How Are Invisalign Aligners Made?

Invisalign aligners are orthodontic devices used for adjusting the alignment and structure of your teeth. They are transparent and easy-to-wear devices. Unlike dental braces, they do not involve brackets, wires, and any other restriction that causes discomfort inside your mouth. 

In modern dentistry, Invisalign aligners are used as an alternative to traditional dental braces. They treat all the orthodontic problems that dental braces can treat. However, Invisalign aligners are more effective than traditional dental braces. They effectively straighten your teeth, giving them a proper shape and alignment. 

Table of Contents

Benefits of Invisalign

The Step-by-Step Process to Design Your Invisalign

Dental Examination

• X-Ray 

• Smile Scanning

• Overall Oral Examination

Preparing 3D Model of Invisalign Aligners

Manufacturing

Delivery

Benefits of Invisalign

Some of the most common benefits of Invisalign aligners are: 

Almost Invisible- Invisalign aligners are colorless and transparent. They are almost invisible and, so they cannot be noticed by a third person while you wear them on your teeth. 

No-Risk of Cut and Scratches- Invisalign is made of medical-grade plastic and does not involve brackets, wires, and any other hard or sharp-edged material. So, there is no risk of cuts and scratches on your gums, lips, and tongue.

Comfortable in Wearing- Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign aligners have smooth plastic and rounded edges, making them easy to wear for patients. 

Removable- Invisalign aligners are easily removable orthodontic devices. You can remove them during eating, drinking, and brushing your teeth. 

No Pain- Invisalign does not put intense pressure on your teeth, so you won't feel pain and discomfort while wearing them. 

Easy-to-Wash and Clean- Invisalign aligners are easier to wash and clean compared to traditional dental braces. To clean them, please follow the following steps:

• Take a bowl of lukewarm water.

• Add hydrogen peroxide.

• Dip your clear aligners in the mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide for a couple of hours.

• Lightly brush the aligners using a hydrogen peroxide-based cleaning solvent or baking soda. 

• Rinse them and let them dry for half an hour. 

• Your Invisalign aligners are ready to be used!

The Step-by-Step Process to Design Your Invisalign Aligners 

It takes lots of technology and dental expertise to design clear aligners that perfectly fit your mouth. A team of experienced dentists design cleaner aligners in four different steps that are as follow:

Dental Examination

When you visit a dental office for Invisalign treatment for the first time, you need to undergo a comprehensive dental examination process. This is the first and foremost step of the Invisalign aligners designing process. 

The dental examination for Invisalign treatment is conducted in two different steps that are:

X-Ray- In this step, your dentist scans your dental structure using an X-ray machine. They also take multiple photographs of your entire dental structure from various angles. These pictures and scanned images give your dentist a close look at the areas of your teeth that need to be corrected. 

Smile Scanning- This is where your Invisalign TX specialist closely analyses your smile. They use an industry-leading smile scanner to capture multiple photographs of your smile. 

The primary purpose of smile scanning is to detect if your incorrect dental structure has a negative impact on your smile. 

Overall Oral Examination- Your dentist also examines your overall oral condition alongside examining your dental structure and smile to detect any existing problem inside your mouth. 

Preparing 3D Model of Invisalign Aligners 

After analyzing scanned images of your dental structure and smile, a team of dentists prepares a 3D model of your first ever Invisalign aligners using 3D computer imaging technology. 

In this step, your dentist first sends the scanned images of your dental structure to the lab, where the Invisalign designing experts prepare a digital design for your clear aligners. They also design your smile transformation plan and show you how your smile will look from start to finish. 

This process often takes a bit longer than other steps as it is challenging to design your first clear aligners.

Manufacturing 

After preparing the 3D digital design of your first pair of clear aligners, a team of dentists proceeds further to manufacture them. First, the digital design of your aligners is sent to the manufacturing location, where the manufacturers prepare a basic design of your plastic aligners. Then, the aligners are smoothened and shaped according to your teeth' alignment so that they can perfectly fit over your teeth.

Lastly, the dentists test them to see if they are perfectly designed as per the digital design or not. 

Delivery

This entire process of Invisalign manufacturing may take anywhere from 2-3 weeks. Once your aligners are prepared, they are delivered to the dental office, where your dentists fix them over your teeth during your Invisalign treatment. 

In the end, we hope this piece of reading has been informative and valuable for you. For more informative articles related to Invisalign, dental care, and oral hygiene, stay in touch with us. 

What Are Different Alternatives To Braces For Adults?

Valley Creek Dental Care always encourages good oral health in the patients coming to us for the treatment. From the eruption of the first tooth in infants to a full mouth of adult teeth, everyone should take care of their teeth and keep them healthy. Many come to us for orthodontic treatment, but they have fear in their mind of looking odd. They know the only solution to get perfectly aligned teeth and a beautiful smile is nasty-looking metal braces that look bad and painful. Being a reputable McKinney dentist, we consider it our responsibility to guide our patients and help them get rid of this fear by telling them about alternatives to braces.

Yes, it’s true. There are several alternatives to braces for adults, which they can choose to align their teeth and have a healthy yet beautiful smile. There are several reasons why adults look for alternatives when it comes to braces. The appearance of the braces is the first and foremost reason why adults try to avoid them. Clean, white, and shiny teeth help them have confidence when they smile. They feel better about their appearance, which is reflected in their confidence in others. Crooked, broken, scratched, and uneven teeth appear unpleasant, making it challenging to keep such teeth clean. Adults with rough or damaged teeth develop stains in the corners that are hard to reach and clean; therefore, causing an unsightly appearance.  

There are several health benefits of straight teeth. When you have correctly aligned teeth, you can actually experience better oral health because:

• You can easily clean your teeth.

• Your gums may support your teeth better.

• You might not have to face risks of chipping, breaking, or wearing of teeth when they are fitted correctly.

• The abnormal stress on your jaw caused due to misaligned teeth can be released quickly.

When you do not clean your teeth properly, then you could witness other problems start to develop. Tooth decay can ruin your teeth and cause severe problems with your jawbone. Therefore, you must get your teeth appropriately treated through orthodontic treatment. Apart from crooked teeth, other issues that you can fix with braces are:

• Malocclusion or a bad bite

• Disorders of jaw position or jaw joint

• Headaches or earaches caused due to misaligned jaw

• Difficulty in chewing or biting

• Speaking problems

But if you have a fear of metal braces, there are several better alternatives to it such as:

• Retainers: Retainers are usually removable dental devices used to position the teeth before or after treatment with braces correctly. These are a bit transparent version of braces that fit over the complete arch of the mouth. Retainers are the perfect example of how to achieve accurate positioning in place of braces. Orthodontists can easily attain minimal tooth movement using these devices. They are generally less expensive and easy to maintain than braces.

• Headgear: Headgear is the most visible form of orthodontic treatment, which is the bad wrap. These are generally used to correct extreme overbites. This device exerts pressure on the upper teeth and jaw to put the teeth in a particular position. The dental header is not the preferred choice of adults because of its restrictive nature. But you need to wear it for a few hours a day. Typically patients wear dental headgears while they sleep at night. You have to remove them while playing sports, brushing your teeth, or eating.

• Clear Aligners: Clear aligners such as Invisalign TX are the most popular and preferred alternative for adults. It can fix anything from minor overbites to underbites and other serious malocclusions. An orthodontist will provide you a series of clear, removable “molds” that you have to wear over your teeth. You have to wear them for at least 20 hours a day for 2 weeks till the time your dental expert moves on to the next series of molds. Each aligner slowly adjusts the teeth. Once it is done, then you can move through the next series. Invisalign is ideal for those patients who have gaps within their teeth.

• Six Month Smiles: Six-month smile is a dental device. It includes a clear bracket with a wire that goes across the teeth. It is not actually visible and ideal to be used for mild corrective issues. Patients have to wear them for about six months. Sometimes, it may be longer depending on the patient’s dental structure.

• Veneers: Veneers are popular among athletes, celebrities, and successful people. These are basically capped teeth ideal for dental patients with gaps, poor shape, fractured or contoured teeth. In this process, the dentist typically removes the enamel layer from the tooth and then fixes a veneer in place with the help of UV light-sensitive resin.

• Accelerated Orthodontics: Accelerated Orthodontics is a fast-track orthodontic treatment in which micro-osteoperforation weakens the jawbones, which makes teeth loose enough so that they can quickly move when the dentist exerts pressure. This treatment works in tandem with clear aligners or a retainer for optimal results. The process increases cytokine production resulting in quick positioning of teeth.

Why Should You Consult a McKinney Dentist In Case You Have Doubts?

Valley Creek Dental Care always suggests you consult your nearby dentist before deciding not to go for braces. They will check your dental status and guide you on what can be done if you don’t want braces. They can also suggest alternatives through which you can resolve your dental problem.

How Your Invisalign Treatment Plan Is Made?

Everyone wants to have a camera-ready smile as it adds a charming effect to your overall appearance and spreads lots of positivity. But unfortunately, many people don’t smile due to various orthodontic problems, like misaligned teeth, crooked & crowded teeth, and bite problems. These dental imperfections spoil your smile entirely, affecting your overall appearance. 

Although these orthodontic problems are not severe dental conditions, they can significantly impact your mental condition and confidence. Therefore, you should overcome them as soon as possible. 

Many effective treatments and procedures are available in modern dentistry to treat orthodontic problems, including traditional dental braces and Invisalign. Both these treatments can help you effectively get rid of your dental imperfections. However, Invisalign is a much better option compared to dental braces. And there are several reasons behind it. 

In this article, we will comprehensively discuss Invisalign and how your Invisalign TX dentist makes your Invisalign treatment. Let’s get into it.

Introduction to Invisalign

Invisalign is also called clear aligners. It is a pair of custom-made plastic aligners used to adjust the alignment of your teeth. It is a lightweight, transparent, and easy-to-wear orthodontic device. 

In modern dentistry, Invisalign is considered the perfect replacement for traditional dental braces as it has the potential to treat many orthodontic problems, including: 

• Overbite 

• Underbite

• Crossbite 

• Open Bite

• Gapped Teeth

• Crowded Teeth 

• Crooked Teeth

• Straighter Teeth 

Why Invisalign? 

Invisalign gives you many advantages such as: 

Faster Treatment- Invisalign aligners are specially designed to fasten the treatment process. Generally, it takes more than one and a half years to treat misaligned teeth. But, Invisalign can help you get rid of your orthodontic problems within 6 to 12 months, depending on the complexity of your dental condition. 

Painless Experience- Unlike dental braces, Invisalign aligners give painless experience as they don’t contain metal or brackets that are harsh for gums. 

Easy-to-Wear and Remove Aligners- Invisalign is flexible, making them super easy to put on and remove, unlike dental braces fixed on the surface of teeth. This feature allows you to eat and drink comfortably and do your daily oral care practices properly.

Nearly Invisible- Invisalign aligners are colorless and nearly invisible. It means you can confidently smile wearing them in front of your friends and colleagues. It never lets you feel embarrassed when you smile or speak. 

Lesser Doctor Visits- Unlike dental braces, where you have to visit your dentist every 3 to 4 weeks, Invisalign frees up your schedule. You have to visit your dentist only once every 6 to 8 weeks as per your dentist’s advice.

All these advantages make Invisalign an obvious choice for you. It not only treats your orthodontic problems but also helps you comfortably survive the treatment period. 

Invisalign Treatment Plan

Your dentist makes your Invisalign treatment plan, depending on your dental condition. He combines his expertise and some powerful technologies to prepare a comprehensive digital plan to shape your dental structure and perfect your smile. 

This procedure is completed in three steps that are: 

Scanning of Your Smile and Dental Structure

In this step, a specialized dentist deeply examines your smile and dental structure using a scanner. It helps him get a detailed 3D image of your teeth. With a clear picture, the dentist finds out the areas in your dental structure that need significant improvement. 

Moreover, he may ask you lots of questions related to your dental condition and experiences. For example: 

• Do you often feel pain? 

• Do you often struggle to chew or eat?

• Do you struggle while speaking?

• How do you take care of your teeth? 

• Have you ever undergone dental surgery? 

You need to correctly answer all the questions asked by your dentist to help him make a better Invisalign treatment plan for you. 

Preparing the Roadmap to Your New Smile 

This is where your dentist prepares a digital plan for improving your dental structure and smile. He works with other dentists and technology experts to design a pair of clear aligners that can be perfectly fitted on your teeth surface.

Once they have designed the aligners, they perfectly place them on your teeth' surface. Since then, you need to wear them for at least 20 hours a day for faster treatment. It will take from 6 months to 18 months to get your new smile, depending on the complexity of your dental structure. 

The dentists will also teach you how to gently wear or remove the aligners so as not to face any problems during your entire treatment period. Moreover, they will give you some important instructions that you must follow throughout your treatment period strictly. 

This step is the most crucial as it prepares the roadmap to your new smile. 

Previewing Your New Smile 

This is the ultimate phase where you meet your new smile- the one you have dreamt of. It may take several months to reach this phase, but it will be one of the most satisfying things in your life. 

In this phase, your dentist will preview your improved dental alignment and new smile to ensure if they are perfect. He will scan your teeth, and once satisfied with your smile; he will free you from your Invisalign aligners. 

This is how we make Invisalign treatment plans for our patients. For more information related to dental care and treatment, stay in touch with us. 

Some Precautionary Tips For Invisalign Treatment

Undoubtedly, Invisalign is the best orthodontics treatment with several benefits. It is clear and transparent in color, easily removable & interchangeable, and very comfortable to wear on teeth the whole day. It is also far better than conventional metal braces. But, despite all of these benefits, it is a bit uncomfortable and painful for the first couple of weeks for patients. It is not easy to comfortably survive that first couple of weeks but to gain a proper alignment of teeth and a pretty smile, it is very important to get across that phase. 

In this guide, we have compiled four Invisalign precautionary tips that you must follow to lower the discomfort of the first couple of weeks of the treatment. Let’s have a quick look at those tips. 

1. Control Tongue Movement

2. Keep Invisalign Clean

3. Carefully Wear and Remove Invisalign

4. Take Painkillers and Cold Compress to Get Rid of Pain and Swelling 

Control Tongue Movement

The Invisalign is plastic-made clear aligners that have some sharp edges. Although those sharp edges are very light, still those can hurt the tongue. They are the biggest reason for the common tongue sores among dental patients who take Invisalign treatment. It is a bit tough avoiding those tongue sores while taking Invisalign treatment, still, you can avoid those sores by following some precautionary Invisalign tips. 

The first and most important thing you should follow is to control your tongue movement. Many patients repeatedly touch the Invisalign from their tongues and this causes tongue injuries. You should avoid doing this thing. Yes, we know this is a little tough, still, you will have to try your best to control your tongue movement. It would be difficult for the first 2-3 days, but later you will be able to do that very easily. If you face trouble for more than one week, you should consult Invisalign specials McKinney TX. He/she will suggest you doing some suitable practices to control your tongue movement. 

Another best way to avoid tongue injuries is to apply wax on sharp edges & rough spots of Invisalign. Take a small pinch of wax on your finger, then apply on the sharp edges and cover them properly. It is a good technique. You can follow this with the consultation of your concerned dentist. 

In case, if pain and injuries occur despite applying wax and following other precautionary steps, you should use peroxide-based mouthwash. It is very effective to give relief from minor pain, mouth injuries, and irritation during Invisalign treatment. However, before buying this, you should consult with your dentist. 

Keep Invisalign Clean 

Before wearing and after removing the Invisalign from your teeth, don’t forget to properly wash and clean it. It is the must-do task. It is crucial with the perspective of avoiding gum infections and tooth decay. 

To wash and clean your clear aligners, use lukewarm tap water. Take a bowl of lukewarm water, soak your Invisalign into it, and keep it soaked for 10-15 minutes. After that, gently rub Invisalign with soft hands or brush it with an extra toothbrush. Then wash it with clean water. 

You can also use cold water, denture cleaner, or Invisalign cleaning crystals to wash and clean it. Apart from these techniques, there are many different ways you can wash and clean Invisalign. But, we would suggest you choose one of the above-mentioned techniques as these are the safest. 

Carefully Wear and Remove Invisalign 

Most dental patients make mistakes when wearing and removing Invisalign, and these mistakes mainly cause gums and lips injuries. So, you should be careful when wearing and removing Invisalign. If you don’t know the right techniques to wear and remove clear aligners, you should learn from your concerned dentist. 

Here are a few things you should keep in mind when wearing and removing Invisalign. 

• Use soft hands

• Be gentle

• Use your fingertips to support the process

• Hold the only Invisalign when removing it from teeth 

• Use your thumbs and index fingers 

• Thumbs must be inside of the jaw and index fingers must be outside of the jaw when removing

• Invisalign from teeth 

• Thumbs must be under the upper teeth to gently push Invisalign when wearing it

• Use other fingers for support only when wearing it 

Take Painkillers and Cold Compress to Get Rid of Pain and Swelling 

You should always have some painkillers with you when you are taking Invisalign treatment. However, you should not take those painkillers until your endurance stops responding. You should take them only in extremely painful moments. If the pain is like minor pain, you should try some home remedies or natural treatments to get rid of that. 

On the other hand, if Invisalign causes gum swelling, you should take a cold compress from outside of your mouth. It would be really helpful to lower the pain level. What you need to do is take some ice in a cotton cloth, tie it like a bundle, and start pressing on the swelling area from the outside of the mouth. Do this until you feel good. This would certainly help reduce swelling. 

So, these are four precautionary tips for those who are taking Invisalign treatment. You might be taking stress after reading about the injuries, infections, and pain that occurs due to following the wrong techniques of wearing and removing Invisalign and not taking care of it. But you need not worry as these cases are rare. If you rightly use Invisalign and take care of it, you will never face such issues. Still, you need to follow all the precautionary Invisalign tips that are mentioned in this guide. 

Conventional Dental Braces vs Invisalign

When it comes to teeth straightening, generally dentists prescribe either conventional dental braces or Invisalign to their patients. Both of them are effective teeth-straightening treatments as they are custom-made to attain perfect dental structure. During the treatment period, they slowly shift the misaligned teeth to their right places. And eventually, after a certain period of treatment, the patients get perfect dentures that help them to attain a pretty smile. 

If you are one of those persons who have misaligned, crooked, and crowded teeth, and have decided to opt for treatment of proper teeth alignment, you might be wondering whether you should opt for conventional dental braces or modern Invisalign treatment. This detailed guide will help you understand the difference between conventional dental braces and Invisalign treatment, their pros and cons, and choosing the most suitable teeth straightening treatment for you. Let’s start with the intro part. 

Introduction to Conventional Dental Braces and Invisalign

Conventional Dental Braces- Conventional dental braces are metal-made devices (also known as braces, orthodontic cases, and cases) used to align and straighten misaligned, crooked, and crowded teeth. They position the teeth with regard to the patient’s bite. They fix gaps, underbites, overbites, deep bites, open bites, crossbites, and other orthodontic flaws. They also aim for overall dental health. 

As long as they remain on the surface of the teeth, they constantly put pressure on both teeth and jaw. And this pressure allows teeth to shift and position correctly.

Invisalign- Invisalign is a modernly developed teeth-straightening treatment. According to the Invisalign McKinney specialists, this is one of the biggest examples of the excellence in modern dentistry. These days, it is widely gaining demand and popularity due to its amazing capabilities to treat faster than other treatments. 

It is an alternative to conventional dental braces and much more effective. It is a custom-made plastic teeth tray (also known as clear aligner, clear-aligner treatment), nearly invisible, used to correctly adjust and position the mild to moderate misalignment of teeth. It treats almost all the orthodontic problems such as misaligned, gapped, crooked, and crowded teeth. It also treats the bite's flaws. 

It needs to be worn on the surface of teeth for at least 20 hours a day during the whole treatment period. Like conventional braces, it put force on both teeth and jaws that help in positioning or shifting the teeth correctly.

Conventional Dental Braces and Invisalign- The Differences 

Structure

Dental braces consist of metal brackets that are tied together by a metal wire and tiny rubber bands. These are clearly visible devices when putting on teeth.

On the other hand, Invisalign is a plastic form of braces. It does not consist of metal, wires, and rubber bands. It is simply a plastic-made clear aligner. It is almost invisible while wearing on teeth.  

Color

Basically, dental braces come in metallic or silver colors. However, they are also available in enamel color. You can buy that by paying extra money. 

Invisalign is clear and transparent. 

Removable/Irremovable

Dental braces are irremovable due to its specific structure. While eating, drinking, and brushing your teeth, you cannot remove dental braces.

While Invisalign is easily removable and interchangeable. Before eating, drinking, and brushing your teeth, you can easily remove it, and after completing the task you can again wear it. 

Treatment Time

Dental braces are required to be worn 24/7 during the whole treatment period. 

Invisalign is required to be worn 20-22 hours a day during the whole treatment period. 

Cleaning

Dental braces must be nicely cleaned with the help of a toothbrush.

On the other hand, to keep your Invisalign clean, you need to use lukewarm water. 

Follow Up Visits

The patient who is taking dental braces treatment needs to meet the concerned dentist every month during the treatment period.

The patient who is taking Invisalign treatment needs to meet the concerned dentist every two weeks to interchange the clear aligners. 

Effectiveness

Dental braces are more effective for complex orthodontics problems. 

Invisalign is more effective for mild to moderate misalignment. 

Pros and Cons of Dental Braces 

Pros

• Effective to treat any type of orthodontics problem including mild, moderate, and severe

• Lesser follow up visits to the dentist

• Low-cost devices

Cons

• Irremovable

• Visible to the third person

• Discomfort in eating, drinking, and brushing teeth

• Food can get stuck between metal brackets

• Reduce the confidence level while speaking in front of some people

• May have pain and sores from metal brackets, wires, and teeth movement

• Required frequent cleaning

• Slow treatment process

Pros and Cons of Invisalign 

Pros

• Effective in mild to moderate orthodontics problems

• Easily removable and interchangeable

• Almost invisible to the third person

• No difficulties in eating, drinking, and brushing teeth

• No pain and sores

• Easy cleaning process

• Do not reduce the confidence level

• Treat faster than braces

Cons

• A bit costly

• Required frequent interchanging of clear aligner (every two weeks)

Conventional Dental Braces and Invisalign- Which One is Better For You?

Basically, it depends on the complexity of your orthodontics problem whether you should opt for conventional braces or Invisalign. You should leave this on your concerned dentist as he/she knows better what fits you the best. However, due to so many advantages, Invisalign is the first choice of dentists all around the world. They often prefer to prescribe Invisalign to dental patients instead of dental braces. You should also choose it for getting fast and effective results.