The goal of Invisalign in Naples is to gradually move your current misaligned teeth gradually into their best possible positions. Invisalign uses thermoplastic aligners built specifically for your teeth to manipulate forces, tension, and compression already present in your jaw. Wearing your aligners creates changes in the periodontal ligament, cementum, and jawbone in your mouth that allow your teeth to move into — and stay in — new positions.
Your teeth will move relatively quickly upon putting in an aligner — roughly .25 mm in the first few days. Having said that, that change reflects the movement of your periodontal ligament, not the jaw bone. In order for your teeth to remain permanently in their new position and not slip back where they came from, your jawbone also needs to move. Over time — roughly two weeks — your periodontal ligament’s fibres will apply sufficient cementum to connect to your jaw in a new position. That will hold your teeth in their new position, which is why you need to wear each aligner for two weeks before shifting to the next one and beginning the process anew with the next aligner.
While every treatment plan is unique because every mouth is unique, there are six standard steps to everyone’s experience of Invisalign in Naples.
Review and assessment
Invisalign in Naples starts with an evaluation of your mouth to confirm you’re a good candidate for Invisalign. Not everyone is a good candidate for a wide variety of reasons, including the severity of your teeth alignment issues. If your dentist in Naples believes there are better options for you, their staff will explain.
Creating a treatment plan for you
Using Invisalign’s 3D imaging system, your dentist’s staff will take a scan of your oral cavity and take impressions of your current teeth’ position. That set of information will be used by Invisalign to build a series of thermoplastic aligners that you will wear sequentially — two weeks at a time — to shift your teeth gradually into their intended location.
Waiting patiently
Invisalign’s technicians usually require a month to produce a set of aligners based on the data collected by your dentist. Once your dentist in Naples receives your aligners, you’ll return to the dentist for an appointment to get underway.
Wearing your aligners
In this stage, attention to detail and commitment to your treatment plan is important. You need to wear each aligner in the correct order as set out in your treatment plan and wear your aligner for 20 to 22 hours a day. Leaving your aligners off for too long will slow your progress and prolong the length of your total treatment plan.
When should you take your aligners out? Take them out to eat and drink (unless you’re just drinking water) and brush and floss. Then clean your aligners as your dentist will teach you to do, and return the aligner to your teeth.
Determining whether you need refiners
In an ideal world, by the time you’ve finished wearing your final aligner for two weeks, your teeth may be in their perfect new position. Having said that, things happen. Sometimes slight additional changes are required before your teeth are in the ideal final positions. To achieve those final additional changes, Invisalign near you will prepare refinement trays and send them to your dentist to provide to you.
Preserving and protecting your newly straightened teeth
The end of your treatment plan is not the end of your need to commit to your smile. Even after saying goodbye to your last aligner, you will wear a retainer overnight to keep your teeth in their new positions. By doing so, you’ll be able to counter your teeth’s natural tendency to shift back to earlier positions.
Would you like straighter teeth — discreetly, quickly, conveniently? Contact a dentist near you to find out if you are a good candidate for achieving your perfect smile with the help of Invisalign.