Invisalign® clear aligners have been gaining popularity over the past few years. Many people of all ages are intrigued by the thought of straightening their smile’s alignment without the appearance of traditional braces. The question often arises, “how does Invisalign® straighten my teeth?” After all, the aligners look so comfortable and non-assuming that it is hard to believe that they can be doing the hard work of straightening your smile. The clear aligners are custom-designed to fit your smile’s needs. Each aligner is engineered to exert just the right amount of force to gently shift your teeth at the right time.
A Customized Plan
When you and your doctor decide that Invisalign® is the best treatment for your needs, the first step you will take together is creating a custom treatment plan. Using digital scanning technology and 3D imaging software, your doctor will take intricate images and scans of your mouth and teeth. This will allow for your treatment to be mapped out to the end result and every step along the way. These plans will be sent to a fabrication laboratory where your Invisalign® clear aligners will be created. You will wear a set of aligners for one to two weeks before moving onto the next step in the process.
Incremental Progress
Each clear aligner is of crucial importance to your specific treatment plan. Each set gently shifts your teeth more and more into the final position. It is absolutely essential that your aligners are worn for at least 22 hours per day. You can take them out to eat, drink, brush, and floss, but they must remain in your mouth and on your teeth for as much time as possible. Not wearing the aligners for the instructed amount of time can result in a step not being completed, which can extend the entire treatment plan. Worn correctly, your teeth will typically move 1/10mm per aligner set. Over the course of your customized plan, your teeth can shift into the desired alignment.
Is Invisalign® right for your smile?
Talk to Dr. Cabal if you are ready to straighten your smile with Invisalign®. To schedule a consultation, call Lake Country Orthodontics in Ft. Worth, TX, at (817) 236-7846. We serve adults, teens, and children from White Settlement, North Fort Worth, Springtown, Rome, Haslet, Azle, Saginaw, and surrounding Texas communities.
