Many people consider getting their teeth straightened, but often wonder: “Is the teeth straightening process very complicated?”
1.Consultation
For an orthodontist, every detail of your teeth is crucial during the consultation!
Doctors often receive questions like:
A: “Doctor, can you tell from my photos if I’m eligible for correction?”
B: “How long will my teeth straightening treatment take?”
C: “Doctor, could you determine whether my malocclusion is skeletal or dental?”
…
2.Establishing Dental Records
After deciding to proceed with orthodontic treatment, your orthodontist will conduct a series of examinations and collect necessary diagnostic records：
For example: 3D intraoral scanning, taking dental impressions, capturing cephalometric X-ray images, collecting pre-treatment facial and intraoral photographs, followed by further analysis of your customized treatment plan
3.Finalizing the Treatment Plan
After all examinations are completed, the orthodontist will develop a comprehensive treatment plan for you. This includes: whether tooth extraction is necessary, if mini-screws (TADs) will be required, the estimated duration of orthodontic treatment, and a detailed breakdown of associated costs during the process
4.Initiating Orthodontic Treatment
These Preparatory Steps Are Essential!
Based on the previously formulated treatment plan, some orthodontic patients require preliminary procedures such as tooth extraction, dental fillings, prophylactic cleaning, or periodontal treatment before receiving their aligners. Following these preparations, it’s time to get your braces/aligners fitted!
For invisible aligners treatment, the dentist will first bond tooth-colored attachments onto specific teeth. These attachments help control tooth movement and assist in securing the aligners. Then, you can start wearing your clear aligners!
5.Attending Regular Follow-up Appointments
During follow-up visits, the orthodontist typically applies additional pressure and adjusts the direction of force to ensure teeth move according to the treatment plan. For a few days after the appointment, you may experience some tenderness and slight discomfort, but this is entirely manageable and usually subsides within 2-3 days! Compared to fixed braces, which require adjustments every 4-6 weeks, clear aligners involve fewer follow-up visits—usually once every 8-10 weeks.
6.Follow Medical Advice
During Invisible Aligner Treatment, it is essential to strictly follow the orthodontist’s instructions: ensure adequate daily wear time and avoid exposing the aligners to hot water to prevent deformation.
After teeth alignment is achieved, wearing elastic bands can provide a gentle, continuous force to the teeth, promoting physiological remodeling of the periodontal structures. This ultimately leads to the desired space closure effect.
7.Wearing Retainers
After removing your braces/aligners, it’s not the end of the journey!
Whether your teeth will relapse or all previous efforts go in vain depends crucially on how diligently you wear your retainers during the critical retention phase.
Under normal circumstances, retainers should be worn for a minimum of two years. Just like with clear aligners, it is recommended to wear them at all times except when eating.
