I always wanted to fix my crooked teeth but struggled to find the right orthodontist. I was referred by a friend to Dr. Lissauer. He really listened to me and how I wanted my smile to look. It took some time, which I expected. Everything worked out well. He really cared about making sure it was just like I wanted.
Following your dentist's recommendation would be the best move. For many years, Invisalign recommended changing trays every two weeks. However, research showed that weekly changes is successful in many situations, and Invisalign (in recent years) changed their recommendations to allow weekly tray progression. I typically prefer weekly tray changes for 3 reasons: (1) I design tooth movement for weekly tray changes. Orthodontists work directly with Invisalign to determine the exact tooth movements in every tray. I prefer weekly tray changes, so I make sure the amount of tooth movement set to be accomplished by each tray can actually be accomplished in one week. (2) Patients like a new fresh set of trays each week. Even with perfect cleaning protocols, trays after one week of wear are not as pristine as when they are taken out of the packaging. A new set of trays is refreshing. (3) Changing the trays weekly allows for easier planning for patients. Changing your trays every Thursday night is easier to remember than changing your trays every other Thursday night. My main goal is for orthodontics is to be easy, predictable and successful!
Invisalign works extremely well as long as two things happen: (1) the patient wears the trays properly (2) the orthodontics is planned properly. (1) PATIENT WEAR With proper wear, Invisalign is very predictable and successful. However, Invisalign trays only work if the patient wears them. The recommendation by Invisalign is 20-22 hours. There is a direct correlation with success and wear. Patients that wear the trays more see results faster. Over the years, many patients in my office have tried wearing the trays 10-15 hours a day and tooth movement was slow and unpredictable. This is of course frustrating for both patients and the orthodontist. (2) PROPER PLANNING BY ORTHODONTIST Your orthodontist works with Invisalign to design your beautiful end result. A 3D virtual simulation is establish showing tooth movement throughout the Invisalign process, tray by tray. You can actually track your progress and compare your tooth movement to the computer simulation throughout your Invisalign journey. This step-by-step virtual plan developed by Invisalign and your orthodontist is the key to your results - meaning the key to loving your smile at the end. This means that the designer (your orthodontist) is an integral part to Invisalign working the way that you hope. Before even starting your first tray, you should review the 3D simulation to make sure the result matches what you would like to accomplish.
WHAT ARE INVISALIGN ATTACHMENTS? Invisalign attachments are small tooth-colored bumps that are temporarily placed during Invisalign treatment. These attachments are important as they serve as "handle-bars" that allow the Invisalign trays to easily grasp your teeth. At the end of Invisalign, these attachments are very easily polished off. WHY USE ATTACHMENTS? Invisalign only works if the trays can adequately hold your teeth during tooth movement. If the trays are very loose, they are not gripping your teeth enough to move your teeth as desired. An important part of orthodontics, which should not be underestimated, is efficiency - the trays need to grasp your teeth properly for orthodontics to progress predictably and successfully. Many patients say they feel the trays CLICK into place because of the attachments These attachments help establish that perfect fit of the trays that is essential for ideal orthodontics. With all this being said, there still are situations - like very mild tooth movement - where attachments are less important and used less frequently.
Invisalign has been around for quite some time. For many years, Invisalign recommended changing trays every two weeks. However, Invisalign CHANGED their recommendation to allow for weekly Invisalign trays in recent years. The length of time - one week or two weeks - will be recommended by the dentist. Orthodontics is planned in stages. During certain stages, two weeks may be recommended while weekly changes may be recommended during other stages. So, I would not be surprised if your Invisalign specialist changes from two weeks to one week (or vice versa) during treatment, based on the desired tooth movements at that particular stage.
Your Invisalign trays are adapted perfectly to your teeth. However, beverages DO sneak between your trays and your teeth. And the Invisalign trays squeeze this beverage right up against your teeth. I see absolutely no issue with drinking plain water with the trays in place as much as you would like. However, I recommend patients to drink other beverages (with sugar or lemon or lime) quickly with the trays out. When done with the beverage, I recommend rinsing with water before replacing the trays; even better would be to brush your teeth before replacing the trays but I understand that is not always feasible. A lot of my patients are teenagers that play a lot of sports. The riskiest Invisalign patients are those that are drinking Gatorade or other sugary drinks for hours at practice each day after school with their Invisalign trays in place. The sugary beverage is pushed right against the tooth surface and can cause discolorations. Unfortunately, I have seen this - more than I like. For this reason, I recommend only plain water with the trays in place. Furthermore, for patients that insist on drinking these sugary drinks after school for hours, I recommend to avoid Invisalign. As an orthodontist, we want results to be beautiful at the end. Straight teeth that are discolored are not beautiful.
