5 Facts You May Not Know About Invisalign®

People who wear traditional metal braces have plenty of stories about the long, painful process they endure. But don’t let that stop you from straightening your teeth. Realigning your teeth transforms your smile, and straight, properly positioned teeth are crucial for dental health.

When you choose Invisalign®, you can improve your smile without the hassle or unwanted metal appearance of braces. Invisalign uses aligners, invisible trays that comfortably fit over your teeth.

Most patients who seek help from Invisalign expert Dr. James M. Maragos, DDS, are happy knowing they can discreetly straighten their teeth with invisible aligners, but Invisalign offers other distinct advantages.

Here, we explore five facts you may not know about Invisalign.

1. Preview your new smile before you begin

Invisalign’s advanced digital tools and proprietary computer software let you see your new smile before your treatment begins. We use the iTero® intraoral scanner to create a highly detailed 3D image of your teeth.

After uploading the scan, Invisalign’s software evaluates the information to determine how each tooth must move to restore dental alignment, eliminate problems like crooked teeth or gaps, and improve your appearance. 

Once your Invisalign treatment plan is mapped out, the computer creates an image of your new smile. In addition to the preview, you can approve the plan before we make your aligners. Also, we can use digital scans at follow-up appointments to track your progress.

2. Remove your aligners when needed

If you’re only familiar with traditional braces, which involve brackets cemented to your teeth and connected by wires, you may expect Invisalign aligners to be stuck inside your mouth. But they aren’t.

Invisalign aligners fit over the upper and lower teeth, much like a mouthguard. They securely and comfortably stay in place when they’re on — and it’s essential to wear them for 20-22 hours daily to stay on track with your treatment — but you can easily remove them when needed.

Removable aligners let you keep up with dental hygiene by removing them to brush and floss. You can also take them off when you eat, which brings us to the next fact.

3. Enjoy all your favorite foods

Metal braces trap pieces of food, their wires are easily damaged, and they’re downright hard to brush. As a result, there’s a long list of sticky, sugary, hard, and crunchy foods you need to avoid while wearing braces.

You don’t need to worry about limiting foods with Invisalign because you take them off when eating. How simple is that? However, you need to brush and floss after eating and before putting on the aligners to avoid trapping food particles under the trays.

4. Get results in half the time (or less)

You reach the end of your Invisalign treatment in half the time it takes traditional braces to transform your smile. 

Though the length of your treatment depends on the extent and complexity of your orthodontic needs, most people finish Invisalign in 6-18 months. By comparison, traditional braces take 18-36 months.

5. Wear safe, comfortable aligners

Though the Invisalign aligners are often described as clear plastic, they’re not made from everyday plastic. Your aligners consist of SmartTrack® material, a medical-grade polyurethane plastic carefully engineered to be comfortable while creating precise tooth movement.

The SmartTrack material is the reason your treatment takes less time. It applies gentle, consistent force for two weeks (without losing its strength) to produce low-intensity tooth movement that’s less painful compared to braces and creates predictable results.

The material is highly elastic, allowing it to fit snugly over your teeth. At the same time, it makes the aligners easy to remove and earns praise for its comfort.

Unlike some everyday plastics, SmartTrack material is completely safe. It’s free of bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS), toxic ingredients used in plastics and other products. SmartTrack also doesn’t contain latex or gluten.

Have questions about Invisalign? Don’t wait to contact Dr. James M. Maragos, DDS, to learn how Invisalign can improve your dental health while creating a beautiful smile. Call our La Grange, Illinois, office or request your appointment online.