What is Invisalign?
Invisalign clear aligners are a series of clear, custom-made aligners that straighten your teeth without the use of traditional metal and wires. They are designed to be a discrete option for straightening your smile.
As you wear each set of aligners, generally for about two weeks each, they will make tiny adjustments to your teeth.
The length of your treatment plan will depend on your specific needs and can be determined by your orthodontist.
During your treatment, you can remove your custom aligners for eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing.
Before Treatment
Before you start your treatment, you may have crooked, misaligned, or gapped teeth. Invisalign can help treat any one of these issues or a combination of them.
After attending a consultation with your orthodontist, they will provide you with a custom treatment plan.
Your orthodontist can also use accurate digital scans and the Invisalign Outcome Simulator to show you how you can expect your teeth to look at the end of your treatment.
No matter the issue being treated, you must follow the plan prescribed by your orthodontist.
After Treatment
Your results after Invisalign will depend on your treatment plan, but overall you can expect to see straighter teeth.
You may also see an improved bite or a reduction in the gaps between your teeth.
What To Expect Long Term
When you stop wearing Invisalign, you must wear orthodontic retainers to keep your teeth in place while new bone is deposited. It takes your body about 9 to 12 months to build up enough bone to stabilize the teeth.
After a year, you should have enough new bone around your teeth to keep them in place. As a result, you won't need to wear your orthodontic retainers as frequently to maintain your straight smile. Our orthodontists may advise you to wear your retainers only 3 to 5 times per week.
While your teeth will not move as dramatically once the jawbone has recovered bone tissue, they may move forward and inward as you age. This transformation does not occur overnight, but rather over several decades. This is yet another reason why it is critical to visit your orthodontist regularly for an examination!
What Happens If You Lose Your Retainer
If you lose your retainer, make an appointment with our Montreal dental office right away. We can get you fitted for a new retainer as soon as possible so you don't lose the progress you made with orthodontic treatment, whether you accidentally threw out your retainer on your lunch tray, the dog ate it, or it broke. We'll take impressions of your teeth during your appointment to create a new retainer.
