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 dentist.
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 dentist, they will provide you with a custom treatment plan.
Your dentist 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 dentist.
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
Once you've finished with Invisalign, you'll need to wear orthodontic retainers to keep your teeth in place while new bone grows in. It takes your body about 9 to 12 months to build up enough bone to stabilize your teeth.
You should have enough new bone around your teeth to keep them in place after 12 months. As a result, you won't need to wear your orthodontic retainers as often to keep your teeth straight. Our dentists may advise that you only wear your retainers 3–5 times per week.
Your teeth may move forward and inward as you get older, though they won't move as much once the jawbone regains bone tissue. This isn't a change that occurs suddenly, but rather over decades. This is yet another reason to see your dentist for an examination regularly!
What Happens If You Lose Your Retainer
If you lose your retainer, make an appointment with our Ottawa dental office right away. Whether you dropped your retainer on your lunch tray, the dog ate it, or it broke, we can get you fitted for a new retainer as soon as possible so you don't lose any orthodontic treatment progress. We'll take impressions of your teeth during your appointment to create a new retainer.