Invisalign Patient Information

Congratulations on your decision to pursue improved oral health with Invisalign! Please read this worksheet carefully and make sure to clarify any questions you may have regarding your Invisalign treatment with our team.

The Start of Treatment:

  1. Records (x-rays and photos) and scans will be gathered for Dr. Fenn to properly diagnose your treatment and start the process of aligner fabrication. The majority of patients have a second iTero scan taken at the end of their first set of aligners in order to fabricate a second set of detailing trays. Thus, your individual treatment time is an estimate based on what Dr. Fenn determines at the time of treatment planning, and is not based on the number of aligners you receive in your initial delivery.
  2. The process of records submission, communication, and finally aligner fabrication takes 6-8 weeks. Your appointment will be scheduled for 6-8 weeks out after your initial records appointment. If the aligners come back sooner, we will attempt to bring you back for an earlier appointment.
  3. At your appointment attachments will be bonded to your teeth as shown below, with placement varying on your specific case and movements.

Treatment Progress:

  1. The most important variable for success of your Invisalign treatment is your compliance to wear the aligners as instructed. Aligners need to be worn at minimum 22 hours per day, without exception. This includes faithful wear of rubber bands, if indicated, during treatment.
  2. Your aligners will be changed on a weekly basis, unless otherwise notified by Dr. Fenn. The most important indicator of your readiness to change into your next aligner is the overall fit, or passiveness, of your aligners. Use your fingers to adapt and massage the aligers so they fit like a well fitted glove.

    Your aligners should have no visible space seen between the edge of the teeth, & the aligner itself. The aligners should always fit tight over the teeth so no space is visible at the edge of the teeth. If a gap exists, aligner chewies or VPro should be used 2 times a day for 5 minutes at a time until the aligner fits properly.

To use the chewies, bite down and hold in the area where the aligner needs to fit better for 5 seconds, then release. Repeat this process for 5 minutes twice a day until the gap is reduced.

**If you have a history of TMJ, do not use the chewies, but instead use steady finger pressure to push the aligner in place.

Please call the office immediately if aligners are not fitting or if you have any questions or concerns.
Please bring ALL aligners with you to any appointment when you have concerns.

Caring for your Invisalign Aligners:

  1. Never eat or drink anything but water with your aligners in place. Do not drink hot drinks with your aligners in.
  2. Use a fluoride containing toothpaste.
  3. When eating or drinking, remove your aligners and place into the case provided for safe keeping. Do not place your aligners in your pocket or napkins as this will lead to accidental damage or discarding of the aligners.
  4. Brush the inside of the aligners carefully after every meal. Aligners should be “crystal clear” at all times. If aligners are cloudy, this is an indication of plaque accumulation, which can be extremely damaging to the teeth, leading to scarring/decalcification and cavities of your teeth.
  5. Brush the inside of the aligners with dish soap and COOL water.
  6. You may use the cleaning crystals provided in addition to brushing the aligners with soap and warm water. You may also purchase Polident retainer cleaning at your local drug store
  7. If you have a rough spot on your aligner, gently use an emery board to smooth out the area
  8. If your aligner becomes lost, cracked, etc., it may be OK to move onto your next aligner. However, please call our office to confirm if this is OK.

Aligner Chewies

The purpose of the chewies is to help guide the aligners to fully fit over all your teeth. Using chewies every day with every aligner twice a day will allow the aligners to “track” properly and ensure the aligner movement is not ahead of your tooth movement. Therefore keeping treatment time and tooth movement on track.

To properly use chewies, aligners must be in the mouth then chew on chewies throughout your entire mouth for 5 minutes. If there is a spot where the aligner isn’t fully seating and or the aligner is visibly “bouncing” off the tooth, then concentrate chewie use in that area. If after that, the aligner isn’t seating any better, give the office a call, and we will schedule you in for a check.

Attachments & IPR

Attachments may be bonded onto your teeth. The attachments are to help with the rotation of your teeth …. They are used to help and or move teeth in certain directions. They will be removed when treatment is complete. When the teeth are crowded, room is required to align the shifting teeth. A technique is used to slenderize some of the teeth so they can straighten out and fit in. This technique is called IPR (interproximal reduction) and a sand paper like disc is used between the teeth. The doctor prescribes this at certain points throughout treatment.

Important

  1. If you stop wearing aligners, they won’t fit anymore as your teeth will shift and there will be additional fees for replacement aligners.
  2. If you lose your aligners and require new aligners, a records fee will be applied.
  3. If you don’t schedule a timely appointment after a new records are taken, your aligners may not fit and additional fees will apply to repeat your records for new aligners.
  4. If optional dental work is completed and your aligners no longer fit, there will be additional fees for a new records.
  5. If we need to repeat your records due to lack of compliance, there is a $500 records fee.

Invisalign Checklist

Make sure to review this and check the boxes before coming to your next appointment:

 

Danforth Dental Clinic

We are conveniently located near Greektown on the TTC Danforth Avenue subway line between Greenwood Avenue and Coxwell Avenue.

1411 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON M4J 1N2