For the right patient, invisible braces like Invisalign are a breath of fresh air compared to fixed metal or ceramic braces. Made from clear, smooth plastic, these aligners gently move the teeth into their proper place without irritating or pushing out the lips. Invisalign is almost completely unnoticeable, even from close distances and wearers appreciate being able to remove the aligners to eat and care for their teeth. However, this level of freedom comes with a greater need for patient responsibility. Failing to follow your treatment plan will result in disappointment, longer treatment times, and frustration.
Top Three Ways to Mess Up Your Invisalign Treatment
An Invisalign treatment plan refers to specific instructions on how many hours per day you need to wear your aligners and how many days you need to wear each aligner before switching to the next one in the series. How closely your follow this treatment plan has a direct impact on how long your overall treatment will take. Be sure to avoid making mistakes that could extend your treatment period, such as:
- Wearing your aligner less than what your orthodontist specifies. If your orthodontist instructs you to wear your aligner for 22 hours a day, it’s in your best interest to wear that aligner for 22 hours a day.
- Jumping to the next aligner before you’re supposed to. Some Invisalign wearers will attempt to speed up their treatment time by switching to a new aligner before they’re instructed to do so. Your teeth need time to move and how much time they need has been determined by your orthodontist and the experts at the Invisalign labs. Unless you’re an orthodontist (and if you were, you’d know better) wear each aligner for as many days as your treatment plan specifies.
- Forgetting to wear your aligner. The rule of thumb for cases like this is: for every one hour you forget to wear your aligner, expect to wear the aligners for an additional 24 hours. If you can’t handle the responsibility of remembering your trays, you may benefit more from fixed orthodontics like ceramic bracket braces.
About Dr. Cabal
Dr. Ciro Cabal is a dedicated family orthodontist whose lifelong passion for providing exceptional dental care continues to this day as he serves patients of all ages from Ft. Worth, Azle, Saginaw, Springtown, Weatherford, Haslet, and the surrounding communities. To schedule an appointment to discuss invisible braces at our Ft. Worth orthodontist’s office, call Lake Country Orthodontics today at (817) 236-7846.
