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


The Start of Treatment:

  • Records, x-rays, photos, and scans will be gathered for Dr. Carrie to properly diagnose your treatment and start the process of aligner fabrication. The majority of patients have a second set of records taken at the end of their first set of aligners in order to fabricate a second set of detailing trays. We call this a refinement. Therefore, your individual treatment time is an estimate based on what Dr. Carrie concludes at your treatment consultation, and is not based on the number of aligners your receive in your first set.
  • The process of the digital scan submission, communication, and finally aligner fabrication with the Invisalign lab takes about 4-6 weeks. Your appointment will be scheduled approximately 6 weeks out after your initial records and scan. If the aligners come back sooner, we will let you know and try to move your appointment to an earlier time.
  • At your following appointment, attachments will be bonded to your teeth. Placement varies on each specific case and movements needed.

Image result for invisalign attachments

Treatment Progress:

  • 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. If you are not able to wear your aligners for the designated number of hours, please make up for it the following day, meaning that you may need to delay your aligner change day.
  • Additionally, your aligners should have no visible space seen between the edge of the teeth, and the aligner itself. The aligners should always fit tight over the teeth so no space is visible at the edge of the teeth. If you are not wearing your aligners for enough hours, a gap will start to form as the trays are not tracking properly. If a gap exists, aligner “chewies” should be used until the aligner fits properly.
  • DO NOT TRANSITION TO YOUR NEXT ALIGNER UNTIL ALL GAPS BETWEEN THE TEETH AND THE ALIGNER ARE RESOLVED.

  • We will provide you with a chewie cotton roll. To use the chewie, bite down and hold in the area where the aligner needs to fit better for 5 seconds, then release. Repeat this process for 5-10 minutes at a time, up to three times per day, until the gap is reduced.
  • If you have a history of TMJ, do not use the chewies, but instead use steady figure pressure to push the aligner in place instead, always making sure not to put pressure on you lower jaw if the problem is on the lower teeth.
  • During treatment, micro millimeters of excess enamel may be removed in order to alleviate crowding. This process will not hurt you or your enamel, and may be necessary in order to achieve detailed and optimal results.

Caring for your Invisalign Aligners:

  • Never eat or drink anything but water with your aligners in place.
  • Use fluoride toothpaste. Brush for 2 minutes, spit, rinse, and then put your aligners back in.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Brush the inside of the aligners with toothpaste and COOL water, or with baking soda and water.
  • If you do not have a sulfa allergy, denture cleaner may also be used in addition to brushing the aligners to keep them extra clean. Place the aligners in cool water with a denture cleaning tablet to soak for 3-15 minutes (per package instructions). Remove the aligners when time has passed, brush and rinse out the aligners before placement back into your mouth.

Other tips:

  • If you have a rough spot on your aligner, gently use an emery board to smooth out the area
  • If your aligner becomes lost, cracks, etc. after one week of wear, it may be OK to move into your next aligner. However, please call our office to confirm if this is OK.

Refinement Process

When you have finished your initial set of aligner, you will be given the option to continue with what we call a refinement process. This is to be expected and included in your original treatment fee. This will include another scan to track your progress and then fabrication of detailing aligners. Similar to the initial scan, the process of the digital scan submission, communication, and aligner fabrication with the Invisalign lab takes about 4-6 weeks at this point as well.

Congratulations! You are on your way to a more beautiful and healthy smile!

Dr. Carrie and the CHT Ortho Team