Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that is based on the diagnosis and treatment of different types of malocclusions, whether dental or skeletal. In addition, through dentistry the position of the teeth is also corrected by aligning them.
Technology evolves and thanks to this it leads dentistry to evolve by innovating systems and improving the quality and results of treatments. Invisalign orthodontics is a clear example of innovation in orthodontics.
What is the Invisalign orthodontic system?
The Invisalign orthodontic system offers the most invisible treatment possible. Thanks to this, patients who want to improve their teeth position and in whom certain types of malocclusions have to be corrected are able to perform most treatments with a type of orthodontics that does not affect their day-to-day or the area. smile aesthetics.
Invisalign is part of an aesthetic orthodontic treatment. This system consists of a series of removable orthodontic devices, that is, they are easily removed and can be repositioned. These are made with a transparent plastic offering the best possible aesthetics during orthodontic treatment.
When dealing with removable orthodontics, the patient has to be highly collaborative to be able to comply with the indicated time and carry out a good follow-up of the orthodontic treatment and obtain the expected final result.
The aligners, or also called alignersin English, they are made to measure and prescribed by the specialist dentist. These devices are individually designed and thus guarantee greater comfort and effectiveness of the results.
Together with the Invisalign aligners, the attachments are cemented. They are small lumps of composite resin that are normally placed on the buccal surfaces of the teeth. These attachments have a coloration similar to that of the tooth, so they go completely unnoticed. The dental attachments together with the Invisalign braces transmit the desired forces to the teeth involved so that they are transmitted to the tooth generating the desired and planned dental movement.
These plastic devices are changed approximately every two weeks, depending on the type of treatment and the duration of this, it is the orthodontist who will indicate the exact day when the Invisalign aligners have to be changed. In this way, the teeth can be progressively moved until the desired final position of the teeth is obtained.
Each set of aligner is designed to be replaced after wearing it for approximately 2 weeks and for a minimum daily time between 20 and 22 hours. That is, each aligner has a use of about 300 hours.
Perfect oral hygiene is essential before putting Invisalign devices back on. These can only be removed to eat and drink and must be placed immediately after sanitizing.
To be able to clean the aligners well, it is recommended to do it with a soft bristle brush with water and a little toothpaste. It is important to be sure to rinse the aligners thoroughly with water after each cleaning to provide the best possible result.
What is a first Invisalign orthodontic visit like?
Before starting the Invisalign treatment, a first orthodontic visit should be performed in order to properly evaluate the case.
In this first visit, the specialist takes the complete clinical history of the patient through an organized and studied interrogation. Thanks to this series of questions, the orthodontist collects all the information that the patient gives in order to prepare a complete medical history, from which he can obtain information about the patient and which can be used to adequately prepare the diagnosis.
In addition, the dentist performs an examination of the patient from the medical history, both intraoral and extraoral. This examination consists of extraorally observing all the features of the patient that may determine one pattern of malocclusion or another. Also, observe the patient’s breathing as well as certain habits that may or may not make the established malocclusion worse.
The intraoral examination is based on the collection of all types of observed data, both pathological and not, of the intraoral cavity. In particular, an emphasis is placed on the type of malocclusion, be it dental or skeletal, which helps the orthodontist to establish a definite and clear diagnosis.
In the first orthodontic visits, a study is also carried out to be able to plan properly. This study is based on taking impressions of the arches and the patient’s way of biting to have all kinds of records. A photographic study, both intraoral and extraoral, is also carried out, reflecting in these photographs everything observed clinically.
Thanks to all this type of information and the diagnosis, the orthodontic specialist can develop an individualized treatment plan which will be the basis to follow in order to obtain the desired and planned result.
Once the orthodontic study has been carried out and the entire treatment plan is obtained, the patient is cited to explain the individualized plan, as well as, for example, the approximate duration of the treatment or the operation of the appliances to be put on.
What is the clincheck?
Invisalign orthodontics is performed using computer software. Thanks to technological advances, treatments are planned on the computer and the final result can be observed before starting the treatment.
The clincheck is the visualization of orthodontic treatment through a virtual simulation. The clincheck allows you to preview all the movements that the teeth will make through the aligners and attachments that are placed on the teeth. In addition, you can observe the final result and comment on the final position of the teeth to be able to modify any phase if you are not satisfied.
As the clincheck is a virtual simulation in three dimensions, the progress of the treatment can be observed in the three planes, sagittal, vertical and transverse, and can be adjusted to the characteristics of each patient and thus individualize the treatment for each patient.
Thus, thanks to the computer software and the clincheck that is carried out in one of the first visits, the final result is observed and all the types of movements that the teeth will carry out thanks to Invisalign orthodontics.
