When you are an adult who has misaligned teeth at the front of your mouth, you may be looking for a straightforward way to realign your smile without having to use a standard fitted dental brace.
And now, you’re in luck! In the last 10 years, there has been an increase in the number of dental surgeries being able to offer their suitable patients invisible aligners. As the name suggests, these are standard dental aligners which visually look similar to a sports guard, but are made from clear plastic. So, when they are placed over your teeth, you cannot see them unless you are really looking hard!
While this may all sound great, you may be curious as to how you actually go about getting invisible aligners like Invisalign Wagga, and this article will aim to break down the process for you.
The consultation
The first step involves visiting your dentist, who will need to ensure that you are suitable to wear invisible aligners.
Although the technology has advanced a lot in the last 10 years, invisible aligners are designed to deal with mild to moderate cases of dental misalignment and cannot be used to correct issues that are occurring with the molar teeth, protrusions or teeth that require rotation. If your dentist determines that you are suitable, then an intraoral scan will be taken of your teeth which will then be sent to a dental laboratory.
The aligners are made!
The aligners are made using a 3D printer and in a standard set of dental aligners, there will be 12 to 14 different aligners. These are created using computer technology and your initial intraoral scan as a base. Using the computer to determine the steps needed to move your teeth from this initial scan to the desired position, each aligner will be created to represent each stage and will then be sent back to your dental surgery for you to pick up.
Daily wear
When it comes to the daily wear of invisible aligners, most dental teams will advise you to wear them for around 22 hours per day, in order to ensure that they have enough time to move your teeth. You should remove the aligners when you are eating food, drinking beverages that are not cold water or brushing your teeth. But other than this, you should aim to keep them in. Keeping them clean is straightforward too, and all you need to do is rinse them under a cold water tap and remove any debris with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
Check-ups via phone?
When it comes to using the majority of brands that create invisible aligners, there is a downloadable app for a smartphone. This will allow you to send images of your smile and your teeth once a week to the dental team who are overseeing your care, enabling them to assess whether or not the treatment is progressing as planned. This will also reduce time spent in the dental practice and will make the whole process easier to fit into a daily schedule.
Retainers
Once the treatment is completed and your teeth are straightened, you will need to wear a retainer. This is to ensure that your teeth stay where they have been moved to and to prevent them from moving back to their original positions.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.