners

We’ll give you a call once your aligners arrive, and will ask you to come in for an appointment. At this time you’ll receive your aligners, and they’ll give you further and more detailed instructions for your treatment. They may give you a few pairs of aligners in advance so you’re able to switch them out and avoid an unnecessary visit to the dentist. 

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You’ll wear each set of custom aligners for about two weeks, or for however long your treatment plan indicates. Because every treatment is different, every timeline will be, too. Our specialists will tell you exactly when it’s okay to move on to the next pair of aligners, and you shouldn’t switch them out too early unless you’ve been given permission. 

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If something happens that causes you to not switch your aligners on time, or a new set of aligners won’t fit, please let us know immediately. They’ll be able to assist you with any blip in your treatment and correct the problem as soon as possible so you can get back on track to your dream smile. 

How Does It Actually Straighten My Teeth?

Now that we know what the beginning of your Invisalign journey will look like, how do the aligners actually work?

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Each set of aligners will be a little bit straighter than your teeth currently are. Your Invisalign will put gentle but constant pressure on your misaligned teeth to help slowly and accurately guide them into place. As you switch out your aligners and continue to progress through treatment, each aligner makes small adjustments to your teeth to slowly work towards your smile goals.

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These aligners put the exact amount of force necessary on your teeth to shift them, and nothing more. Your dentist will evaluate which teeth need to move and when which then plays into the amount of time you need to wear each set of aligners. Timing is everything in Invisalign treatment, as trying to shift all your teeth at once would be a recipe for disaster. Our specialists will cautiously plan out your treatment to maximize your comfort and ensure everything moves and shifts as it’s supposed to. 

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You’ll switch out your aligners until your treatment has run its’ course, and there aren’t any aligners left. When you reach this point we will examine you to make sure you’ve reached your smile goals and everything has been moved into the right place, and from there, you’re all set! 

What Happens After My Invisalign Aligners Are Removed?

The day has finally arrived! You made it through the entire duration of your treatment, and have dutifully worn every aligner up to the very last one. Now you have a beautiful smile that will last for the rest of your life!

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Once you’ve achieved your new smile, you’ll want to do everything you can to keep it straight and healthy. You don’t want all your hard work and the time you put in to go to waste! A big part of the maintenance process will be wearing a custom retainer.

At your final appointment, we will confirm your treatment has been completed, and also create your retainer. This is done using a mould, so the retainer is built specifically for you and the brand-new smile you’ve worked so hard on. 

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Once the retainer arrives from the lab, you should wear it every night while you sleep. There’s no longer a need to wear any dental equipment during the day, however, 8-10 hours of wearing a retainer each night will help make sure your smile doesn't move an inch. Over time due to various reasons your teeth can begin to shift back into their old positions, which could ruin all the hard work you’ve put into your smile. Wearing your retainer as instructed will help to make sure this doesn’t happen, and that both your teeth and your investment are protected. 

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You should also continue to take care of your teeth with the great oral hygiene routine you learned during orthodontic treatment. Brushing your teeth two times per day for two minutes, flossing once per day, and frequent dental check-ups for cleanings and exams will help to protect your smile for life!