You may already understand the Invisalign* process and how the clear plastic aligner trays work in a series to slowly move teeth into a new position. You may also know how the attachments act as anchors to hold the aligners in place and provide greater precision. But you may have questions around how Invisalign* refinements work, or what they even are.
Invisalign* refinements are just that – refinements made by your orthodontist to make small changes to your teeth outside of the original treatment plan.
WHY DO I NEED INVISALIGN* REFINEMENTS?
In some cases, patients using Invisalign* experience a smooth course of treatment. Their teeth move exactly as planned from the outset and they don’t need any refinements for their bite to correct and their teeth to align.
For some other patients, their teeth won’t move exactly as planned or at the speed at which was planned. In this case, your orthodontist will design a new set of trays. The new trays act to ‘refine’ the movement of teeth, whether it be adding pressure to a particular tooth, or adjusting the alignment of a set of teeth.
Refinements can also be used at the end of the planned treatment schedule, to ensure the results are correct down to the last seemingly-imperceptible millimetre.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF I NEED INVISALIGN* REFINEMENTS?
Your orthodontist will review your treatment progress during your visits every 6 or so weeks. This is when you will be advised whether you may need any refinements.
Or, if you have elected to check in via your monitoring app, you will receive an alert requesting you book an appointment.
If your teeth aren’t responding to treatment as expected, there are solutions. And this is where your orthodontist will turn to Invisalign* refinements to ensure the treatment delivers the results you expect.
