Invisalign Clear Aligners – Lexington, MA

The timeline for Invisalign in Lexington varies from patient to patient. This is why a consultation with our team is the first step. After examining your teeth and bite to determine the severity of your orthodontic problems, we will decide if you are a good candidate and how long we can expect treatment to take. This is based on your commitment to wearing your trays 20-22 hours a day, as well as your age and other similar factors.

The average timeframe for Invisalign is 12-18 months, but some individuals have achieved results in as little as six months.

Once you finish wearing traditional Invisalign aligners to shift your teeth into their proper place, your dentist will recommend the next phase, which is retention. This will require you to wear a custom-made retainer that looks similar to an Invisalign tray. Its purpose is to keep your pearly whites in their new place, so they do not begin to move back to their previous location.

Based on your case and needs, you will likely need to wear your retainer all the time in the beginning. However, as time passes, and your teeth become integrated with the surrounding bone and tissues, you may only need to wear it at night while you’re asleep.

It’s possible that you might develop a slight lisp when you first begin wearing Invisalign aligners; however, this is only temporary. As your tongue adjusts to pressing against the clear plastic, you will start to sound normal again, so do not worry that you will experience a speech impediment for long.

When comparing Invisalign to traditional braces, the level of discomfort seems to be far greater with metal brackets and wires. The reason is that every few weeks, the archwire must be tightened so that teeth will continue to move under forced pressure. However, Invisalign aligners require no adjustments or tightening. Instead, teeth will move with the help of continuous, gentle pressure, allowing them to form to each aligner’s design throughout treatment.

Minimal discomfort is expected because of tooth movement; however, this can be managed with an over-the-counter pain reliever and should subside within a few days.

Most patients can receive Invisalign even if they previously wore braces. However, a consultation with a member of our team is still required, as this is the only way to determine if the severity of your case can be treated with clear aligners. While some teeth only shift slightly over time, others may create new problems or need more advanced orthodontics to fix.