With clear aligners, like Invisalign and Angel Aligners, a digital scan is taken of your teeth and bite and I do a very detailed and thorough 3-dimensional treatment simulation to ideally position your teeth and correct your bite. This process is super critical because it is the design of your treatment plan which is then used to create the set of trays that you will wear to straighten your teeth.

A set of trays typically has 5-40 trays depending on the complexity of your treatment. Each tray is worn for 7 days before switching to the next tray in the set.

The trays need to be worn for 20-22 hours each day before changing to the next tray. Typically, I give my patients 6-10 trays at a time, so I will see you every 6-10 weeks during your treatment to monitor your progress and make sure that treatment is going as planned.

A key factor in clear aligner treatment success is wearing the trays all the time (ie. 22 hours a day) except when eating or brushing. Forgetting to put the trays in or leaving them out for extended periods leads to inefficient tooth movement and results.

Another important aspect of clear aligner treatment are attachments. These are tooth-colored pads that are placed on some of your teeth to give the tray better contact and facilitate efficient tooth movement. The pads are usually only 1-4mm in size, blend with your teeth and  are generally easy to adapt to. Attachments are usually present on at least of your teeth for the duration of the clear aligner treatment and they are usually placed right before you receive your first set of trays.

Did you know that clear aligners straighten your teeth and also correct your bite? Rubber bands can be used with clear aligners for bite correction similarly to braces. Depending on the bite and severity, you may or may not need rubber bands during your treatment but it’s an available option when needed. The rubber bands can be attached directly to the teeth when connected to a button that is glued on the specific teeth needing rubber bands. Alternatively, the rubber bands can be attached directly to the trays. Angel aligners have the wonderful feature of having rubber band attachments connected directly to your tray. It’s fantastic.

After the first set of trays, I evaluate your teeth and bite and typically take a second digital scan to order a second set of trays to perfect the final teeth and bite positions. This set of trays is called the Refinement set. The Refinement set of trays typically has less than 20 trays. After the Refinement set of trays are completed, your treatment is usually completed.

After treatment is completed, the attachments are removed and your teeth are polished to reveal your beautiful, confident new smile and healthy bite. You will then get retainers, which are worn night-time for lifetime to maintain your treatment result.

Interested in learning more about getting clear aligners to correct your bite or straighten your teeth? Schedule a free consultation and I’d love to talk to you about clear aligner treatment for you.

Thank you for your time and join me next time for the Pros and Cons of Aligner Treatment.