Invisalign technology is becoming vastly popular amongst patients today. Adults and teens of all ages have set their eyes on Invisalign because of just how convenient and easy it can make orthodontic treatment! With Invisalign style aligners there are no wires, brackets or metal involved so gone are the days where you have to worry about a bracketing falling off or having trauma to a wire over the weekend when the orthodontist office is closed because they are just clear trays that you take in and out.
If you are unfamiliar with Invisalign, the process begins with a 3D scan of the teeth using a digital scanner. The scanner will construct a virtual 3D model of your teeth and make digital models from this. From the digital model, the Invisalign technology will construct a series of clear trays that fit exactly to your teeth and will shift your teeth little by little to your Invisalign treatment plan as you progress through the process. In general, you will wear the aligners for at least one to two weeks straight for anywhere from 18-22 hours a day (depending on the provider’s instructions) to ensure that the teeth are shifting to their desired location. You will remove the aligners only during eating and drinking, unless you are drinking water! This is important to prevent bacteria from sticking to the tray surface where sugar or food particles could collect.
As far as activity goes while wearing your aligners, you don’t have any limitations! This means, yes, you can do interval training with your Invisalign in your mouth. Don’t stop here either, you can bike, run, climb, etc. with your Invisalign in and it shouldn’t affect it. Since you don’t have brackets, you won’t have to worry about anything breaking off there. Sometimes, some treatment plans suggest the need for “buttons’ ‘ to help move certain teeth with the aligners, which are essentially little “dots” of composite to grasp onto the Invisalign tray. It isn’t entirely uncommon that a button may break off since they aren’t permanently bonded onto your natural teeth. If this happens, just be sure to call your Invisalign Provider immediately so that they can rebond a new button back on and you’ll be able to carry on with the future Invisalign trays.
If you have any other questions about certain activities or what limitations may exist with your Invisalign aligners, please feel free to contact us at Richmond Virginia Orthodontics!
