At your consultation, Dr Mulgrew will examine your teeth and may take clinical records. He will go through your treatment options and advise you if Invisalign is a suitable solution. He will explain the Invisalign process and tell you what to expect so you can make an informed decision. You will be given a price quotation and an interest free payment plan if you desire.
If you decide to go for Invisalign, the next step is taking impressions/scans of your teeth. These are sent to Invisalign, where they create a 3D computerised animation of your teeth. This is known as a ‘Clincheck’. It is completely individualised. Dr Mulgrew uses this extremely clever animation as part of his treatment plan. When he is finished, you will be able to see a video of your predicted outcome and have an idea of how many aligners you will have to wear to achieve your dream smile.
At this point, Dr Mulgrew fits your aligners. He shows you how to take them in and out and how to care for them. Invisalign advises that you wear your aligner for a minimum of 22 hours a day; it should only be taken out for eating, drinking and tooth brushing. Failure to wear aligners for this amount of time will result in a longer treatment and an unpredictable result.
After you have worn your first few sets of aligners, you will have to have attachments fitted. These are tooth-coloured dimples that are glued to your teeth. They will have been pre-planned by Dr Mulgrew so that each future aligner can be moulded to fit on to them. The attachments help pull the teeth into position. Elastic wear, extractions and enamel polishing between teeth will be required on occasions.
At the end of the treatment, Dr Mulgrew will remove all the attachments and clean up your beautiful new smile. Photos and new impressions will be taken and you will be given retainers. It is an imperative that you wear your retainer every night for the foreseeable future to prevent any unwanted tooth movement.
