Invisalign is a specific clear aligner system: a full course of custom-manufactured trays planned from a digital scan of your teeth before treatment starts. Dr. Zou evaluates your teeth, bite, oral health, and goals, then reviews your digital treatment plan with you before any aligners are made.
A digital scan of your teeth and bite is used to map out the full sequence of tooth movements before any aligners are manufactured. You review the planned outcome with Dr. Zou, and the complete series of trays for your case is then produced to that plan.
Each set is generally worn around 20 to 22 hours a day and changed for the next set in the series on the schedule set out in your plan. Removing them for longer than instructed, or falling behind on changes, can affect how closely treatment tracks the original plan.
Small tooth-colored attachments are sometimes bonded to specific teeth to give the aligners more grip for certain movements. If teeth are not tracking exactly as planned partway through treatment, a refinement — a new short series of aligners — may be scanned and added.
Retainers are needed once active treatment is complete, because teeth continue to drift without them. We will explain your individualized retention plan before treatment finishes.
Request an appointment and our team will follow up to confirm a time, or call 909.283.3130. An examination is required before a treatment recommendation can be made.
Request AppointmentInvisalign is a specific system: custom-manufactured trays produced from your digital treatment plan, with a particular tray material and tracking process behind it. Other clear aligner brands use their own materials and planning software. Which is appropriate for your case is discussed at your consultation.
Most patients move to the next set in the series every one to two weeks, following the schedule set out in your treatment plan. Your treating clinician may adjust the pace based on how your teeth respond.
Some cases need small tooth-colored attachments bonded to specific teeth for the aligners to grip properly. Whether your plan needs them depends on the movements involved.
Duration depends on what needs to move. Simple cases may finish in several months, while more involved plans run longer. A realistic estimate requires a scan and a reviewed treatment plan rather than a visual look alone.
Yes. Teeth drift back toward their previous positions after any orthodontic treatment, so retainers are needed to hold the result. Retention is generally long term.
