Learn How Invisalign® Aligners Are Created

The Invisalign process starts with an examination at our offices. There are very few circumstances where this product is not recommended to straighten teeth, but we want to make sure you are not one of those few individuals. Typically this is a very short visit, during which we will also make sure that you have no underlying issues that could delay or hamper the straightening process. Once we determine that you are a good fit for moving forward, the next step we will take is to get all the records we need to make the Invisalign aligners. One important point to note is that Invisalign® does not work with children since their teeth are still growing and developing. This product is for teens and adults who have already gotten their full set of adult teeth.

During the first stage, we will take a lot of measurements, x-rays, dental impressions of your teeth, and photographs. The objective is to provide the lab with an ideal scenario of what your teeth look like, and the only way to do that is to give them detailed measurements. Fundamentally the dental impressions are so that a replica of your teeth can be made using 3D modeling. This is where the technicians at Invisalign® take over.

The technicians at the company will scan your dental impressions and using these will create a 3D model of your teeth on their computer. Having it on the computer is extremely useful since it allows us, the dentist, to view them remotely. You can also view them as the patient. On this 3D model, the technicians gradually move the teeth into position, mimicking the exact pattern the aligners will follow in moving your teeth into position. From our perspective, we can make adjustments, giving the technicians instructions on tweaking the movements so that it is exactly how we want the teeth to move. This gives us much more control over the process and gets your teeth into exactly the position that we want them to be.

Once we are satisfied with the movement, and final position of the teeth, the technicians will get the go ahead to fabricate the aligners. This is a critical element of Invisalign. Each patient gets a unique, individualized plan based on their specific teeth. The aligners are then built to move the teeth exactly in keeping with this plan and based on a gradual pressure movement basis. Over the course of your treatment, each new set of aligners will be offset by around 1/10mm per tray. What this means is the tray will gradually force your teeth to be straighter by 1/10th of a millimeter. Once the aligner fits your teeth perfectly, they are to be worn for two weeks and then you will move on to the next aligner that once again, moves your teeth.

It is important to wear the aligners at least 20 hours a day. Since the plan is based on the gradual movement of the teeth and tied to a very tight timeline, not wearing the aligners for sufficient amounts of time can result in the teeth not moving enough and the new aligners not fitting well at all. By following the treatment plan, you will have straight teeth in no time.

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