Invisalign treatment process: the clear orthodontic aligner

The Invisalign treatment process: tooth correction with the clear orthodontic aligner. Here is exactly how the treatment unfolds.

Invisalign treatment: the clear aligner

Invisalign is the inventor of the clear aligner (Align Technology, California, USA). Their team of experts knows the world of aligners inside out and is constantly refining the system. They study millions of patient cases and hundreds of materials. It is an aligner therapy recognized by dentists, orthodontists and health insurers. More than 600 patents protect the Invisalign technology, and it works up to 50% faster than alternative aligner systems.

This advanced aligner system unfolds its full potential in the hands of our experienced dentists. You benefit from the experience of hundreds of successfully completed cases. Every patient case is carefully planned and reviewed before the treatment actually starts, combining the expertise of our dentists with the AI-based Invisalign software.

The treatment process

Free consultation

In a free consultation we explain how aligner therapy works and answer all of your questions. We follow up with a 3D scan of your teeth, including an instant simulation.

iTero scan and instant simulation

No squeezing, no gagging — the unpleasant impression putty is a thing of the past. With the iTero scanner we create a digital image of your teeth. It captures up to 6,000 images per second, giving us an exact, interactive, digital model of your bite. With this model we can analyze precisely which teeth need to move and how, so we can deliver your dream smile.

After scanning your teeth, we can show you an instant simulation of how your teeth will look in just a few minutes. From there, our team can give you a clear picture of the type of treatment, the duration, and the effort involved.

ClinCheck: the treatment plan

We create your individual treatment plan — known as the ClinCheck. To evaluate it, we draw on a database of more than 9 million successfully completed Invisalign cases. The most advanced aligner technology paired with the expertise of our dentists lets us build a treatment plan that is gentle yet fast.

Once the treatment plan is finalized, the trays go into production. Each tray is custom-made for you. This process usually takes two to three weeks.

Dental health during treatment

Inside your treatment plan, every single tooth movement is planned individually for you and, where needed, optimized with a custom attachment. This way we rule out unnecessary tooth movement entirely and can guarantee a fast and gentle therapy.

Our unique screening process lets us spot gum disease right during the scan. On top of that, NIRI technology (near-infrared) shines through the teeth to detect cavities — completely without X-rays.

What are attachments?

Attachments are small, round or elongated composite anchors. They make tooth movement easier, faster and more efficient. They enable tooth rotations by acting as anchors that the tray grips, so the tooth moves as efficiently as possible.

Start of treatment

Your first treatment appointment: at this appointment we hand over all of your trays and walk you through your individual treatment timeline. Since we already put your first tray in together, you switch to the next aligner in two weeks. The trays after that are changed on a 7-14 day cycle. You wear the trays 18-22 hours a day and only take them out to eat, drink or brush your teeth.

Check-up appointments

An aligner treatment should always run under medical supervision, which is why check-ups are essential. Every patient and every tooth is unique, so tooth movement is also an individual process. Your teeth might move faster and more easily than expected — or they might not keep up with the plan as quickly as predicted.

Schedule your first check-up 6-12 weeks in. The team will then plan further appointments with you individually.

Living with aligners

Like everything in life, wearing the trays is a matter of habit. The first few days feel unfamiliar, but after a few weeks the trays feel like second nature. For the treatment to succeed, you should wear your aligners with discipline and only take them out to eat, drink or brush.

Cleaning and eating

Since you take the aligners out to eat, you can eat anything you want with no restrictions. When drinking with the trays in, watch out for colored or sugary drinks (still or sparkling water is always the safest choice). If you want a soft drink, red wine, coffee or tea, you can of course have it — just not while the trays are in.

Retention: retainer wire and nighttime retainer

After your Invisalign therapy wraps up, the goal becomes keeping your new dream smile for the long haul. There are two options. The first is a permanent retainer: a thin wire bonded to the inside of your dental arch that prevents your teeth from drifting. The alternative is a nighttime retainer. Nighttime retainers look similar to Invisalign trays, but you only wear them at night while you sleep.

What happens after treatment?

Micro veneering

Micro veneering lets us smooth out small irregularities on a tooth without removing any of your own enamel. Using a tooth-colored substance — a moldable dental material called composite — we can reshape worn edges and small chips. The composite is matched to your own tooth color and finished so the transition is seamless. A composite veneer can also be removed later at any time without harming the tooth and without any follow-up treatment.

Veneers

After straightening, is there still that one tooth that stands out because it has been through a lot in the past? When micro veneering is not enough, veneers are a fast way to give the tooth a fresh look. They are made of ceramic, shaped and shaded exactly as needed, and then bonded to the tooth. At SmileClubONE we take a minimally invasive approach.

SmileClubONE — our team

At SmileClubONE we believe that honest advice and the highest medical quality are your basic right. That is our core philosophy. The deciding factor in any treatment is a minimally invasive approach paired with the highest aesthetic standards. Our senior dentists Dr. Umut Baysal and Dr. Arzu Tuna have been Invisalign providers since 2012 and SmileClubONE has reached Invisalign Diamond 2 status. That puts us among the top 3 largest Invisalign providers in Europe.