How Invisalign® works
The Invisalign process from scan to retainer: planning, attachments, wear schedule, and check-ins. CDZ Ortho in Johns Creek, GA.
Step one: consult and scan
Dr. Cen examines your teeth and bite and takes a digital scan. The scan takes about five minutes and replaces the putty impression trays used previously.
Step two: the treatment plan
The scan is used to plan the full sequence of tooth movements before any aligners are made. Dr. Cen sets the final position for each tooth and the order the movements happen in, and can show you a simulation of the planned result.
Step three: aligners are manufactured
The full series of aligners is manufactured to the approved plan and shipped to the office.
Step four: attachments
Most cases use 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 come off at the end of treatment and do not damage the enamel underneath.
Step five: the wear schedule
You wear each aligner 20 to 22 hours a day, taking it out to eat and to brush. You move to the next aligner in the series on the schedule Dr. Cen sets, typically every one to two weeks.
Step six: check-ins
Dr. Cen checks progress at intervals through treatment to confirm the teeth are tracking to plan. Some cases need fewer in-office visits than braces do across the same course of treatment.
Step seven: refinements and retention
If the final position needs small adjustment, a short series of refinement aligners is made. Once treatment is complete, you move to a retainer to hold the result.