I want to straighten my teeth as well as whiten my them but I live three hours from the closest Invisalign dentist. That means six hours just driving, not including the appointment time, gas, food, etc. I also have a two year old that I would need to find care for. How often do I really have to see a dentist if I were to get Invisalign?
Laurie
Dear Laurie,
Under normal circumstances, you would see your Invisalign dentist once a month. Your dentist will provide you with two sets of aligners. You wear each set for two weeks before switching them. One important note. When you first put on the aligners, you will find that they feel pretty snug. After a couple of days, the aligners will then become loose. That does not mean to switch them out. It means those teeth are now in their next position. However, you need to leave the aligners in for the full two weeks so that the bone has time to integrate with the new position of the roots. If you switch them out too soon, you will end up with your teeth coming loose. Use them for the entire two weeks and you will not have problems with integration.
Given your unique circumstances, the dentist may be willing to give you two months of aligners at a time. Bear in mind that if the treatment needs adjustment you may have to come in sooner. Each human body is unique and like the people that inhabit those bodies, they don’t always work according to plan. This is true whether you are using traditional braces or Invisalign.
So you know, there is a side benefit to using Invisalign. The aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This means you can get your teeth straightened and whitened at the same time for a fraction of the price. Your dentist can simply provide you with professional strength teeth whitening gel to wear in the aligners at your convenience.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.
