Common Questions About Invisalign Treatments
Posted on March 9, 2023
Invisalign is one of the most popular invisible aligner brands in the US. Invisalign replaces the brackets and wires of traditional braces with a series of mouthguard-like plastic devices called “aligners.” The aligners sit around your teeth and apply slight, gradual pressire into the teeth, moving them into the correct position. Invisalign is so successful that they boast to have improved over 14 million smiles, including over 3 million teen smiles, since its invention in 1996, according to Align Technology, Inc.
What is Invisalign Made Of?
Invisalign clear aligners are made of a thin, tough, flexible material called SmartTrack. This material is proprietary to the brand itself and specific to Invisalign. It’s not shared with any other orthodontics aligner.
I Have Bridgework, Can Invisalign Help My Teeth?
Because Invisalign aligners fit tight to your teeth, they are not suited to work with a bridge, which straddles multiple teeth to reinforce weakened or damaged teeth.
How Long Do I Need To Wear My Aligners?
Invisalign aligners are typically worn for 6 to 12 months, about half the time of traditional orthodontics. You should also be wearing your aligners for at least 22 hours a day in order to see the desired results, according to Healthline.
Can I Take Out My Aligners When I Need To?
Invisalign aligners are designed to be taken out when needed. You are allowed to remove them for eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing. You can take them off for special occasions, for job interviews, for playing sports and musical wind instruments as well.
How Do I Care for My Aligners?
Invisalign can be brushed with a toothbrush and toothpaste if you have no other means of caring for them. Your orthodontist will most likely prescribe alternative cleaning materials for you, though. Make sure that you’re using your orthodontics cleaning materials regularly to keep your aligners clean and fresh.
Can I Wear Invisalign as a Mouthguard?
Invisalign and mouthguards may look similar, but they have very different functions. Mouthguards are designed to cushion and spread forces over the entire jaw to prevent a single tooth from taking enough force to rip it out. Invisalign is designed to apply force to each tooth to move it to the right place. Orthodontists who prescribe Invisalign recommend not wearing Invisalign as a mouthguard.
Invisalign aligners are the world’s most popular removable orthodontics aligners. Thin, clear, and comfortable, they can be virtually invisible while you’re wearing them, and this is only the start of the many possibilities they can bring you. Give us a call today to get started on your journey to a brighter, straighter smile!