13 Things to Know Before You Get Invisalign

Invisalign is one of the best options you can choose to get the perfect smile you’ve always been dreaming of, but just like all other treatments, it has its pros and cons. It pays to be well-informed before getting Invisalign, especially because its significantly more expensive than regular braces.

The following are 13 important things to know before getting Invisalign:

1. You need to visit your dentist before getting the treatment.

After checking your teeth, your dentist will know for certain what needs to be done for you to be ready for Invisalign treatment. Considering that you’d be regularly visiting your dentist in the coming months, it’s good if you feel comfortable with him/her.

2. The total payment varies, depending on your individual case.

In general, complex cases are more expensive than ones that only need simple treatments. It is important to talk to your dentist about the costs before agreeing to Invisalign treatment.

3. Invisalign aligners are nearly invisible.

A number of users shared that their aligners were nearly invisible that many of their friends didn’t even know they were wearing Invisalign.

4. Aligners are worn for 2 weeks each.

The goal is to move your teeth at a slow but steady pace. This is the reason why you will need many Invisalign aligners throughout the course of treatment. You will need to wear each set for at 2 weeks each.

5. You might need attachments.

These small pieces allow the aligners to have better grip on your teeth. The attachments are particularly needed at areas that need complex movement. Your dentist will make sure the attachments will be the same color as your enamel so these won’t make your aligners visible.

6. You might need interproximal reduction.

As much as possible, dentists wouldn’t like to remove good teeth just to provide room for the crooked ones to properly align with the others. That’s the reason why interproximal reduction might be necessary.

The dentist will strip portions of the enamel from good teeth to give the others space to be straighter. The procedure is not going to be painful and it’s perfectly safe to do.

7. You need to regularly visit your dentist.

You need to visit the clinic every 6-8 weeks for your dentist to check on your progress, make necessary adjustments or do interproximal reduction as needed, and to give your next sets of aligners.

The dentist will likely give you 3-4 sets at a time, enough to the next few weeks until you need to visit the clinic again.

8. You might experience sore or tender gums.

While the adjustment is slow, you could experience sore or tender gums because your teeth do move with each change in the aligners. But Invisalign treatment is generally pain-free.

9. You need to adjust your lifestyle.

Invisalign is supposed to work for most cases, but you have to make lifestyle changes to make the most of your investment. This means agreeing to wear the aligners for at least 22 hours a day and not taking them off even if you are sleeping or out on a date!

10. You don’t need to change your diet.

Thankfully, you don’t need to make drastic changes in your diet, but you need to adjust your eating habits because you can’t use Invisalign while eating. You’re allowed to drink cold water with the aligners still in place but eating or drinking anything else requires that you take these off.

11. You need to brush more than usual.

The best way to keep your aligners clean and invisible is to avoid colored food and to brush them after every meal – even if it’s just a snack or a cup of coffee! It’s a good idea to keep a travel toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste handy at all times.

12. This can affect your speech.

During the first few days of using Invisalign, you might have trouble adjusting with the aligners and your speech could be affected. But as your tongue adjusts to the aligners, your speech will quickly go back to normal.

13. You will need retainers for life.

After you complete the treatment, you will most likely need to wear retainers for life. This is done to prevent your teeth from going back to their crooked position. Your dentist will know what to do and which retainers you would need, but most patients will get a bonded retainer plus removable clear retainers for bedtime use alongside the regular retainers.

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