What Are Attachments With Invisalign?
If you are contemplating braces for your teeth, have you looked into Invisalign? Invisalign is a newer type of system designed to straighten teeth in a way that is almost invisible. This type of system works with clear plastic aligners, which move your teeth little by little, and in some cases, they require the use of attachments. Here are several things to understand about the aligners used with this system and the attachments you might need.
How the Aligners Work
When you initially get Invisalign, the orthodontist will create custom aligners for your mouth. You will wear a set for about two weeks and then will switch to a different set. Each time you start using a new set, the aligners will feel awkward, as if they do not fit right. This is normal, and this is something you should expect. The aligners may feel this way because they are created in a way to force your teeth into proper alignment. As you wear a set, it will start to fit better after a few days. By the end of the two weeks, it should fit perfectly, which will be just in time for you to start wearing a new set of aligners.
The Purpose of Using Attachments with Invisalign
If the purpose of getting Invisalign is only to straighten your teeth, you might not need to use attachments. If you are getting braces to straighten your teeth and correct your bite, you will likely need to use attachments during the process. Attachments with Invisalign are becoming very common, as they help fix problems that the aligners cannot fix alone. With attachments, orthodontists have an easier time correcting bad bites, fixing teeth that are protruded too far, or turning teeth that need to be rotated.
The attachments used are typically made up of small clumps of dental bonding, which is the material a dentist uses for filling in a cavity. An orthodontist places these small clumps on specific teeth as a way of putting more pressure on a certain tooth while wearing the aligners. There are other types of attachments, too, though.
The Types of Attachments Used with Invisalign
There are several different types of attachments used with Invisalign, and they are often called power ridges, buttons, and bite ramps. A power ridge is made with a small bump of composite bonding, as described above. Power ridges help shift teeth that need a lot of movement in a certain direction.
A button is an attachment made up of plastic or metal in the form of a bracket. Buttons generally help correct bite issues, and they normally involve wearing small rubber bands to connect them. Because of this, a person will typically have a button on a tooth located on the upper jaw and one located on a tooth on the lower jaw. When you connect a rubber band from the top jaw to the bottom, it will create tension that causes a shift in the person's bite.
A bite ramp is one other type of attachment, although it is not really a separate part. When a bite ramp is used, it simply means that the aligners are created in a way where one part of it is thicker than the rest. This extra thickness helps force teeth in a certain direction.
Invisalign is a great system that can improve the alignment of teeth and a person's bite. If you would like to find out if you are a good candidate for this system, you should call a clinic that offers it. You can find out more information by visiting a dentist for a consultation visit.
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