Everything You Need To Know About Invisalign

We’re so glad that you are interested in Invisalign! As you may know Smiles by the Bay is a leading provider of Invisalign for adults and teen patients. We have great patients and treatment stories from Annapolis, MD to Stevensville, MD and Denton, MD. If you’re interested in Invisalign and are curious about some common questions people have, you’ve come to the right place. A lot of people want to know whether this is the right orthodontic treatment for them, and we want to help you find out. Of course, we know you’ll have a lot of questions. We’re ready to answer them. We’re committed to helping you make the best and most informed decision you can.

How Long Does Invisalign Treatment Take?

Every patient is unique and brings with them a host of things we have to take into account as we formulate a treatment plan. We fine tune everything to make sure you get a unique, well-fitting treatment. We can tell you an approximation based upon whether you’re enrolled in Invisalign Teen or Invisalign for Adults. The average Invisalign treatment duration is 12-18 months. But, even that number comes with a lot of factors attached to it. 

How complicated is your treatment need? If your treatment isn’t complicated, you’ll be on the shorter end of treatment duration. The more complicated, the longer it will likely take. Are you going to wear your Invisalign clear aligners most of the day? Or are you going to wear them infrequently? The answers to questions like these will tell you a lot about how long it will take. Smiles By The Bay wants to help you get the smile you want in as little time as it takes to do a good and thorough job.

Is Invisalign painful? 

This is such an important question for people who are feeling out which orthodontic treatment might be best for them. Some people are either coming to us having had a poor and painful experience with orthodontic care, or they’re bringing in their children and have memories of stronger wires from when they were children. We completely understand. 

When it comes to Invisalign, there’s typically a little discomfort at the start of each new tray you receive (every two weeks) but it’s minor. In fact, most people don’t even use the word discomfort, they say pressure instead. It’s a tiny amount of pressure that goes away after a couple of days of using the new trays. On the bright side, the pressure is all there is. There are no wires or brackets. We think you’ll find Invisalign a simple and forgettable process that will leave you with a smile you love with very little in the way of pain or discomfort.

Can teenagers and adults be treated with Invisalign?  

Yes and yes! There are distinct treatments for each age, called Invisalign Teen and Invisalign. The major difference between the two is an indicator and the amount of aligners needed. Our teen patients may require more aligners than the average adult treatment. Invisalign Teen also has an indicator to help teens and their parents keep track of how many hours in the day the aligner was worn. With adults, the indicator is not used and most cases are pretty straight forward. In both cases, there is a more active patient responsibility because you will have to take the aligners out from time to time in order to eat and to clean the trays. But other than that, it’s a simple process that is good for treating both teens and adults.

How much does Invisalign cost?

Similar to “how long does invisalign treatment take?” the cost of your Invisalign treatment depends. The length of your treatment can impact the cost of your treatment, every situation and every solution is unique. The cost of treatment really comes down to how many Invisalign clear aligners you’ll need in order to get your smile where you want it to be. When you search, you’ll likely see a lot of different numbers, but none of these take into account your insurance or how much you have in your health savings account (HSA) over the 12-18 months you’ll be in your Invisalign. We’re committed to helping you figure it all out, and we even have very simple, flexible financing options for you that won’t break the bank.

Will Invisalign affect my speech? 

Most dental or orthodontic work may have a small affect to your speech. One of the funniest moments from NBC’s hit show The West Wing was when Press Secretary C.J. Cregg had a root canal and couldn’t go to the podium to talk to the press corps. She kept saying she had a “woot cuh-now.” That’s an example of a treatment really affecting someone’s speech. You will not come anywhere close to that type of speech impairment with Invisalign. The worst you’ll probably experience is the first couple of days of use of the clear aligners. They take some getting used to, and you may have a slight lisp, but after that initial figuring it all out you’ll speak normally and most people will never even notice that you’ve got them in.

How do I clean my Invisalign trays?

A lot of people are curious about how to care for your clear aligners once you decide to go with Invisalign. It’s so simple. We recommend taking them our during every meal or snack, then brushing the trays gently every night before you go to bed and every morning when you wake up. Before going to bed you’ll want to pop them back in, so they can do their work while you sleep. Overall, it’s a quick and easy process to keep them clean during the day. We recommend a more thorough cleaning once a week and there are plenty of cleaning accessories you can purchase which will help you keep your clear aligners clean week in and week out.

Will I need to wear a retainer?

Yes. Invisalign has their own retainer called Vivera®. Retainers are important to your ongoing treatment process. They do exactly what their name indicates: they retain the work that was done by your Invisalign clear aligners. You won’t have to wear them all day, like you do when you’re in treatment. Wear them at night while you sleep like you would a retainer you’d receive after completing treatment with traditional braces. You’ll be used to sleeping in a tray by this point anyway, so it won’t be a hassle.

How do I find the best Invisalign doctors near me?

We’re not out to toot our own horn, but we think we’ve got a great practice, we’re always looking for ways to take care of our patients. If you’re looking for Invisalign in Annapolis, MD, we don’t think you’ll find a better option. If you’re looking for Invisalign in Stevensville, MD, we’ve got you covered. If you’re looking for Invisalign in Denton, MD, well, you know the drill. Smiles by the Bay is your destination for a great smile and Invisalign. We aim to take the best care of our patients and leave you, not only with a great smile that you have been hoping for, but also a reason to use that smile!

This has been a bit of a whirlwind of information, and we hope it has been helpful to you as you evaluate your options for orthodontic treatment. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what you may be looking for in terms of answers and if that’s the case, we invite you to head over to our Invisalign treatment page to find more answers to some questions you might have. We also realize that a webpage may not have all the answers, so give us a call if you can’t find the answer to your question. We want to help you make the best treatment decision for you and your family. We’re here to help.

You might be wondering what could be your next step. The easiest thing to do is to start a complimentary Virtual Consult. Using your phone, you’ll snap some quick pictures of your mouth which, through the Virtual Consult tool, you’ll be able to upload your pictures directly to us. Our doctor will look at the pictures and decide whether to ask you to come in for a first visit. Virtual Consult is a great way to get people to check out their options without having to make a trip into the office.