Invisalign with Orsatti Dental in San Antonio- So over the last few weeks we’ve been telling you about some of the services that we get asked about the most. Aside from general care and maintenance, which we will get to in a future article, dental implants are right at the top of the list. But the next immediate thing that we get asked about is Invisalign. Now because there has been a lot of great marketing around Invisalign, there is also some great understanding about it. However, we have discovered that patients want a more clear picture of how the Invisalign treatment will effect and benefit them.

Everyone wants great looking teeth, but sometimes due to genetics and the way our permanent teeth grow in, not everything aligns perfectly the way that we would like for it to. There are plenty of treatments for this, braces is one way to go, but our patients prefer the Invisalign treatment. Braces and Invisalign seems very similar, and in a lot of cases they do the same things. But what really sets Invisalign apart from braces is just the simple fact that there are no bands, no wires and true to its name it can’t really be seen.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign

This is simple, it is just a modern way of straightening your teeth without wires and in just about every case that we run into, it is just as effective. If there is abnormal spacing or other severe cases, braces still may be the way to go, but for most other cases, we love the Invisalign treatment. They are clear, smooth plastic aligners that are custom molded to your teeth that just snap into place. Then every couple of weeks or so, you pull out one tray and insert a new set of aligners that slowly straighten your teeth. Easy.

How do I get started with Invisalign?

This is also very easy. First we will schedule a consultation with you. When we do this, we will do a thorough examination to make sure there aren’t any other pressing dental needs before even discussing the Invisalign treatment for you. In a lot of cases we see, a patient needs a cavity filled or other regular dental maintenance first. Generally we do find that this is the case with most patients, especially ones that have not been to the dentist in some time. So whether you need a filling or just a standard cleaning we will make sure and take care of that for you before we start your Invisalign treatment. Now one thing to keep in mind is that the treatment for Invisalign is not a short one and together, we will determine if this is right for you and schedule a consultation for you where one of our technicians will utilize 3D imaging technology that will virtually project how your teeth will shape over time with the Invisalign product. This is one of the things that we love the most because it allows us to show you the potential results and let’s you know what you should be expecting before you commit to the treatment. Then, once you decide to go forward with Invisalign, a mold of your teeth will be made for each phase of the Invisalign treatment.

How Invisalign is Better than Braces

One of the biggest benefits to this treatment is right in the name. It is virtually invisible. Your spouse, co-workers, neighbors, bank teller, basically anyone that you interact with will not see a mouth full of metal when you smile. We cannot tell you how many patients we talk to that mention this part of the treatment. Think about it. If you don’t have to, do you really want to have metal wires in your mouth? Most of our patients opt not to. Now just like braces, at the beginning of each treatment, there is some discomfort. But over the long run, most all of our patients can testify that the Invisalign treatment is more comfortable than braces. Braces can also cause abrasions and make eating more painful. The simple fact that you can remove the Invisalign liners for meals and dental care is another reason patients prefer this treatment over braces.

Invisalign with Orsatti Dental in San Antonio, Texas

Now we’ve spent a lot of time going over why Invisalign is better than braces. But I think by now if you haven’t considered the treatment, then we haven’t written this correctly. The simple fact is that if you are a teen who has all your permanent teeth, but just a few crooked teeth, or an overbite or your teeth aren’t aligned correctly this treatment is for you. We all remember how self conscious we were when we were teens, well at least I do. This is by far one of the best treatment for teens whose adult teeth are fully grown in.

Invisalign Attachments and Your Schedule

One thing that people don’t really tell you about Invisalign is the need for “attachments” to be, well, attached to your teeth. Attachments are these little buttons that we will put on to your teeth, and this is what the Invisalign will “hold” on to. Now it is good to understand that these attachments will be on your teeth for the duration of your Invisalign treatment. We don’t remove them until your treatment is complete, so even when you do take the trays out of your mouth, you will still feel these little bumps on your teeth. Just know that they serve a purpose and will be removed when your treatment is complete. As you get the attachments, your doctor will also provide you with your first set of Invisalign trays. The length of treatment for your first set of trays varies person to person, but generally a doctor will give you 4-6 different trays that will last you between 10 -14 days each. Ideally you would see your doctor every 6 weeks so that you are able to check out your progress as well as get a new set of trays for the next 6 weeks. Going to the doctor so much can seem very time consuming, but if you and your doctor are on the same page, those visits can be really short. Just a quick check in. The doctor takes a look to make sure everything is proceeding along as planned, you pick up your new trays and you are on your way.

Now that we’ve talked about the treatment a bit, I wanted to give you some things that people don’t really expect about the Invisalign treatment.

We did mention it earlier in this article, but having Invisalign is a little bit uncomfortable. You are in fact putting a foreign plastic object on your teeth that stays there so it does take some getting used to. Even when you think you may be used to it, it is then time to pop out your tray and put a new one in. Then the brief soreness and getting used to the new tray starts all over again. So to say the treatment is free of soreness and pain would be a misrepresentation.

Yes, it’s really cool and there is a lot of technology behind it, and yes you can remove them when you eat. However, if you don’t brush or floss after you eat and before you put your aligners back in, all the bacteria from the food starts to build up. This can lead to the aligners developing a bad smell to them. This is really easy to fix, and in fact you don’t even need to fix it. Just remember that after you eat, make sure to brush and floss as soon as possible. This actually leads to another common mistake that people make with their Invisalign. Whenever you go out with them, whether you are going to the gym, to have coffee, out to eat…really wherever. Make sure you take your Invisalign tray with you to keep them in if you ever decide to remove them. Everywhere we go there is a chance that if you set your Invisalign down on a table, or put them in your purse you have an increased risk of picking up bacteria.

You should also be prepared because discoloration of the trays will happen. What should you do about it? Well what you shouldn’t do is eat a lot of lemon sherbet or anything that can accelerate discoloration. We will give you a regiment to help you take care of your Invisalign and help mitigate the discoloration, but please understand that no matter how much you play by the rules, discoloration will happen. You can take them out when you eat and drink only water with your meals. It’ll happen. The good thing is, that if your aligners do start to get discolored, you will be changing them out fairly regularly, so the discoloration won’t last for more than a week or so. If you just can’t stand the yellow discoloration and it is more than a week before you change out your aligners, you can use a fizzy denture cleaner to help. You can also get a non abrasive toothpaste and use an electric toothbrush to help clean out all the little crevices in the Invisalign where discoloration can occur and build up. I would also recommend getting some tongue cleaners as well. Obviously your tongue can harbor a ton of bacteria. So doing everything you can to keep your tongue clean can help. So the cleaner your mouth is before you put the aligners back in the better you will look and the better you will feel.

Now girls, if you love wearing red lipstick, or any dark lipstick for that matter, you may want to switch that up during your treatment as this is something that is extremely difficult to remove from your Invisalign if you do get a lipstick stain on them. Be prepared to say hello to clear lipgloss, or even Vaseline is a good substitute to keep your lips moist. The whole point of this being that you should just know that some discoloration will happen. Iit is part of the process and know that you will be changing to new clean trays every 10-14 days.

Your Invisalign Treatment

Invisalign treatment time can vary. Some patients only need Invisalign for 5 months while others need it for longer. The general average time that a patient needs the treatment is for 6 months. It may turn out that you will start to see results almost immediately. It’s true. A vast number of patients see results within the first couple of weeks if not sooner. Now this doesn’t mean that the treatment is only a couple of weeks at all. For your teeth to stay in place, they need the treatment regularly and for the full term that your dentist is recommending. There are rare cases in which your treatment can go longer than originally anticipated, but again this is very rare and as you see your dentist he or she can help you understand why there is a need to extend the treatment.

All in all if you decide that Invisalign is the way to go for you we absolutely believe that you will be pleased with the process and even more pleased with the results. From your initial consultation and through each step in the process of your treatment, we will do everything to answer all of your questions in as much detail as possible and address any concerns you have about your treatment. Hopefully, if you’ve made it this far reading this article you have a lot of the basic knowledge that you would need when undergoing this treatment as well as some tips and tricks that may come in handy during the process of your Invisalign treatment. Remember, we are doing this with you. So if there are ever any questions that you have, make sure to ask your doctor or one of our magnificent staff that we have here at Orsatti Dental. Our goal is always to help you look and feel your best and we will always take care of you, just like you are our family.

– Dr. Louis Orsatti