Hi guys, it’s me, Josslyn, coming back at you from 303 Smiles in Greenwood Village, Colorado. In past blog posts, we’ve talked about how to clean your Invisalign clear aligners as well as some helpful tips to help you get the most out of your clear aligner treatment. Today we’re going to talk about something we call The 6 A’s of Invisalign – a six-step overview of the Invisalign treatment process.
1. Aligners
The first ‘A’ on our list is ‘Aligners’. To get the best possible results from your Invisalign treatment, it is super important that you wear your clear aligners 22 hours a day, seven days a week.
2. Attachments
The second ‘A’ on our list is ‘Attachments’. Attachments are small, tooth-colored shapes – or ‘anchors’ as I like to call them – that are attached to your teeth. They help your aligners to grab and move your teeth more effectively.
3. Auxiliaries
The third ‘A’ on our list is ‘Auxiliaries’. These are things that we use in addition to the aligners themselves in order to better move a patient’s teeth and correct their bite. Rubber bands – or elastics – are the most common auxiliary we use in our Invisalign treatment process.
4. Adjustment
The fourth ‘A’ on our list is ‘Adjustment’. Sometimes a patient’s teeth may be too big or too crowded to be able to move the way we need them to. When this happens, Dr. Straffon will adjust the spacing between those teeth with a fine diamond floss.
5. Additional Aligners
The fifth ‘A’ on our list is ‘Additional Aligners’. After you’ve completed your Invisalign treatment, you will come in for an office visit and we’ll see where you are. If your teeth aren’t quite where we want them, we can add additional aligners, called ‘refinement aligners.’
6. Afterward
The final ‘A’ on our list is ‘Afterward’. Once your Invisalign treatment – including any additional aligners, if needed – is complete, you’ll be given a set of retainers that you will need to wear in order to keep your teeth from moving back to their old positions. This will be a lifetime thing, but it’s worth it to keep your smile healthy and looking gorgeous!
Dr. Derek Straffon and the team at 303 Smiles proudly serve the Greenwood Village community and surrounding areas, including Cherry Hills and Centennial, Colorado. We offer a range of treatment options including several types of braces as well as Invisalign clear aligners.