What are Invisalign aligners made of?

Invisalign aligners are made from a clear plastic material very similar to an orthodontic retainer or certain types of bleaching trays.

How often will I have to wear my aligners?

The aligners should be worn 23 hours per day. They should be taken off only when you brush your teeth, eat, or drink anything other than water. The more you have them out of your mouth, your teeth will move slower and less predictably.

How does Invisalign work?

Invisalign is a series of clear plastic retainers or "aligners " that gradually move teeth. The process begins with an impression of your teeth. That impression is digitally scanned by Invisalign and a three-dimensional model is generated. The Invisalign technicians use their computer software to move the teeth to the desired position. Once this process is complete, your doctor will fine-tune and adjust the straightening of the teeth to ensure proper movement. The technical expertise of your doctor is very important at this stage, because not all teeth in the mouth move as easily as they can be moved on a computer. The key to a successful Invisalign treatment is the speed and amount of movement programmed in every aligner. After the final position of the teeth and sequencing of straightening is approved by the doctor, Invisalign uses their state-of-the-art technology to create the aligners. Each individual aligner is designed to be worn for two weeks. During that two-week period, the aligner gradually moves the teeth. After the two week period is complete, you will wear the next aligner for another two weeks, and the process continues until the treatment is complete. At the end of your series of aligners, you and your doctor will evaluate the overall success of the treatment. If there are teeth that did not move as well as desired, you can go through a process that Invisalign call "refinement. " This refinement stage starts the process over again with impressions and the computer work-up. The Invisalign process is a great way to straighten your teeth: Go to the Invisalign website, and find a doctor near you.