Services

INVISALIGN® in River Place

Woman clutching her jaw in pain

What Is Invisalign®?

Clear aligner treatment eliminates the need for metal brackets and wires to be bonded to your teeth for years. Instead, River Place patients looking for a more discreet and comfortable treatment for minor to moderate alignment problems can wear clear removable plastic aligners.

Our Invisalign® uses medical-grade thermoplastic that moves teeth more efficiently than other clear aligner systems with less intense tooth movements.

Patients need to wear their aligners for 22 hours a day to allow the aligners to do their work. You will only remove the aligners to eat or clean your teeth. The aligners are custom-made to fit your teeth because they're based on precise impressions we take of your bite and send to our aligner lab.

They digitally plan your entire treatment on their special software which produces a 3D model of your bite. From there, we can provide our input on how we want your teeth to move. Once your treatment is approved, your aligners are fabricated and then you can return to our office to pick them up.

What Happens in the First 4 Weeks With Clear Aligner Treatment?

Your first week of clear aligner treatment will likely be the most uncomfortable because you're not used to wearing your aligners yet. When you first wear your aligners, they are the tightest they will be over the 2 weeks that you need to wear them.

They start very snugly against your teeth, which enables the aligners to gradually shift your teeth by exerting gentle pressure on them. As your teeth begin to shift, the aligners aren’t as tight. After 2 weeks, you will switch to a new set of aligners.

While it’s normal to feel some level of soreness, tenderness, or sensitivity in your teeth when you first switch to a new aligner, most patients report that discomfort is most common in the first week of treatment and then subsides. 

You can rinse your mouth with saltwater solutions and take anti-inflammatory pain medication for relief. After the first week, you will likely be getting the hang of things, as you get used to taking your aligners out whenever you eat or drink flavored or hot beverages. 

You’ll need to clean the aligners twice a day and brush and floss your teeth every time you eat. This prevents bacteria and stains from building up in your aligners. The first 2 weeks are your first set of aligners so you can expect to feel the most discomfort and difficulty speaking clearly during these 2 weeks. 

Once you switch to your next set of aligners, you’ll likely be getting better at pronunciation and getting used to your aligners. As long as you have been wearing them for 22 hours per day, you shouldn’t have any trouble fitting your next aligners over your teeth. Your treatment remains the same throughout all of the weeks, but you should feel more comfortable as time progresses.

Patient smiling after Invisalign treatment

What Are the Hardest Teeth to Move With Invisalign®?

The lateral incisors are the hardest teeth to move with Invisalign®. While the order of teeth that move during your treatment can vary depending on each case and the severity of your misalignment, the back teeth are generally moved first. This is because the rear molars are easier to move, while the teeth at the front of the mouth, such as the lateral incisors, are harder to move.

Smiling and holding up her clear aligners

Schedule Your Clear Aligner Consultation in River Place

Are you looking for a clear aligner provider in River Place? Contact us at Austin Dental Company today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bonner Morren.

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