How to Get Invisalign: From the First Exam to Your Retainer
Deciding you want straighter teeth is one thing; knowing what actually happens, and in what order, is another. This article walks the general path to clear aligner treatment and the questions worth asking at each point along it. It does not cover what clear aligners are and how they work, which is a separate article.
Start with a dentist
If you have cavities or gum disease, you should see a dentist for treatment, and once you manage those conditions, you should ask your dentist whether orthodontic treatment is right for you (Cleveland Clinic).
Questions worth asking at this point:
- Is there anything that needs treating before orthodontic treatment?
- Do you think orthodontic treatment is right for me?
- What would you want to look at before answering that?
Who provides and supervises the treatment
Removable aligners are another option for treating orthodontic problems, under the direct supervision of a dentist or orthodontist. Orthodontic treatment may be provided by your dentist or by an orthodontist, a dentist who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities, and this will depend on the orthodontic experience of your dentist and the severity of your case (American Dental Association (MouthHealthy)).
The questions here are about the person, not the product:
- Would you provide this treatment yourself, or would it be provided by an orthodontist?
- Who would supervise it, and how often would I be seen?
Wearing the series of trays
You wear each set of aligner trays for approximately two weeks and then swap those trays out for the next set in the series. Unlike metal braces, clear aligners are removable, but you have to wear them for at least 22 hours every day, and you should only take your aligners out to eat, drink and brush your teeth (Cleveland Clinic).
Questions worth asking at this point:
- How many trays would my plan involve?
- What should I do if a tray does not fit the way I expect?
- How would the wear time fit around my day?
How long treatment takes
For some people orthodontic treatment takes less than one year, and for others it can take up to two years or longer, and because every person has their own unique needs, treatment times look different for everyone (Cleveland Clinic). Treatment plans will vary based on your situation, but most people are in treatment from one to three years, followed by a period of wearing a retainer (American Dental Association (MouthHealthy)).
Those are general figures for orthodontic treatment rather than a prediction about any one person, which is why the question is worth putting to whoever would treat you:
- How long do you expect treatment to take in my case?
- What could make it take longer?
- How would I know whether it is going as planned?
After treatment: the retainer
If you wear braces or clear aligners, you will need a retainer once your orthodontic treatment ends, and if you stop wearing your retainer, your teeth could drift back into their old positions over time (Cleveland Clinic). A retainer prevents your teeth from shifting back into their old positions (Cleveland Clinic).
The retainer is part of the path, not a footnote to it, so it is worth asking about before you begin:
- Which kind of retainer would I be given, and when?
- How long would I wear it, and for how much of the day?
- What should I do if I lose it or it breaks?
Cost, and our own pages
What treatment costs is a separate question, handled separately: see what to ask about the cost of Invisalign.
This site also has our Invisalign page. Our office is at 147 Main St, 2nd Floor, Lodi, NJ 07644, and Dr. Steven Liao is our dentist. When you are ready to put these questions to a dentist, our first-visit page is where to start.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic. "Orthodontics." Updated 2022-10-12. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24285-orthodontics
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). "Braces." https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/braces
- Cleveland Clinic. "Teeth Braces." Updated 2023-01-13. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24601-teeth-braces
