The key to successful treatment with Invisalign clear aligners is consistency, but with that being said, slip-ups do happen occasionally. Today, our Surrey dentists discuss what happens when you get off track with your Invisalign treatment and how you can get back on schedule.
Invisalign Treatment
Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment method that is commonly used to alter the appearance of the teeth of teens and young adults. The major appeal of Invisalign is how these clear aligners can fit into your lifestyle—they are discreet and can be removed for eating, drinking, and playing sports. However, it is imperative that you wear your Invisalign clear aligners for no less than 22 hours a day throughout treatment in order to have the desired results.
What occurs when you don't follow your Invisalign treatment schedule?
If you aren't wearing your Invisalign clear aligners for the required amount of time, you may notice that your aligners aren't fitting as well as they should or that there are gaps between your teeth and the aligners.
Typically, each set of custom Invisalign trays is meant to be worn for 22 hours a day for a period of two weeks. If you aren't wearing your aligners enough, your teeth will not be moving as fast and aren’t as likely to keep up with the progression of your treatment.
How can you help get back to your Invisalign treatment schedule?
Life happens and sometimes you can get off track with your Invisalign treatment, here are some of the easy ways that you can help get yourself back on schedule:
Inform your dentist of where you are with treatment and what your issues have been
At the first sign that you may not be on track with your treatment, you should contact your vet and set up a visit to discuss your treatment plan. Your dentist will be able to assess your situation and give you advice on how to get back on track with your treatment.
You can ask about going back to your old set of aligners
It may be recommended that you backtrack to a previous set of clear aligners prior to continuing with the treatment as originally planned. This is so that when you switch to your new set your teeth are in the right position and treatment can successfully move forward. Your dentist will tell you which set to switch to and how long you should be wearing it.
Adjust your treatment plan to better suit your lifestyle
If your previous sets are not fitting correctly, your dentist may need to revise your treatment plan and create a new set of aligners to get you back on track. The sooner you can see your dentist the better as you will be less likely to need an extensive revision to your treatment plan.
In order to make the most of your treatment and help it succeed you should keep your dentists up to date and continue working with them throughout treatment.