The process
To begin, we will need to conduct a consultation and examination. This examination will involve reviewing the patient’s medical history, current state of health, any pre-existing conditions or prescribed medications we need to know about and the position of the patient’s teeth. We will then take a mold of the patient’s teeth and measurements. With all of this information, we will send it to the lab to create the Invisalign® trays.
After creating the trays, we will then meet with the patient to ensure that they fit and that the patient understands all of the steps in the straightening process. It is important that the patient understand a few key factors about wearing Invisalign® on a regular basis.
Wearing the aligners for at least 22 hours per day
While the patient can remove Invisalign® trays when necessary, the patient will want to keep them in as much as possible. The longer the patient does not wear the trays for, the longer the entire process will take. Patients need to remove the aligner trays when eating and to brush the teeth.
Patients can also remove the aligner trays to play in a sports game, give a presentation, go on a date, or while taking a photo. It is important to at least rinse the mouth after eating to keep food from getting caught in the teeth.
Staying on schedule
Since we do not need to adjust Invisalign® aligners at our office as one might need to adjust braces, patients do not need to make as many checkup appointments. In fact, by customizing the aligner trays, we do not need to have the patient come in for regular orthodontic checkups.
The patient will be able to continue through each aligner tray and follow a schedule with no surprises. By following the schedule, the patient’s teeth will continue to move into the proper position without pain.
