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A guide to your Invisalign journey plus FAQ's

Are you thinking about getting Invisalign? Looking to make some adjustments to your smile and treat yourself to a treatment that will change your smile and your confidence all in one?

You’re in the right place.

I’m nearly halfway through my Invisalign journey in the UK and as my journey and Invisalign transformation unravels I’ll be updating this blog post for you. You may have guessed it, this is a post sponsored by Invisalign themselves. They asked me to come on board to experience the treatment and share my insights, images and smile transformation. I am someone that doesn’t tend to move towards aesthetic adjustments but my smile? I use it everyday and I take pride in the maintenance and quality of my teeth. So this was a no brainer for me.

Before agreeing to take on the collaboration I went in for an appointment to get my teeth assessed (more on the process later) and I was amazed at the difference these aligners could make. Admittedly my smile isn’t the BIGGEST transformation out there but with ‘kickers’ in my top teeth and overcrowding already very apparent in the bottom, my goal was, like yours I’m sure… to bring them all back into alignment.

In this blog post I’m going to answer and address all your Invisalign FAQ’s, all the questions I had before getting Invisalign and I’ll share my Invisalign journey so far.

  • If you have landed here because you are wondering…
  • Where to get Invisalign in London
  • How to get Invisalign in the UK
  • What the Invisalign price is in the UK
  • What Invisalign with attachments involves
  • The weigh up of Invisalign vs. braces

… then you’re in the right place.

Should you still have a question after this blog post, drop me a comment and I’ll update it with an answer for you!

Let’s tuck in shall we?

An Invisalign guide: My journey and FAQ's

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a process of transformation for your teeth using Align technology in the form of clear aligners. You basically have a consultation and are prescribed multiple sets of aligners that safely and slowly adjust your teeth to create the desired effect, mutually agreed between yourself and your dentist.

  • Invisalign aligners straighten teeth using a series of virtually invisible aligners that are custom-made for each patient and designed for comfort.
  • The Invisalign clear aligners are so discreet that people may not even notice that they are being worn.
  • Invisalign aligners are removable (for when you eat, brush, drink, floss)

Fun fact: Since 1999, when the technology was pioneered, Invisalign’s infamous clear aligners have helped shape more than 8 million smiles around the world.

If you’re wanting to get Invisalign you’ll need to find an Invisalign-trained orthodontist or general practitioner dentists (GP dentists) near you. Only trained Invisalign individuals and practices can offer this service as they will have been through the Align education programmes.

Find your nearest Invisalign trained orthodontist here.

A guide to your Invisalign journey plus FAQ's

Deciding if Invisalign is for you...

  • In just 60 seconds, you can see how great your new smile could be before you even meet your Invisalign doctor. Try it now. 
  • Complete a smile assessment to see if Invisalign is the treatment for you.

How much does Invisalign cost?

Probably the most frequently asked Invisalign question hey? We all want to know how much Invisalign costs and what price is on the dream smile…

Unfortunately, I can’t give you a one size fits all figure. The cost of your Invisalign treatment depends on a few things…

  • individual needs and desired effect
  • type of correction you’re looking for
  • decided duration of treatment 

The cost of Invisalign Treatment is determined by your Doctor based on your specific needs including duration of treatment and the type of correction you are looking for.

The best thing to do is to locate your nearest Invisalign orthodontist here and contact them for an estimated cost before commencing treatment.

Note: Your Invisalign trained Doctor may offer payment financing plans. You may check eligibility when booking an appointment. 

Find your Invisalign orthodontist and book a consultation

Find your nearest Invisalign trained orthodontist here.

Once you’ve made an appointment, you’ll meet your Invisalign doctor who will confirm you’re eligible for treatment. They will talk to you through the process and assess your current smile.

Then they will take photos, X-rays and take digital impressions with the iTero scanner* (if they have it). The iTero scanner is an intraoral scanner that takes a 3D scan of your teeth and enables an almost instant digital visualisation of how they will look once straightened with the Invisalign system. Cool huh! You can get a preview of the Invisalign transformation before you get started!

Note: not all dentists have the iTero scanner. Mine didn’t, in which case they take impressions with a mould that then get sent off to the US to create your digital before and after transformation plus your retainers.

Once you have received the preview of your Invisalign transformation, you’ll get the option to feedback to your dentist and finalise the aesthetic you want to achieve together. It is here that you can see the predicted movements of your teeth and find out approximately how long your treatment will take.

Your Invisalign doctor will then submit a prescription to the Invisalign technicians and design a personalised treatment plan for you. 

A guide to your Invisalign journey plus FAQ's

Return to your dentist to get your Invisalign retainers fitted

After being custom-made and shipped to your doctor’s practice, you will be notified by your Dentist and will be invited in for an aligner fitting appointment. 

At my appointment, I received the first four sets of aligners to change at home every 2 weeks, (this may vary depending on your prescription). I was then sent on my way and made a follow-up appointment for 8 weeks later to check the progress of my teeth. 

As the aligners are removable, you can eat whatever you want and continue to brush and floss as usual. Just ensure you wear them for the recommended 22 hours a day. 

Tip: Download the My Invisalign mobile app and track your transformation with photos. The app also has the option of reminders for when you need to change your aligners and a timer to make sure you keep your aligners in for the recommended 22 hours a day!

Progress appointments

The intervals will depend on your individual treatment plan but you will come back to check in with your dentist at frequent intervals to ensure the teeth are moving as planned.

Where necessary there may be some ‘shaving’ between the teeth to allow for movement. I had this on my second check-in as my bottom teeth were over crowding and needed space to move into their aligned space

Your doctor will work with you to schedule your subsequent appointments and at each appointment, you will receive the new aligners for the next part of your treatment. 

 

A guide to your Invisalign journey plus FAQ's

The big reveal

I haven’t got to this stage yet but I will update you once I do!

Taking care of your smile

Once you’ve finished your aligners and both you and your dentist are happy with the outcome, you will be given Vivera retainers.

Why? Retainers help to maintain straightened smiles after Invisalign treatment has finished. The retainers are are custom made for each patient, with the same state-of-the-art technology used to make Invisalign aligners. 

Again, I haven’t got to this stage yet, but when I do, I’ll update here!

Have you had Invisalign? What was your Invisalign experience like?

Do you have any questions?

Love as always and happy adventuring,

Mollie.

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A guide to your Invisalign journey plus FAQ\'sA guide to your Invisalign journey plus FAQ\'s
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IT’S LOVELY TO MEET YOU

I’M MOLLIE AND I STARTED THIS BLOG BACK IN 2013 WHEN I HEADED OUT ON MY FIRST BACKPACKING ADVENTURE. 

I’D LOVE TO SHARE THE JOURNEY WITH YOU, WE’VE GROWN A LOT SINCE THEN!

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