We get this question a lot as even though the concept of orthodontics is fairly straightforward (pardon the pun), the idea that a few pieces of plastic will straighten your crooked smile seems a bit alien.
So we thought we’d break it down and ask Principal Dentist at Boctor Dental SmileCentre, Dr Raymond Boctor to lay it to us straight. Dr Boctor is an Invisalign Dentist Gold Coast provider and has been completing successful Invisalign cases for the last 10 years. So here’s what Dr Boctor had to say when asked “How Does Invisalign work?”
Now before you hear Dr Ray’s answer, you might need a bit of background info if you don’t know a whole lot about Invisalign. You can read more about the technicals of Invisalign here.
Also, just in case you didn’t know, Dentists at Boctor Dental Smilecentre offer no obligation, FREE Orthodontic Consultations. This means that you can book in and have a free chat with Dr Raymond Boctor or one of our amazing Associate Dentists (Gold Coast locations), where they can examine your smile give you a quote for the Invisalign Cost for your unique case and also a timeframe estimate – if you have been wondering How Much Does Invisalign Cost? – and thinking it may be out of your budget, then think again. Recent technology and planning advancements means Invisalign may be more affordable than you’d have thought. If you’d like to book in for your free Invisalign Consultation, call one of our convenient locations:
Smilecentre Bundall (07)5592 1999
Currumbin Fair Dental (07)5598 5666
What is Invisalign?
Becoming increasingly known as a great way to get straight teeth without braces, Invisalign is essentially clear braces – they are plastic trays designed to straighten your teeth. They are invisible braces, or a form of incognito braces – a way of “invisibly-aligning” your teeth. Think of whitening trays, or fine fitted mouthguards. A very sturdy plastic moulded to your teeth as they are. But it doesn’t stop there – Invisalign is a whole course of different mouthguards / trays that will gradually guide your teeth in a certain (“straight”) direction.
Sometimes tooth coloured “buttons” are attached to your teeth (using filling material), to act as an anchor point to stabilize the Invisalign trays and movement.
So now you know what Invisalign is, let’s get down to finding out how Doctor Boctor answers the question of How Does Invisalign Work? –
Dr Raymond Boctor:
“Invisalign is actually a lot like traditional braces. When we do a course of traditional, metal braces we glue metal brackets to your teeth, then attach a wire to those brackets. This wire is formed in an ideal arch shape – by attaching the brackets to this wire, the brackets (and your teeth) want to move towards that ideal shape. With traditional braces, we get you in every 6-8 weeks to tighten the attachment points and sometimes refresh wires and at the end of the course, your teeth will have straightened to that wire shape.
Invisalign follows similar principles, just uses a different, more Invisible method, to achieve the straight arches. Instead of attaching metal (or ceramic) brackets to your teeth, we put tooth coloured buttons (in some cases, not all) on some of your teeth to help secure the Invisalign mouthguards. If your case needs buttons, they won’t be on every tooth, just on certain teeth, as determined by your unique case, to promote stability for the Invisalign to best activate.
The first Invisalign trays you receive will virtually be moulds of your exact teeth, but with a slight tweak towards the ideal arch shape. So they will likely feel quite tight when you first get them. You will wear them 24/7 – except what eating, drinking and brushing your teeth. Slowly, your teeth will shift towards the ideal arch shape, guided by the Invisalign trays you are wearing. This is how Invisalign works – it slowly guides your teeth into the correct shape.
After two weeks, you will move to a new set of Invisalign trays, this time tweaked further towards the ideal shape. So every few weeks you will constantly trade up trays, allowing your teeth to slowly, gradually move towards the ideal arch shape – a straight smile.
You will need to come in at regular intervals so that I (or one of our Associate Dentists if you are seeing them for treatment) can check your progress and also so we can give you the next set of Invisalign trays. We prefer not to give them all to you at once, as some patients tend to try to rush through things, which doesn’t give the teeth enough time to establish themselves in their new positions and can cause relapse soon after the straightening course. It is also important for you to come in so I can check your progress to ensure you are using them correctly and are on track for your course.
After your course of Invisalign (How long does Invisalign take? Approximately 9-18 months, depending on difficulty of your case), you’ll receive orthodontic retainers to retain the new position of your teeth. At first, you’ll wear 24/7 to really cement the final position of your teeth, then it will taper down to night wear, then at night every few days.”
There you have it – thank you Dr Raymond Boctor for answering so thoroughly the question “How Does Invisalign Work?”. If you have any further questions or want to book in for a FREE Invisalign Consultation with Dr Raymond Boctor, Dr Victor Boctor or one of our great Associate Dentists, call now. Want to find out How Much Does Invisalign Cost? It’s free to find out and get an accurate costing and professional advice on how Invisalign could work for you, so book in today. Click here to read more about Invisalign and Straighter Teeth Without Braces.
Bundall (07)55921999
Currumbin (07)55985666
