Have you ever heard of clear orthodontics? Do you know someone who wears it but doesn’t know how it works? In this post, we will try to solve many of the most common doubts and questions in our office about this type of orthodontics.
Invisalign is invisible orthodontics and is known above all for its high aesthetics and comfort. They are transparent splints that totally adapt to the shape of your teeth, and that is why they go completely unnoticed.
In addition to its high aesthetics, Invisalign is also known for obtaining excellent results, just as we would get with conventional braces.
1. How does Invisible Orthodontics work?
This method works with a series of aligners that are removable and fully adaptable to the shape of each person’s teeth. It is a tailor-made system, totally individualized.
2. Can I eat and drink with the aligners in place?
Aligners should be removed both for eating and drinking (except water) as they may become stained and deformed if worn during meals. Even so, it won’t take you more than 30 seconds to put them on and take them off.
How many hours a day should I wear the aligners?
Aligners should be worn for at least 22 hours a day. That is, you should only take them off during meals. This is the way to make your treatment faster and more effective.
4. Can I wear them only at night?
As we have explained above, the answer is no. The most important part of this type of treatment is compliance with the hours, hence the patient’s commitment is necessary.
5. What if one day I have an event?
In the exceptional case of an event, you will be able to remove the devices if you consider it convenient. Even so, it is recommended that you comply with the prescribed hours.
6. How long does invisible orthodontic treatment last?
The treatment time will depend on each individual case. In order to answer this question, it will be necessary to study your specific case in order to give you an estimated duration of treatment. The treatment time depends on the patient’s cooperation, the type of bone and the initial malocclusion present.
7. Which cases can be corrected with Invisalign?
Today, thanks to the constant updating and improvement of this system, it is possible to treat practically all types of dental malocclusions. Even so, we must keep in mind that in some cases it will be necessary to use auxiliary systems such as micro-screws, buttons, elastics, and some brackets to assist the rotation of some teeth and even have to perform a short phase with brackets (approximately 2–3 months) to later start or finish the treatment with Invisalign aligners.
8. What are ataches?
The Invisalign system (like other invisible orthodontic systems) uses small devices attached to the tooth in different shapes to assist the movements of the aligners. That is, it uses the ataches as support points for more complicated movements.
9. When I remove the aligners, will I still have the attachments on the tooth?
Yes, the attachments are bonded to the tooth and therefore, when you remove your aligners to eat, the attachments will remain attached to your teeth. These devices are virtually unnoticeable as they are tooth-coloured.
10. When are the attachments removed?
When we completely finish the orthodontic treatment, we will remove all the attachments and your tooth will be the same as before.
11. Will I have to wear a retainer when I finish the treatment?
Whenever we finish orthodontic treatment, we place both fixed and removable retainers to ensure that the tooth (which has position memory) does not return to its original position. Patient compliance with the use of retainers is very important.
