Invisalign FAQs

Invisalign is often a suitable solution for adults and teens. It can correct most of the common bite issues and tooth alignment problems and is easy to use. Teen aligners have a blue dot that fades with use, so it is easy for parents to check their child is wearing their aligners correctly.

Even though Invisalign aligners are very thin, they may affect your ability to play a brass or woodwind instrument. Therefore, it is best to remove them while you play your instrument, but please make sure you replace the aligners as soon as possible, as ideally, they should be worn all the time.

Invisalign aligners are barely noticeable, so there’s a good chance your kissing partner will not notice any difference. If they do notice something, just explain it’s easier and more comfortable to kiss with the aligners in place. Because the aligners are smooth and closely fitted to your teeth, they will not dislodge while you kiss. Once you become accustomed to kissing wearing your aligners, you both most likely will not notice any difference.
Although it may be tempting to remove them while kissing, we’d prefer it if you didn’t. Ideally, the aligners should only be removed on very special occasions. You must keep them in for as long as possible each day to get the best results. Remember, plenty of people still kiss while they wear fixed braces that are often far bulkier and much more noticeable.

Any new dental appliance feels a bit strange initially, and your tongue needs time to get accustomed to your aligners. You may have a slight lisp on the first day or two of treatment, but this should typically disappear once you become accustomed to wearing the aligners.

Invisalign aligners are made from odor-free and taste-free plastic and should not smell. If your aligners do develop a nasty smell, it means you are not caring for them correctly and are not cleaning your trays or teeth thoroughly. Increasing the frequency of your tooth brushing and tray cleaning routine should eliminate the smell.

You shouldn’t have bad breath during treatment and especially because you will be cleaning your teeth more frequently than usual. If you do develop bad breath, it’s most likely that you need to review your oral care routine. You should be brushing your teeth several times a day during Invisalign treatment, so your breath should be fresher than with a normal oral care routine where you just brush twice daily.

If you have crowns or veneers, we will need to evaluate your teeth carefully. We will need to assess your dental work to determine if it could interfere with Invisalign treatment or vice versa.

Invisalign aligners are designed to move individual teeth. A dental bridge connects two or more teeth together, so treatment may not be suitable.

If you currently wear fixed braces, it is sometimes possible to switch treatment to Invisalign. If you perhaps had fixed braces during childhood but have seen your tooth positions shift, Invisalign could help you. Many people have had what’s called an orthodontic relapse after wearing fixed braces as a child and use Invisalign to correct this problem, discreetly moving teeth back to their proper positions.

Generally, the cost of Invisalign treatment is similar to braces. The actual cost depends on the complexity of your treatment and the number of aligners required.

After completing your Invisalign treatment, you will need to wear retainers. This is necessary after any form of orthodontic treatment and prevents teeth from returning to their original positions. Invisalign retainers are made from the same clear plastic material, so they are extremely discreet. We can provide Invisalign retainers and will discuss how frequently you must wear them.