Invisalign; an introductory guide

Eager to learn a bit more about invisible aligners before committing to them?

At Spa Dental, we have helped hundreds of patients get the straighter smiles that they want using Invisalign Sydney and would be more than happy to discuss this popular treatment option with you.

In this brief guide, we explain all you need to know about Invisalign Sydney, so you can decide if it might be the right treatment for you.

What are invisible aligners?

Well, the underlying clue is in the title; invisible aligners are visually discreet aligners! Invisalign Sydney is made from clear, but hardy plastic which is slotted over your teeth and gently pushes them into the desired positions.

They typically come in packs of 14 aligners or more, each of which is worn for around 2 weeks. They are customised to each patient’s mouth and each aligner is a step in the realignment journey, so it is advisable to wear each aligner for the required time, even if it seems superfluous.

How are they customised?

Traditional braces are fitted to someone’s mouth, using brackets and archwires along with a bit of dental cement.

Invisible aligners on the other hand are fitted using either dental moulds or intraoral scans of the mouth. This enables our team to take an accurate measurement of the starting position of the teeth. From this, we upload the images into an associated computer programme and predict digitally how your teeth will need to move to obtain your desired smile.

Once we are satisfied with the feasibility, we will then have a set of aligners printed using a 3D scanner, which will fit over your teeth for each stage of the realignment process. Hence, completely customised aligners!

Daily wear

As you may have read or guessed by now, these aligners are not fixed and thus, you can take them out whenever you want to.

We generally advise patients to remove their aligners to consume food or to drink anything besides chilled water. But, for the treatment to be successful, you must wear them for a minimum of 22 hours a day or as directed by our team. You must also keep the aligners clean, by rinsing them under a cold tap to remove food or debris. This will keep them visually discreet and of course, will prevent food or bacteria from being pressed against your enamel, leading to cavities.

If you are struggling to keep the aligners in your mouth for whatever reason, please talk to our team and we will see if we can offer a suitable alternative.

Length of wear

Most patients wear invisible aligners for between 3 to 6 months, and they are designed to correct mild to moderate misalignments limited to the front teeth.

But, as the technology has advanced, more complex issues can be treated using them and now, you can have overbites, underbites and even protrusions treated using these aligners. But with more complex issues comes extended wear and so, depending on the problem being corrected, you may need to wear your aligners for up to a year or more.

Cost of treatment

You may have concerns relating to the cost of this treatment. Luckily, we can offer financing options for suitable patients at Spa Dental, so talk to our team about this today!

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.