Invisalign

What Invisalign® is

Invisalign is a system of removable clear aligners. Each aligner is a thin plastic tray molded to fit over your teeth. You wear one set for a period, then move to the next in the series. Each tray is shaped slightly differently from the one before it, so the teeth move a small amount at each stage.

Nothing is bonded to the teeth. The aligners come out to eat and to brush.

How treatment works

Dr. Cen takes a digital scan of your teeth. The scan takes about five minutes and replaces the putty impression trays used previously.

That scan is used to plan the full sequence of movements before any aligners are made. Dr. Cen sets the position each tooth should end in and the order the movements happen in. The whole series is then manufactured to that plan.

You wear each aligner 20 to 22 hours a day and change to the next on the schedule Dr. Cen sets, typically every one to two weeks.

Most cases involve small tooth-colored attachments bonded to some teeth. These give the aligner something to grip so it can apply force in a specific direction. They are removed at the end of treatment.

Who it suits

Invisalign handles most common orthodontic problems: crowding, spacing, and many bite corrections.

It is less predictable for large vertical movements, severe rotations of round teeth such as premolars, and cases needing substantial skeletal change. Dr. Cen will tell you at the consult if your case falls into that group.

The other requirement is wear time. Aligners only work while they are in. A patient who takes them out for long stretches will not get the planned result and treatment will run long.

The advantage for patients who live further out

Orthodontic appointments during active treatment are usually every one to two months. For a family driving a distance, that is the part of treatment that makes it impractical.

Invisalign changes that. The scan happens once, and aligners can be supplied in batches, so fewer visits are needed across treatment.

For some patients this means a small number of in-office visits across the whole of treatment. If distance is the reason you have put orthodontic treatment off, raise it at the consult.

Cost

The fee depends on how much movement is needed and how long treatment takes.

You receive the full fee in writing at the free consult. Monthly payment plans are available.