How does Invisalign work?
At Abbey Road Dental, we take great delight in incorporating new and innovative dental technologies into the quality of dental care we provide our patients. As a patient-centred dental practice, we aim to make dental treatment plans efficient and effective. It is with this aim in mind that we include Invisalign in St John’s Wood as part of our service menu.
We recognise that patients presenting with orthodontic issues like dental overcrowding, gaps between teeth and misaligned teeth can face aesthetic and functional challenges. In our experience of many years in the service of dental care, we have found that Invisalign in St John’s Wood is a teeth-correcting system that gifts the patient many advantages,
Advantages that include comfort, convenience, aesthetics and removability are made possible due to the device’s distinctive design. It is this design that also fascinates patients as it is so far removed from what traditional orthodontic instruments look like and the way they function.
An Invisalign in St John’s Wood treatment plan is based on wearing a series of aligners, rather than a single device that remains affixed to teeth for the duration of the treatment plan. For those wanting to know how aligners are made from plastic with no metal parts, we thought to provide you with a brief and simple explanation.
How Invisalign works to align teeth
There are a number of design features that distinguish Invisalign aligner trays from traditional teeth-correcting instruments. Firstly, the aligners are made completely of thermoplastic material. These aligners are especially made to each patient’s individual specifications.
The aligner trays are so flexible as to make them easily removable and then re-inserted without the need of a dentist’s assistance. With no metal components and no need for manual adjustments, how then do Invisalign’s aligners work?
The first step is the digital scanning that takes place at the consultation appointment. The digital scans are used to determine the extent of the orthodontic problem and allows our dentist to devise an individualised treatment plan (number of aligners needed, interval change schedule, and duration of treatment). Through this digital technology, patients can also be provided with images of what their new smile will look like after treatment.
The secret to Invisalign’s magic is the intuitive technologies incorporated into each aligner. The SmartTrack technology is the driving force behind Invisalign’s effectiveness.
Each aligner in the custom-made set specifically targets the gradual movement of teeth in precise, gentle increments.
Patients are usually asked to wear each aligner for a period of 1 to 2 weeks and for a minimum of 20 to 22 hours a day. The aligners may only be removed to eat, drink and brush and floss teeth. As water is a clear liquid, patients can drink water with the aligners on without fear of staining or warping the trays.
For an Invisalign treatment plan to yield desirable results at the expected time, patients must stick religiously to the interval change schedule prescribed by our dentists. Any deviation from this change schedule may delay the duration of treatment.
If you have any specific questions regarding how Invisalign works or would like a consultation to determine suitability, please get in touch with us at Abbey Road Dental.