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Invisalign and other forms of orthodontic treatment, including traditional metal braces, have effectively corrected misaligned and crooked teeth. The problem some or most people seem to have with the whole treatment process is the amount of time it takes. Unless your dental problem is minor, treatment with Invisalign is not usually less than 6 or 8 months. However, this does not stop some people from wondering if there is anything that can be done to speed up the Invisalign process.
The good news is that there is something that can be done. Besides improving the efficiency of the treatment, there are measures you can take to speed up the treatment process. Below are some measures you can take to reduce the overall treatment time with Invisalign.
During your consultation stage, you must have been told to wear the aligners for at least 20 – 22 hours daily. This ensures that the teeth are gradually but eventually straightened, but this also ensures that treatment is completed on time or beforehand. The remaining two hours in a day should cover your eating, brushing, flossing, and aligner cleaning activities.
Most times, people come in with the complaint that they are not seeing much improvement in their treatment. This is probably because they are not wearing the aligners for the required amount of time daily. Word of note, if you want your treatment to go smoothly without having to go for longer hours of treatment because of relapse, you should wear your retainers for at least 20 hours daily.
Aligners cannot be cleaned using a toothbrush, and tooth paste like many people believe. There are cleaning solutions available for aligners and not toothpaste and toothbrush. When you use toothbrushes and toothpaste, the aligners can get scratched, leaving small but available areas for bacteria to lodge and increase.
Many people may not see this as a huge deal because each aligner tray is only used for 2 weeks. Still, this amount of time is equal enough for the bacteria to act in the material used to make the aligners, making them less effective.
As time goes by, you may become so used to wearing aligners that you may even forget you have them on. This can result in actions that will damage your aligners, like eating with them on or drinking sweet drinks with the aligners on. Furthermore, there have been cases where the aligners were warped or snapped in half because they were removed before eating or drinking, then wrapped in a towel and placed somewhere else.
Remember that the aligners are doing the work, and as such, they must be treated with utmost care and gentility. If your aligners get damaged, they can get replaced, but the amount of time you will have to wait to get a replacement can affect your treatment time.
If you are considering speeding up your Invisalign treatment, one of the best ways to do it is through using chewing aids. This system helps with Invisalign treatment by making your teeth move more efficiently. It enables you to switch to the next aligner tray faster, thus speeding up the treatment time.
The chewing motion works by distributing pressure on the aligner to seat down on to the teeth. This is a huge boost, as, without it, the teeth would only move because of the pressure applied on them by the aligners. In all, you can achieve your desired smile in a shorter time.
You will need to use the Chewies at least 3 times per day
Daily, our mouth is exposed to a regular dose of bacteria and plaque caused by food particles and sediments. These have the potential to react with the material of the aligner and cause them to be less effective. When this happens, the aligners can fit less snugly and may be unable to apply pressure in the right places and move the teeth to the desired position.
Additionally, an unclean mouth is a harbouring spot for bacteria and plaque that cause cavities and dental problems. If not rectified soon, it can cause several dental problems that would require a dentist’s intervention. The amount of time spent in a dentist’s office for treatment also affects the treatment time, which will prolong the overall treatment time.
Invisalign was first introduced to help rectify minor dental problems. However, it has been modified over the years to solve more challenging problems instead of minor ones. If you want to speed up the treatment process or reduce the treatment time, you should consultan expert. Someone like Dr Wahab Shakir and Dr Castellari recommend an attachment for your aligners.
Attachments are also known as buttons, and they can help speed up the treatment time by increasing the amount of pressure applied on a particular tooth or a variety of teeth. This increased pressure will help move your teeth at a much faster rate than when the aligners alone are used. Besides the Acceledent, this is another way to speed up treatment time with a tool.
If, for some reason, you believe that your orthodontic treatment is not going the way it should, then see your orthodontist. Although they may still recommend one or more of the above methods, they will do that after evaluation and checkup. Additionally, they will be in the best position to determine if you are a good candidate for boosts like Acceledent or not. Furthermore, they may recommend touch-ups or improvements to your daily habits to see if they would increase the efficiency of the treatment.
Are you thinking about getting your teeth straightened with Invisalign? If you are, book an appointment with our Invisalign dentist today for a consultation. Contact us at Museum Dental Suites for more information.