INVISALIGN CHEWIES: Invisalign chewies are a reusable device that you chew on to close any air bubbles between your Invisalign aligners and your teeth. They improve the fit and comfort of your aligners and ensure they feel comfortable and work properly. Chewies are recommended as well fitting aligners are important for optimal teeth movement.
ELASTICS: Elastics may be recommended for your Invisalign treatment. Not all cases require elastics (also called rubber bands). Invisalign elastics provide added force to the Invisalign clear aligners and are especially useful for correcting bite alignment, such as overbites or crossbites. The elastics connect your top and bottom rows of teeth by attaching onto a specialized hook built into the aligners, or onto buttons which are small dental fixtures that adhere to your teeth to attach your rubber bands directly to a tooth.
Elastics should be changed every 12 hours or more frequently for more complex cases as the pulling force will decrease as they are worn. Your dentist will advise you how often to change and how to put on your elastics during your review appointment.
IPR: Interproximal reduction (IPR) is the creation of space between teeth. It removes about 0.1 - 0.5 millimeter on each tooth. IPR is especially important because: A small amount of IPR on a number of teeth can create space needed to correct crowding without extracting any teeth. between tight teeth facilitating movement. IPR can render better tooth shape and broader contact between teeth. This may be more stable, more aesthetic and even periodontally healthier. IPR may help avoid extraction as an alternative to create space. IPR does not require anaesthsia and can feel like having a dental scaling done between your teeth.
Interproximal reduction is the mechanical removal of some of the outer tooth surface, called enamel, between teeth to create very small amounts of space between the teeth. Interproximal reduction is irreversible.
As the enamel is thinned, if proper oral hygiene is not practised, there may be an increased progression of dental decay. IPR may also lead to sensitivity that usually lasts for a short period of time during and after the procedure. We advise that you use sensitive toothpaste and avoid cold or acidic drinks if you do experience sensitivity. There may be damage to the gums causing bleeding as well. We do not recommend IPR exceeding 0.5mm per tooth surface (1mm between two teeth).
ATTACHMENTS: For certain types of movements, aligners can lose their grip on a tooth and fail to get the desired tooth movement. To overcome this, small tooth-colored bumps called attachments, are temporarily and precisely bonded to some teeth to improve the effectiveness of the aligners. A small bubble in your aligner will correspond precisely to each of these attachments. Attachments are visible; however, they are not too noticeable from conversation distance.
Tooth Attachments are small protrusions of resin material that are precisely bonded to some teeth to improve the effectiveness of the aligners. A small bubble in your aligner will correspond precisely to each of these attachments. We use an attachment template provided by Invisalign. Tooth Attachments may break off, especially if there is improper force during removal of the aligners, or due to force on the teeth such as from teeth grinding. You may experience irritation of your tongue,lips and cheeks from the attachments. The attachments may be porous and stain over time. The attachments should be removed when your orthodontic treatment is completed, in a separate procedure.