Is It Possible to Get All Your Invisalign Trays at Once? I Will Be Traveling for a Year.

Some Invisalign flexibility is possible for traveling patients.  Depending on the complexity of the treatment, (i.e. if no rubber bands are needed) it might be possible for a traveling person to still have treatment.  We have many out of state patients who we will give 4-5 aligners at a time, then they email to us selected photos of their teeth every 6-8 weeks.  A telephone call with the patient, with the photos showing treatment is tracking as planned, could allow us to send them an additional 4-5 aligners by mail.  Although this can continue to take the place of several visits, we encourage at least an office visit no longer than every 4-6 months, depending on the complexity of the case.  This type of long distance treatment would not be possible with traditional braces; Invisalign has opened up much more flexibility.

Although all aligners are made and delivered to the dentst at  once, it is best to have the dentist monitor the fit and movement of the teeth during the treatment time.  It is common to order refinement aligners to enhance the final appearance of your smile.  If you are leaving the area of the dentist with whom you started, it is possible for him/her to release your case to another dentist who can follow up on your case and ensure great results.

Invislaign needs monitoring every 3-4 trays so that would not be something I would recommend.  I have had patients leave for 6 months and the results are never where they would be if you were seeing the dentist every 4-6 weeks. 

One of the advantages of Invisalign is that multiple trays or aligners can be given the patient for self placement.  However, the teeth movements need to be monitored as sometimes things don't proceed as planned and there are necessary adjustments to be made at various points such as creating extra space between teeth with interproximal reduction (sanding between teeth).  In our office we don't like to exceed giving 3 trays, which means 6 weeks between visits, but sometimes it can be more if things are progressing well or needs to be less with a challenging movement.  It would be best to discuss the options for your case with an Invisalign certified dentist who can advise in your specific situation.

In principle it might be possible to take all of your trays and have no supervision for a year but it's quite likely that the result would be compromised.  There are numerous procedures and checks during treatment that your orthodontist must perform to obtain the best result.  Perhaps you could postpone starting your treatment until you can attend regular appointments.  If you've already had the aligners manufactured talk to your orthodontist about possible options.  It is possible to go longer intervals between visits with Invisalign than with most other appliances.

There is a misconception that the orthodontist has no role in treatment after he as finished his diagnosis and treatment plan and the aligners are delivered. During the course of treatment your doctor will need to add and remove attachments, perform interproximal reduction, add or remove elastics, and monitor the "tracking" of your aligners. Although your treatment can be "staged" so that you can see your orthodontist less than with conventional braces, regular evaluations are critical to your success. Let your doctor know your travel plans before your treatment plan is finalized and he can actually specify when you are going to be in town for those important steps where you have to be in his chair. Have fun on both of your journeys... overseas and Invisalign!

Sure...if you don't want to have anyone monitor your treatment and make sure everything is going as planned!

Invisalign is just a tool to be used by the doctor to achieve a specific result...not a do it your-self project