Getting Started with Invisalign: What to Expect

Perhaps you’ve heard about Invisalign® already. This clear system of aligners promises to give you straight teeth in a fraction of the time you may expect from wearing braces. No matter your age, you’ll likely find Invisalign to be a great solution to your dental issues.

The Invisalign system is custom-molded to fit your mouth. It can fix many dental issues that you may have thought were unfixable unless you were to spend a lot more money. Dr. Behzad Daniel Binafard of Pioneer Dental Group in Norwalk, California, explains more about what to expect when getting started with this system.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a system of clear, thermoplastic aligners designed for you to wear 20-22 hours a day. The system is custom-molded to fit your mouth specifically and to adjust to the changing position of your teeth. You’ll need to switch out the trays about every two weeks.

The Invisalign aligners are designed to be removable for you to eat and drink, as well as to clean them, which makes this system much more flexible than traditional metal braces. Most people have to wear the aligners for about a year, although Dr. Binafard will tell you if he expects your total treatment time to be different and why.

Who’s a good candidate for this treatment

Almost anyone with significant dental issues can be a good candidate for Invisalign, although we would have to take a look at your mouth before making recommendations to be certain. Some of the dental issues we can treat with Invisalign include:

• Crossbite
• Overbite
• Underbite
• Crowded teeth
• Gaps between teeth
• Crooked teeth

Although these issues can have a big impact on the appearance of your smile, they’re often easier to fix than you might think.

What to expect from treatment

On your first appointment, we’ll take an impression of your mouth to create the custom aligners to fit your teeth.

As long as you wear your aligners for 20-22 hours a day and take them out when you eat or drink and clean them before putting them back in your mouth, that should be most of what is required from you. The progress of your teeth is monitored by an app, which we will periodically review.

Unlike traditional metal braces, you don’t have to worry about going in for frequent adjustments. You won’t have any metal wires to worry about, either. 

Once your planned treatments are complete, we will review your happiness with your smile and decide what other treatments, if any, might be necessary to achieve your perfect smile. And of course, you’ll have to wear a retainer for about a year to maintain your results.

Sometimes, we can achieve your desired results in as little as six months, and you’ll also get the benefit of seeing your smile gradually change over the course of the treatment process. This can provide the advantage of seeing that the system really is working as intended.

If you want to find out if you’re a good candidate for Invisalign, contact Dr. Behzad Daniel Binafard today or request an appointment online.