If you choose to have Invisalign braces, then your decision may have been mainly based on the fact that these braces are hardly visible. You may have seen people you know wear Invisalign and were impressed by how unnoticeable the plastic aligners are.
Things may have taken an unexpected turn, however, when you started to discuss treatment with your dentist. For example, your dentist may have told you that you need to use attachments on your aligners rather than just the trays themselves. Why is this necessary and will it affect the way your Invisalign braces look?
Why Do Invisalign Aligners Need Attachments?
Invisalign trays straighten your teeth by using clear plastic aligners. These aligners push teeth into their correct positions using pressure. During your treatment, you'll switch trays regularly as small changes are made to get the desired end results. While some people have their teeth fixed by just using Invisalign trays, some people need some extra help.
For example, if you have a tooth that is a little out of alignment compared to its neighbours and that needs to be moved more, then your dentist may need to fix attachments to the tooth behind the braces. These attachments ensure that the aligners can put the right amount of extra pressure on the tooth to move it into place.
Do Attachments Affect Visibility?
While Invisalign aligners are virtually invisible, attachments may show through the plastic as small dots. Depending on where you need to have attachments fitted, this may make your braces more obvious than normal by drawing attention to certain areas of a tooth.
Typically, this isn't so much of an issue. Your dentist usually uses dental bonding to create attachments when they're needed. They can colour the bonding as close as possible to the natural colour of your teeth as possible. This makes them stand out less.
Even with attachments Invisalign aligners are less obvious than traditional braces. Plus, you may not need to have attachments all the way through your treatment. They may be a temporary measure that can come off once they've done their job.
If you do need attachments, then you need to weigh up their disadvantages compared to the advantages of Invisalign braces as a whole. If you can't make up your mind, ask your dentist to talk you through how many attachments you'll need, how visible they'll be and how long they'll be in place.
Share25 September 2018
As you age, it can become harder to take care of your teeth. Motor challenges can make it hard to floss, while memory issues may make it easy to overlook brushing. Whether you are a senior looking for solutions to some of the common dental problems or a senior with specific questions about cavities or oral surgery, you have come to the right place. In this blog, I am going to touch on a range of topics related to seniors and oral health. This is the type of resource I wish my mum would have had access to in her senior years, and I hope you enjoy having access to it during yours. I appreciate you reading my posts.
