Have you ever thought about straightening your teeth? The myriad of clear aligning options out there nowadays can be overwhelming, but here at our Chicago-based dental loft, we are here to put your wonder and questions to rest with the best of the best… Invisalign aligners! At our office, we have done a ton of Invisalign. Our patients always do their research and are well-informed, and they still come in with a few questions! I have gathered our patient’s frequently asked questions, to keep your mind at ease when aligning.
Can anyone get Invisalign treatment?
Invisalign is a very well sought out treatment for straightening your teeth, and this option is appropriate for most people. While some cases are tougher than others, in the hands of an experienced Invisalign doctor like Dr. Brittany Dickisnon, it is a very predictable way to straighten your teeth and balance your bite. We highly recommend having a thorough examination completed by your dentist prior to starting your Invisalign treatment. If you have active decay, you will need to have it cleaned up before beginning Invisalign treatment. If you have active periodontal disease, you will also to have that treated and stabilized prior to starting your Invisalign treatment.
What is the Invisalign treatment process and how long will I be in aligners?
At Sugar Fix Dental Loft, your Invisalign transformation will begin with a consultation and exam with Dr. Brittany Dickinson. She and her team will evaluate your teeth to be sure you are a good candidate and Invisalign will give you the result you want. We will also give you a treatment plan outlining the cost and approximate number of visits. If you’d like to save some time, we can even begin with your impressions and photos that same day! We take photos of all your teeth and take molds of your upper and lower teeth to send out to the Invisalign lab. The amount of time you will be in treatment will depend on how much movement is needed to give you that perfect ten smile. The aligners move your teeth a little at a time, so it makes sense that the more movement required, the more time required. We tend to take on more complex cases, so a typical case in our office will take 12-18 months to complete treatment. Simpler cases typically take less than six months. The progress of your treatment is highly dependent on your dedication to wearing your aligners. We recommended you wear your aligners at least 22 hours a day, 2 weeks at a time per aligner. You will only be taking your aligners out to eat and brush your teeth. We will see you every 10 weeks to check on your progress.
What are attachments?
Your Invisalign treatment may require having attachments placed on your teeth. Attachments are temporary tooth-colored “buttons” that are bonded onto the teeth. The purpose of the attachments is to help the aligner hold on to the slippery surface of your tooth for a more difficult movement. They will be on from start to finish of the treatment, and they will be removed after your Invisalign treatment is done, revealing a smooth, shiny, straight smile!
Is Invisalign painful?
Some people may experience minor discomfort for a few days at the beginning of each new stage of treatment when they insert a new aligner. This is a sign that your aligners are working and applying slight pressure on the teeth for movement. This is completely normal and is helping move your teeth gradually to achieve your final results. This discomfort typically goes away a couple of days after each new aligner placement.
Is there any way we can move my teeth faster?
Wearing your aligners 22 hours a day for two weeks at a time, is definitely a lot of time. Lucky for you, at our Chicago-based dental loft, we can move your teeth a fraction of the time with Propel. In short, Propel is an optional treatment that we offer at Sugar Fix to help jump-start your tooth movement so that your teeth will straighten faster. It will cut your treatment time in less than half! More precisely, Propel cuts the wear time per aligner from two weeks at a time to 4 days. For more information, you can refer to our blog about Propel.
How do I take care of my aligners?
Since you will be in treatment for a few months, it is important that the care you put into your teeth is the same attention you give to your aligners. We recommend eating with your aligners out. This will prevent the aligners from being damaged or stained. When you take your aligners to eat, have a travel toothbrush on hand to brush your teeth after or rinse with water to rid of debris. Use cool or room temperature water, hot water will distort the plastic. That includes drinking hot liquids as well. Get in the habit of cleaning your aligners regularly to keep them clear. Invisalign has cleaning crystals you can use to soak to keep them nice and clear. Clean your aligners with lukewarm water and a toothbrush. We also recommend to keep and archive each aligner after you finish with it. We recommend this just in case you lose or break an aligner. This way its not a disaster, you can simply backtrack and hold in the previous one until a replacement is made. Although you can drink cold liquids with your aligners in, keep in mind that drinks that stain the teeth will also stain your aligners. You’ll want to stick to light or clear liquids. Everytime you take your aligners out, rinse them out to get rid of any saliva. Store your aligners in your case everytime you take them out to ensure you never lose your aligners.
You deserve the smile you are proud of but we understand the questions and doubts that come with starting something new. Here at Sugar Fix Dental Loft, we take pride in the details of your smile goals! If you are looking for a cosmetic and Invisalign dentist in Chicago then look no further. Dr. Brittany Dickinson and the team are VERY excited to have you in our office and can’t wait to help you achieve to the smile of your dreams!