What Happens After Invisalign Treatment?
Keep It Together
Congratulations on your new smile!! You worked hard for it. While it may feel like you now need to race to schedule a whitening appointment with us, we don’t recommend it. Your teeth spent a lot of time in those aligners, and they will take a little while to rebuild strength. It won’t take long, though! About 6 months after Invisalign journey, your teeth will be ready to whiten!
We have plenty of whitening services available for you to explore here at Higginbotham Family Dental. You can access our entire range of whitening services at any HFD office. Schedule an appointment with our hygienist for the best treatment during your dental cleaning. Continue reading to learn more about Pt3 of your Invisalign journey.
Hold On To Your Results
A plastic retainer will look very similar to your Invisalign trays. It may even need to be worn all the time at first. Eventually, the tissue and bone surrounding your teeth will settle and you will only need to wear it at night or whenever you go to sleep. It’s not ideal, but a retainer is the only way to ensure everything you’ve worked hard for won’t slip away!
What really comes next is up to you. You’ll decide on either a permanent or a plastic retainer. While your smile is now straight and your teeth are aligned, they still need to work on stabilizing in their new positions. A permanent retainer will be a long wire that connects the back side of each tooth. As the name suggests, it won’t need to be removed and put back in for any reason.
You might need to note that if you struggled to wear your Invisalign aligners for the recommended amount of time per day, a plastic retainer may not be for you. If you want to make sure your progress and new smile last then you’ll probably decide on the permanent retainer. That’s great! There are benefits to both kinds of retainers, but of course, it’s important to choose the one that will be best for you!
Keep Up Those Hygiene Habits
It may be tempting to believe that you don’t have a reason to come into our offices anymore, but it’s still super important to care for your teeth regularly. And bonus: it’s even easier now that you have straight teeth! Your hygienist will be able to remove plaque and tartar at your dental appointments, but you’ll be able to keep some of that away too by brushing and flossing more thoroughly at home each day.
Interested In Getting Invisalign?
Learn more about how Invisalign works to reshape your teeth by visiting our Invisalign page, or by reading our articles detailing the process of Invisalign Treatment, starting at the Beginning. If Invisalign isn’t for you, visit our Services page to explore your other options.
To see what insurance policies we are in-network with, visit our Insurance page. Know that we also accept third-party financing payments such as Care Credit. If you do not have insurance or Care Credit, we have payment plans and our Discount Dental Plan to help make Invisalign more affordable for you!