85 North Park Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570
(516) 763-4500
85 North Park Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570
(516) 763-4500
The process for having Invisalign treatment is very straightforward. It begins with a visit to South Nassau Dental Arts for your consultation with our Invisalign dentist.
Our dentist, Dr. Adam Shoukry, will gently examine your mouth during your initial consultation, check how your teeth bite or occlude together, and assess the orthodontic problems requiring correction.
The examination helps determine if Invisalign is the right choice of treatment. Invisalign can treat many problems, including more complicated orthodontic issues, but it isn’t right for everybody.
If we determine Invisalign could help you, you must commit to treatment and have excellent compliance. Because the aligners are removable, some people may forget to wear them or leave them out for extended periods of time. People in this situation may be better off choosing fixed braces where they do not need to remember to wear them and where the braces are working continuously to straighten teeth.
Invisalign’s specialized software allows us to use this information to digitally plan your treatment step-by-step, deciding exactly how each tooth will move to create a straighter, more attractive, and healthier smile.
To plan your custom treatment, we will take:
At this stage, we can also accurately predict the overall treatment length.
Once we have your custom treatment plan, we can fully discuss it with you, which is an exciting part of the process.
You can preview the digital images created by the software, showing the predicted outcome of your treatment, and seeing how your new smile will appear after Invisalign.
It’s a moment most patients find very interesting, and it’s your opportunity to become fully involved with the treatment process. If there is something you’re not quite sure about, we can adjust the treatment plan until you are entirely happy. At this stage, we can order your custom aligners.
Your custom aligners are specifically designed to feel comfortable, and we will show you precisely how to insert and remove them.
Because they are made of plastic, they will not irritate your cheeks or gums, and you won’t need to make any adjustments to meals or your oral care routine.
Every time you wish to eat or drink anything except water, you remove your aligners, replacing them after you finish and after cleaning your teeth. All you need to do is make sure you wear the aligners for at least 22 hours each day. If you wear them for less, it could delay the completion of treatment or will affect the outcome, so you do not achieve the desired results.
Every two weeks, you swap out the current set of aligners and begin wearing a brand-new set. Your treatment will continue in this way until your teeth are straight.
Best dental experience ever. Professional and very clean office. Everyone from the receptionist to the hygienist to the dentist are amazing. So friendly and patient. You can even watch TV while getting work done on your teeth!
It is important to look after your Invisalign aligners even though you will only be wearing them for two weeks.
Each time you remove them, you must clean them thoroughly, brushing them gently with a soft toothbrush and rinsing them with water before reinserting them into your mouth. We will explain how to clean them properly to remove all plaque buildup, and you can purchase Invisalign proprietary cleaning solutions to keep them fresh and hygienic.
Before replacing your aligners, you will also need to clean your teeth to remove all plaque and food debris and ensure your aligners do not become stained. Taking care of your aligners will ensure they do not start to smell. If you notice your aligners start to develop an odor, you must become more vigilant about cleaning them thoroughly.
We will need to see you regularly throughout your treatment as our dentist must ensure your teeth are moving as predicted, just in case we need to adjust the treatment plan. We can also provide you with new sets of aligners as required.
Usually, you will only need to come and see us every six weeks or so, and these appointments are relatively quick as, unlike fixed braces, there are no brackets or wires to adjust.
Living with Invisalign is super simple, but initially, the aligners may feel a little strange.
You should quickly become accustomed to the aligners, but it can help to practice talking with them during the first few days, and you might notice you produce more saliva than normal. These side effects are normal and happen whenever anyone has a new dental appliance.
When you begin to wear a new set of aligners, you may experience mild discomfort as the fresh set will place new pressures on your teeth to move them into place gently. Any discomfort should disappear within a few days as your teeth start to move and is easily controllable with over-the-counter painkillers.
If you find wearing your aligners very uncomfortable, please contact us so we can adjust them.
If you play sports, ensure you remove your aligners and use your custom mouthguard instead to protect your teeth.
Although aligners are tough, they will not provide the same protection for your teeth compared with a proper sports mouthguard. It won’t affect treatment to leave the aligners out for a short while but be sure to replace them when you finish playing sports.
Yes, you can still kiss with your aligners, and there is no need to remove them. Kissing might feel slightly different initially, but you will soon become used to this feeling.
The time needed to complete your treatment can be a few months to a year or longer, but once you finish, your teeth should be attractively aligned, giving you a beautiful smile.
When you finish, we can reassess your smile, deciding if you need any further treatment to perfect your smile. For example, you may wish to cover one or two teeth that are severely stained or less than perfect with porcelain veneers, and a teeth whitening treatment can provide that finishing touch.
Your orthodontic treatment doesn’t finish once you finish wearing your aligners, as you must commit to wearing retainers regularly.
Invisalign retainers are just as discreet as the aligners and equally simple to use. Initially, you will need to wear the retainers all the time until your teeth become settled in their new positions more firmly. Gradually, you can reduce this time, and we will tell you when it is safe to do so but be prepared to wear your retainers regularly to ensure your teeth remain beautifully straight for years to come.
Failing to wear your retainers as recommended can lead to orthodontic relapse, where your teeth start to move back to their original places. You may need further orthodontic treatment to correct these problems if this occurs.
Dr. Adam Shoukry, DDS, is a cosmetic dentist who strives to provide each of his patients with personalized care and educate them on the state of their dental health so that they can make informed decisions. Dr. Shoukry really enjoys his work and is committed to continued education, having attended several accredited courses in every aspect of dentistry.
Dr. Shoukry graduated from NYU College of Dentistry with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and then completed his general practice residency at Nassau University Medical Center. Being a member of the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. Shoukry strives to provide comprehensive dental examinations, a full range of cosmetic treatments, and the best restorative oral health care available.