Invisalign Clear Aligners

How it works

A digital scan of your teeth is used to plan the movement from the current position to the target position. That plan is divided into a sequence of clear aligners, each moving the teeth a small amount.

You wear each aligner for one to two weeks, for twenty to twenty-two hours a day, removing them to eat and to clean your teeth. Most cases take between six and eighteen months.

You will see the projected outcome before starting. That simulation is a plan rather than a guarantee, but it gives a realistic picture of what is achievable.

Why older adults straighten their teeth

Appearance is part of it, but it is frequently not the main reason.

Crowded and overlapping teeth are considerably harder to clean, and they trap plaque in places a brush cannot reach. For a patient managing gum disease, straightening the teeth makes daily cleaning meaningfully more effective and can be the difference between controlling the condition and losing ground.

Teeth also drift over a lifetime, particularly after a tooth has been lost. Drifted teeth create uneven contacts and concentrate force where it does not belong, which causes wear, cracks, and failing restorations.

And sometimes alignment is preparatory. Where a tooth has tipped into a gap, upright positioning may be necessary before an implant or bridge can be placed properly. In those cases the aligners are part of a larger restorative plan rather than a cosmetic treatment.

Is it right for you?

Aligners handle crowding, spacing, and many bite discrepancies well. Severe skeletal problems, substantially rotated teeth, and complex cases may need conventional braces or an orthodontic referral, and we will say so.

Healthy gums are a prerequisite. Moving teeth in a mouth with active periodontal disease accelerates bone loss, so gum health is addressed first, without exception.

The treatment also depends heavily on compliance. Aligners only work while they are being worn, and twenty hours a day is a real commitment. If that is unrealistic for you, it is better to know at the start.

Retainers are required afterward, indefinitely. Teeth move back toward their original position given the chance, and this is where most orthodontic results are eventually lost.