By Rafael Mercado, DDS on April 25, 2020
Invisalign clear aligners offer a comfortable and discreet treatment for crooked, gapped, and misaligned teeth. The trays are worn for 20 to 22 hours per day and gently move teeth into better alignment.
One benefit of Invisalign is that it does not require uncomfortable wire tightenings. Dr. Rafael Mercado will need to periodically check your progress through visits to our San Antonio, TX, dental office. Once your treatment begins, Dr. Mercado will schedule Invisalign appointments at regular intervals.
How Often Will My Follow-Up Appointments Occur?
Dr. Mercado will schedule your visits every four to six weeks to monitor your progress and to give you new trays. The frequency of these visits is partly determined by the number of sets of trays you receive and how long you need to wear them. Dr. Mercado will use these important visits to conduct other tasks related to your Invisalign treatment.
Once your treatments have begun, your follow-up appointments will be fairly short. Unless Dr. Mercado has to place buttons or modify any teeth, each Invisalign appointment should take less than half an hour. A member of our dental team will be glad to schedule these visits when they are most convenient for you.
Tracking Your Progress
When you begin Invisalign treatments, you will be given aligner trays in an order determined by your treatment timeline. Your treatment timeline can be adjusted if needed. One purpose of your four- to six-week visits will be to track your progress and to ensure that your tooth movements are occurring at a steady and predictable manner.
If there are any unexpected delays in your treatment, Dr. Mercado will work with Invisalign’s lab technicians and dental professionals to revise your treatment as needed.
IPR and Buttons
In order to successfully complete complex tooth movements, special tooth-colored “buttons” may be placed on one or more teeth during your visit to Dr. Mercado’s San Antonio dental practice. The buttons allow the aligner trays to more tightly grasp individual teeth. The buttons can be placed and removed during Invisalign appointments.
Interproximal reduction (IPR) is performed to facilitate your orthodontic treatment. IPR involves the removal of very small amounts of tooth enamel in order to create space for tooth movement. IPR is commonly performed during other orthodontic treatments like metal braces.
Answering Your Questions
When you visit our San Antonio dental practice every four to six weeks for Invisalign appointments, be sure to ask any questions that have been on your mind. Those questions may include:
- What’s the best way to clean my aligners?
- When is the best time to place new trays?
- How much longer will my Invisalign treatment last?
Dr. Mercardo may have questions too, such as, “Are you wearing your aligners for 20 to 22 hours per day?” so be sure to follow your Invisalign treatment guidelines carefully.
Schedule Your Consultation to Learn More
Invisalign trays offer a convenient and effective treatment that can straighten your teeth just a matter of months. Each Invisalign appointment will take less than half an hour and can be scheduled at a time and day that is convenient for you. To schedule your Invisalign consultation, please contact our office online or call (210) 405-1257.