To get traditional braces, you’ll start with a thorough dental examination and X-ray imaging. Your orthodontist will secure the brackets to your teeth with bonding adhesive, thread a wire through them, and keep the wire and brackets firmly in place with a series of bands.
Traditional braces may involve more follow-up visits to the orthodontist over time for tightening and adjustments. After your braces are removed, you might also have to wear a retainer for one to three years to maintain your results.
Getting fitted for Invisalign starts with a similar process, including a dental examination and imaging. Then, your orthodontist will make a mold of your teeth to create a series of custom-fit aligner trays. They may be temporarily fitted to your teeth with small attachments. You’ll switch to another set of aligners every one to three weeks to gradually realign your teeth.
It’s important to wear Invisalign at least 22 hours per day in order to see results. If you frequently forget to put your aligners back on, they won’t be effective.
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