When Invisalign clear aligners were first introduced in the late 1990s, their discreet appearance and comfortable fit compared to braces made them a popular choice among orthodontic patients. But treatment was limited to cases that didn’t need dramatic tooth movements. The answer to “What can Invisalign fix?” was, “Just mild teeth misalignment like slight crowding or slight spacing.” But for many years now, Invisalign® has been used to successfully treat severe and complex cases, too.
First Step: Trusting An Orthodontist Experienced in Invisalign for Complex Cases
A key factor in Invisalign’s success for your complex case? Entrusting your smile to an experienced Invisalign doctor like Aura Orthodontics’ orthodontists: Dr. Vishal Sharma, Dr. Everett Lin, and Dr. Julia Koo. The Aura team has a history of treating complex cases with Invisalign, even helping patients who were told by other orthodontists that Invisalign can’t be used for challenging cases like a severe bad bite or to fix severe crowding.
This expertise adds up to their most recent Invisalign achievement: their 2022 Diamond Invisalign Provider* status. Diamond status is one of the highest levels of experience you can reach as an Invisalign doctor and means the provider has treated between 280-399 cases with Invisalign in that year.
You’ll also be pleased to know that Aura’s specialists in orthodontics also take their expertise and pay it forward: they teach Invisalign techniques and host lectures for other Fraser Valley Invisalign doctors and dental professionals.
Ways Invisalign Treats Complex Cases
In addition to relying on your Invisalign provider’s expertise, what other features help Invisalign treat complex cases? Here, we offer four reasons why Invisalign and complex cases can go hand-in-hand.
1. DIGITAL TREATMENT PLANNING
One of the key reasons behind Invisalign’s use in complex cases is the introduction of digital treatment planning. Aura Orthodontics uses advanced digital software to create a 3D virtual model of a patient’s teeth, enabling them to visualize and plan every tooth movement for the entire treatment process. The result of this digital technology? A comprehensive and precise treatment plan.
At Aura Orthodontics, we use the iTero digital scanner to take quick, painless, and accurate digital impressions of your mouth. The scanner’s software produces 3D virtual renderings from which we digitally plan your treatment. Then we can show you what your treatment will look like from beginning to end with our Invisalign Outcome Simulator — so you can feel confident about your orthodontic journey.
2. CHANGES IN INVISALIGN ALIGNER MATERIAL
When Invisalign first became available, the material that made up the aligners was less flexible and not as predictable as later technology. As a result, Invisalign treatment plans required patients to wear their Invisalign sets for longer — about two weeks — before progressing to the next set. In the past 10 years, however, Invisalign’s more flexible and responsive SmartTrack material allows shorter wear times for each set, typically a week.
Shorter intervals mean more frequent and minute tooth movements are possible, with the goal of faster progress than before. And when it comes to using Invisalign for severe or complex cases? The big movements needed to straighten really crooked or crowded teeth can be divided into more comfortable, incremental shifts.
3. SMARTFORCE ATTACHMENTS
Perhaps one of the most helpful Invisalign offerings for complex cases is their patented SmartForce™ attachments. These small, tooth-coloured attachments are bonded to specific teeth for the duration of your Invisalign treatment, acting as little anchors to add grip to your aligners.
In other words, SmartForce attachments provide additional leverage, allowing your clear aligners to exert more precise force and complex movements. These attachments can also provide specific teeth with intricate adjustments while allowing other teeth less dramatic movements.
“So does this mean Invisalign can fix my severe crowding?” you’re wondering. Yes, strategic placement of SmartForce attachments by your experienced Surrey and Langley Invisalign orthodontists means Invisalign can address severe crowding, as well as rotations, lengthening, or tipping teeth in the desired direction.
4. INVISALIGN RUBBER BANDS FOR MISALIGNED BITES
Traditionally, braces were the only orthodontic option for patients needing bite correction. But you’ll be glad to know that an experienced orthodontist can align your jaws using Invisalign with the help of Invisalign rubber bands.
“Really? How can Invisalign with rubber bands fix a misaligned jaw?” you ask. “And how does Invisalign treatment move your jaw?” Similar to the role rubber bands play in braces treatment, Invisalign rubber bands provide a connective force between your upper and lower dental arches to gradually shift your jaw into a proper bite. You attached Invisalign rubber bands to either the SmartForce attachments we talked about earlier or to hooks designed as part of your clear aligners.
With the expertise of experienced Invisalign orthodontists at Aura Orthodontics, Invisalign can align a severe overbite, underbite, or open bite. In fact, Dr. Sharma was one of the first orthodontists in the Surrey/Delta and Langley areas to use Invisalign instead of orthodontic jaw surgery for correcting an improper bite. And our team is well-versed in using Invisalign alongside surgical orthodontics when needed.
Find Out if Invisalign Is Right for You with Your Surrey/Langley Orthodontist
Now that you know about our Invisalign expertise and today’s Invisalign possibilities, schedule an appointment at our Surrey/Delta, Guildford, or Langley office to find out if Invisalign is right for you. At Aura Orthodontics, we focus on individualized, friendly service and utilize technology for precise, comfortable care.
Contact us to start your journey towards a more beautiful, straighter smile.
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*This ranking is based on Invisalign use data, and is not necessarily indicative of clinical superiority.
