For Patients

Invisalign Attachments: What Are They?

Invisalign is a popular and effective orthodontic treatment that can help many patients get straighter teeth. The reason why Invisalign is so appealing is that it comes as a set of clear aligners, making the entire treatment process far more discreet than traditional metal braces.

Over the years, Invisalign treatment has improved tremendously. In the beginning, it was only able to correct minor alignment issues. Today, Invisalign is prescribed for moderate misalignments and even major bite problems.

And part of its evolution is due to special add-ons known as Invisalign Attachments.
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What Are Invisalign Attachments?

Invisalign works by slowly moving a patient’s teeth into their most optimal position. To achieve this, the clear trays need to make direct contact with the teeth for at least 22 hours a day.

But sometimes, the aligners are not able to kickstart the tooth movement on their own. Invisalign attachments are used to help the process.

The attachments are small buttons that get bonded directly to your teeth. They allow the trays to overcome any problems with tooth size, shape, or angle that could have otherwise prevented the aligners from getting enough pressure on the tooth.

Thanks to attachments, Invisalign treatment has become available for a lot more patients.
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Everything You Need to Know About Attachments

Attachments are sometimes necessary to get the best results with your Invisalign treatment. Here’s everything you need to know about them:

They are not as discreet - One of the perks of Invisalign is that the clear aligners aren’t noticeable. Unfortunately, while attachments are tooth-colored, they can make the treatment slightly more visible, especially if you need them on your front teeth. Still, it’s nowhere near as visible as metal braces;

They require maintenance - Some patients complain about food build-up around the attachments. This often means you’ll need to be a bit more careful when brushing your teeth, to ensure to remove anything that could accidentally attach to the buttons;

You might not need them for all your teeth - Attachments are single buttons applied directly on the tooth that needs a bit more help during the Invisalign treatment. Depending on your situation, you could need one attachment, or you may need multiple ones;

Attachments don’t affect your natural tooth - The binding process will not result in any damage or permanent changes to your natural teeth, making Invisalign attachments perfectly safe;

Attachments may not be enough - In some cases, even with Invisalign attachments, you may not get the best outcome. Severe cases of misalignment will still require traditional metal braces in order to straighten the teeth.
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