How Does Invisalign Work?

Do you find yourself hiding your imperfect smile when taking pictures? If so, it may be time to learn more about Invisalign from the great dentists at Isaacson Gentle Dentistry, Dr. Dan Isaacson, Dr. Mike Weisbrod, and Dr. Tara Peterson, at their office located in White Bear Lake, MN.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a name brand of clear, plastic aligners custom-fitted to fit over your teeth like retainers to straighten your smile over time. The plastic is flexible and designed to be a more comfortable alternative to metal braces.

As your teeth move, our dentists provide new Invisalign aligners every few weeks or so to keep them gradually moving into their desired position. The process is less restrictive than what comes with traditional braces.

Traditional braces target each tooth individually, leading to more extended therapy requirements, but Invisalign shifts all your teeth together to provide a straighter smile faster.

What Can Invisalign Fix?

Invisalign treats more than an overbite. It treats:

• underbites
• crossbites
• gap teeth
• open bite
• crowded teeth
• misaligned teeth

How Does Invisalign Work?

As mentioned, Invisalign is a quicker way to give you a straight smile. You wear clear plastic aligners every day and night, only removing them to eat and clean your teeth and aligners. Since they are easily removable, you can clean your teeth and the aligners with a toothbrush and floss.

Invisalign Treatment Steps

When you start your Invisalign therapy, you will take the following steps:

1. Make a consultation appointment with Dr. Isaacson, Dr. Weisbrod, or Dr. Peterson. The dentist evaluates your smile and maps out a customized digital treatment plan that provides your smile's step-by-step transformation during your meeting.
2. The dentist takes a digital scan of your teeth and X-rays of the jaw bone.
3. The dentist then makes a mold of your smile to custom-create your Invisalign trays.
4. Mold is sent for processing.
5. When you pick up your first set of aligners, you will wear them day and night during your treatment plan, typically 6-18 months.
6. You may have routine check-ups with your dentist during treatment to ensure the aligners fit correctly and comfortably.
7. Every two weeks or so, you will pick up a new set of aligners.
8. At the end of treatment, you may require additional aligners to help create an ideal smile, or your dentist may recommend a retainer to prevent re-shifting of your teeth.

Thanks to Invisalign's innovation and technology, they are leaders in their field and offer an effective teeth alignment tool that proved more significant than traditional wire braces.

If you would like to learn more about Invisalign, call the dentists at Isaacson Gentle Dentistry, White Bear Lake, MN, Dr. Isaacson, Dr. Weisbrod, or Dr. Peterson for a consultation appointment today (651) 762-7677.