Treatment that Fits Your Life
Consider Invisalign to get the beautiful straight teeth you’ve always wanted — without braces.
Many adults are interested in orthodontic treatment. However, they don’t like the idea of wearing metal appliances for a year or two, particularly if they work in a professional environment.
If this describes you, Invisalign might be an option.
Invisalign® is an orthodontic treatment system that uses a series of clear, medical-grade plastic aligners to gently guide and straighten your teeth over time.
The aligners are virtually undetectable when worn. Plus, they’re removable, making it easier to eat, drink, brush and floss.
Invisalign is much more comfortable than traditional metal bracket braces and can give you stunning results.
The Invisalign Process
At your initial consultation, we’ll take X-rays, and Dr. Jennings will conduct a comprehensive orthodontic exam.
She’ll create a treatment plan based on the findings of that exam. We'll take photos and X-rays to create a 3D image of your mouth.
Dr. Jennings uses those images to create a precise treatment plan, including your teeth' exact movements, and determine approximately how long treatment will take.
We make your first set of custom-fitted aligners from these images, and then you begin the process of straightening your teeth.
Invisalign technology makes it possible for Dr. Jennings to show you a virtual representation of how your teeth will move with each series of aligners and what your smile looks like at the end of treatment.
You’ll receive several sets of aligners at each of your orthodontic checkups, which are about every six weeks. You’ll wear each set of aligners for one to two weeks, depending on your individual treatment plan, before graduating to the next in the series.
You will probably wear Invisalign aligners for 9–15 months and typically use 18–30 sets during your treatment.
You wear the trays for about 22 hours a day but can remove them to brush your teeth and eat. Based on your individual needs, you will wear several sets of trays throughout your orthodontic treatment. You will start to notice a change in just a few months!
Treatment doesn’t end with your last set of aligners, however. You’ll receive a final set of retainers to wear once you have completed your series of aligners, or possibly a permanent retainer for your lower teeth if Dr. Jennings believes it’s necessary.
The retention phase is crucial to maintaining the good results achieved by Invisalign. You’ll wear them daily for a while, and eventually, you’ll graduate to only needing to wear them at night a few times per week. Wearing retainers regularly will help keep your teeth from relapsing.
A Modern Approach
Invisalign® takes a modern approach to straightening teeth. It uses a custom-made series of aligners created for you and only you. These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable and virtually invisible plastic that you wear over your teeth.
Wearing the aligners will gently move your teeth into place little by little, based on the exact movements your orthodontist plans for you. There are no metal brackets to attach and no wires to tighten. You just pop in a new set of aligners about every two weeks until your treatment is complete.
You’ll get a great smile without a treatment that gets in the way of your daily life. The best part about the whole process is that most people won’t even know you’re straightening your teeth. See more at the Invisalign site.
This nearly-invisible option to straighten your teeth is truly changing the way people see orthodontic treatment. Dr. Jennings has a lot of experience treating patients with Invisalign, and we’re excited to offer this technology to our Mt. Washington and Louisville, KY braces patients.
Differences Between Invisalign & Braces
Unlike conventional brackets and archwires, which require a modified diet and special tools to clean around the appliances, Invisalign’s removable aligners offer the freedom to eat all the foods you love and clean your teeth normally.
The aligners must be removed for eating and for drinking anything other than water. You need to make sure you’re willing to do that before you decide on Invisalign clear braces. To prevent staining, you’ll need to clean your teeth before putting the aligners back on after each time you eat.
Of course, brushing and flossing are much easier than with traditional braces since you don’t have to work around any brackets and wires.
You can also remove the aligner for key moments, such as family photos or other special occasions. Just remember that Invisalign aligners can’t do their job when they aren’t worn, so you want to wear them as much as possible to get the results you want on time.
The smooth plastic Invisalign aligners also don't have metal components that can irritate your mouth.
Responsibilities of Invisalign
It’s important to wear your aligners for at least 22 hours each day for them to do their job and straighten your teeth. But, with Invisalign, you can remove your aligners for special occasions.
Like with traditional braces, you will generally need to wear a retainer after Invisalign treatment to maintain your new alignment—and your confident new smile.
Talk to Jennings Orthodontics About Invisalign
Invisalign may not be recommended for some complex alignment or bite issues, or for those who have bridgework; the doctor can advise you about what options are best for you.
Schedule your free consultation at our Mt. Washington or Louisville, KY office to learn if Invisalign is right for you.