The 3 Stages of Invisalign Treatment

Getting Invisalign in San Diego is a predictable, discreet, and efficient process. By understanding what you can expect from clear aligners ahead of time, your care with our dentist in Downtown San Diego will meet (and exceed) your smile expectations. Straightening your teeth with clear aligners is extremely successful.

Here’s what to plan for:

Your Consultation and Treatment Planning

The first stage of Invisalign is your initial consultation. This is where you find out if Invisalign is right for you and what you can expect before committing to treatment. During your visit, we’ll evaluate your oral health, anatomical concerns, and needs related to preventive dentistry (San Diego) to determine if aligning your teeth is beneficial to your overall wellness and oral function.

As part of the comprehensive exam for Invisalign in San Diego, we’ll need to take a series of X-rays, scans, and photographs. All of this information is compiled into the Invisalign software to map out how the clear aligners will move your teeth. From there, we can tell how many pairs of aligners you’ll need and the amount of time required to straighten your smile.

Once we compile your treatment plan, incorporate your estimated insurance coverage, and discuss financing options available, you’ll be presented with a written treatment plan that outlines all of the details involved. This will include everything from the estimated treatment duration to the total fees involved. Be sure to ask about our affordable payment plans.

Wearing Clear Aligners (in Downtown San Diego)

The main phase of Invisalign treatment involves wearing clear aligners. It’s extremely important that you wear your trays as directed. If you do not, your results can be delayed or complicated.

For most individuals, you’ll want to wear Invisalign at least 22 hours a day, only removing your trays to eat, drink, brush, and floss. Always remove them during meals and rinse your mouth before putting Invisalign back in.

Invisalign aligners need to be changed out at precise moments as you progress onto the next pair of trays in the series. This pattern adjusts your biting relationships and tooth alignment, as opposed to wearing fixed brackets and wires that have to be adjusted.

Since we send your aligners home with you in advance, we’ll only need to see you for brief visits about once every other month. During your appointments, we’ll monitor your progress and fine-tune your treatment plan if necessary. You’ll take several more trays home with you to continue with your treatment. Most people complete their Invisalign treatment in about a year, but it can vary from 6-24 months.

Completion and Retention

Once you complete the final stages of your Invisalign treatment, you need a way to retain the progress you’ve made. Without a retention system, teeth naturally start to drift back to where they came from. Even the muscle movements when you swallow or speak can gently press on teeth and cause them to drift. Fortunately, retainers will preserve your investment.

Depending on your smile and personal preferences, most of our Invisalign patients will only need a set of rigid, removable retainers. These clear retainers are nearly identical to the Invisalign trays that you wear throughout the duration of the treatment. However, occasionally there is also a need for fixed retainers. These retainer designs are small metal wires that are bonded on the back of the teeth (typically just the lower front teeth, but sometimes the upper ones as well.)

Wearing your retainer as prescribed will help you to keep your smile straight for decades to come.

Am I a Candidate for Invisalign?

For clear aligners in Downtown San Diego, entrust your smile to AlignBar. Options like Invisalign and preventative dentistry (San Diego) can help you enjoy a healthier smile while lowering your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and TMJ disorder. Contact our dentist in Downtown San Diego today to reserve your no-fuss consultation.