For adults and teenagers who don’t want to wear metal braces, Invisalign can be an excellent way to straighten teeth. But if you’ve never had this treatment done before, you probably have a few questions about how it works and what you can expect during the process. You can always talk to your dentist if there’s anything you want to know, but in the meantime, here are the answers to 4 common Invisalign questions.
1. Is the Treatment Painful?
Some soreness is normal at the beginning of Invisalign treatment. This is because the aligners are putting pressure on your teeth to move them toward the desired positions. Fortunately, the initial discomfort will usually fade in less than a week.
You might still notice some soreness when you change to a new aligner, but it won’t be as bad as what you experienced at the beginning of the treatment. You can keep your smile comfortable with over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen if you need to.
2. How Long Will Invisalign Treatment Take?
The timeline for Invisalign treatment can vary significantly from patient to patient depending on the situation. The average treatment time is between 12 and 18 months, with more complex issues (such as a major overbite) usually taking longer to address. Your dentist or orthodontist can give you an estimate of how long you can expect Invisalign to take during your initial consultation.
3. How Can You Avoid Staining Your Aligners?
If you don’t want your aligners to become discolored, make sure that you thoroughly brush them (along with your teeth) every time you take them out to eat. That way, there’s less of a chance that stain-causing food particles will be trapped against the plastic. You should also try to stay away from coffee, tea, red wine, and other beverages known for causing stains.
4. Will Invisalign Affect How You Speak?
When you first start wearing Invisalign, you may have a bit of a lisp. It should go away once your tongue learns to account for your aligners when making certain sounds. Most of the time, you can expect your lisp to fade in about a week. Certain speech exercises can help your tongue adjust faster, such as repeatedly counting from sixty to seventy or practicing potentially troublesome words like “Mississippi.”
Invisalign can help you achieve the straighter smile you’ve always wanted, but you should only begin the treatment once you’re fully confident that you understand it. Reach out to your dentist today if you have any other questions about Invisalign that aren’t covered above. Once you have the information you need, you’ll be in a better position to decide whether clear aligners are the best choice for your grin.
About the Practice
At HJ Dental, we have multiple oral health experts who combine their decades of experience along with their mutual passion for helping others to provide Dallas patients with first-rate dental care. We’re proud to offer Invisalign as an option for patients who want straighter smiles but don’t want to have to worry about wearing braces. To schedule a consultation at HJ Dental, visit our website or call (214) 521-3148.