It used to be if you wanted straight teeth you had to cram enough metal in your mouth to build a skyscraper.

Not anymore my friends.

And the most popular alternative to braces, by far, is Invisalign©.

With Invisalign, there’s no metal involved.

Instead, clear plastic aligners are used to get your teeth in line.

Basically these aligners are clear plastic trays that are placed over your teeth.

Now you know WHAT Invisalign is and what they’re made of. Next it’s time to answer one of the most common questions folks have about it…

How Does Invisalign Work?

It’s actually pretty cool.

Initial Visit – Getting a Plan in Place

The process starts with a trip to a cosmetic dentist that offers Invisalign. They’ll assess your mouth and take a 3D scan of your teeth.

Your dentist will use this 3D scan to come up with a custom treatment plan to get your teeth straight. They’ll know what your teeth look like now and how you want them to look at the end of the Invisalign treatment process.

With a starting point and ending point, they know how Invisalign aligners will need to move your teeth to get them just the way you want. And they’ll know how long it’ll take to do it.

How the Invisalign Aligners Work

With a treatment plan in place, your dentist will get you a custom set of plastic aligners.

Each aligner, which you’re supposed to wear for 20-22 hours each day, is designed to make small adjustments to your teeth.

Every two weeks or so, you’ll switch to the next aligner in the series. Each aligner makes gradual adjustments to the position of your teeth – building on the adjustments of the previous aligners.

And, finally, after you’re done with your last aligner, your crooked teeth seemingly have magically transformed into the straight teeth you’re looking for.

And that’s how Invisalign works.

It’s similar to braces in that they make small adjustments over time until your teeth line up the way you want. They just doing using a nearly invisible plastic material you can take out when you eat, brush your teeth or want to engage in some hanky panky.

The best way to learn about Invisalign is to find a cosmetic dentist in your area who is an Invisalign specialist. To find one near you, search our listings of Invisalign dentists here.