Your dental team’s personal instructions come first. Use this guide to help you prepare and care for your smile at home.
About this treatment
What is clear aligner therapy?
Clear aligner treatment is a modern orthodontic approach designed to straighten teeth and correct bite issues. Unlike traditional braces, which use brackets and wires, aligner therapy employs a series of custom-made clear plastic trays that are worn over the teeth. These trays gradually apply gentle pressure to shift the teeth into their desired positions.
When is clear aligner therapy used?
Aligner therapy is commonly used to address various orthodontic issues, including crooked or misaligned teeth, overcrowding, gaps between teeth, and bite problems such as overbite, underbite, and crossbite. It can be suitable for individuals of all ages, from teenagers to adults. However, the effectiveness of aligner therapy depends on the severity of the orthodontic issues being treated.
How do I know if I need clear aligner therapy?
Your dentist will evaluate your dental health, discuss your concerns and goals, and recommend suitable treatment options, possibly including aligner therapy. Here are some signs that aligners may be right for you:
- Misaligned teeth: If your teeth are crooked or misaligned, aligner therapy can help straighten them.
- Overcrowding: When there's not enough space for teeth, causing crowding, aligners can gradually shift them into proper alignment.
- Gaps between teeth: Aligners can close gaps between teeth, enhancing your smile.
- Bite issues: Whether it's an overbite, underbite, or crossbite, aligner therapy can address various bite problems.
What is SureSmile?
SureSmile aligners are a type of clear aligner system utilizing advanced orthodontic technology for precise and efficient teeth straightening. They are custom-made transparent plastic trays based on 3D imaging and computer simulation. SureSmile aligners offer benefits like precision, efficiency, customization, and discreet treatment. They're designed to shift teeth gradually and comfortably into their desired positions, providing patients with a modern and effective option for achieving a straighter smile.
General Procedure
SureSmile aligners are a modern orthodontic solution designed to straighten teeth effectively and discreetly. Utilizing advanced technology, SureSmile aligners are custom-made transparent plastic trays based on 3D imaging and computer simulation. This allows for precise and efficient teeth straightening tailored to each patient's unique dental needs. The aligners gradually and comfortably shift teeth into their desired positions, offering patients a modern and effective option for achieving a straighter smile.
Before your appointment
Pre-Operative Care Instructions
To ensure that you are fully prepared for SureSmile Aligner treatment and to set yourself up for a success, consider these prep operative instructions.
- Dental Health: Ensure your dental health is good before starting treatment. Address any existing dental issues like cavities or gum disease.
- Treatment Planning: Digital scans or impressions of your teeth will be taken to create a customized treatment plan. Review it with your dentist and discuss any preferences or concerns.
- Understanding: Take time to understand how SureSmile aligner therapy works and what to expect. Ask your dentist about treatment duration and anticipated results.
- Compliance: Commit to wearing your aligners as instructed. They're typically worn for 22 hours per day, only removed for eating, drinking (except water), playing a contact sport, swimming or cleaning your teeth.
- Financials: Discuss the cost with your dentist, including insurance coverage and payment plans, before starting treatment.
How long are the appointments?
- The consultation appointment will be around a 30 minutes
- The scanning + photos will be an hour long appointment
- Insertion of aligners will be 30 minutes
- And subsequent follow ups/ tray pick ups will be 10-30 mins
What does the procedure look like?
- Consultation: During your initial meeting, the dentist assesses your dental health and discusses treatment goals, explaining the SureSmile process and addressing any questions you may have.
- Customized Treatment Plan: After the consultation, digital scans and photos of your teeth are taken, free of charge, to create a personalized treatment plan sent to the lab.
- Proposal Review: About 1-2 weeks later, you review the lab's proposed treatment plan, adjusting it to your preferences before approving it and initiating the order for your custom aligners.
- Aligner Fabrication: Once finalized, custom aligners are made from smooth, nearly invisible plastic material, tailored to your teeth.
- Treatment Initiation: You start wearing your aligners as directed by your dentist, usually changing them every 10-14 days.
- Progress Check-Ups: Throughout treatment, regular check-ups ensure aligners fit well and provide new sets as needed.
- Finalization: After achieving desired tooth positions, a final evaluation is done, making refinements if necessary and providing retainers for maintenance.
- Retention Phase: Following SureSmile treatment completion, follow-up appointments and retainer wear ensure teeth remain in their new positions.
What can I expect?
Teeth may become sensitive during treatment - we recommend using Sensodyne toothpaste to relieve sensitivity as needed. You may find you are lisping, spitting, that your speech is different, or Aligners feel snug. This is normal period of adjustment and will get better in time
After-care & recovery
Usage
You will have to change your Aligner sets every 10-14 days unless otherwise instructed by the Dentist. Each set is worn 20-23 hours per day. Teeth will only move when subjected to gentle, constant forces. The success of your treatment depends on your diligent collaboration.
What to Expect
Teeth may become sensitive during treatment. We recommend using Sensodyne toothpaste to relieve sensitivity as needed. You may find you are lisping, spitting, speech is different, or Aligners feel snug. This period of adjustment is normal and will improve in time.
Maintenance
Regular preventative maintenance of your teeth is still required to help prevent decay, periodontal disease, stains and discoloration of teeth. Please make sure you brush and floss your teeth before inserting aligners.
Cleaning
We recommend using a toothbrush with lukewarm water to clean your aligners. Foaming solutions like Polident can be used as long as it is rinsed off before putting back in the mouth. You can also use an ultrasonic bath (available for purchase) with effervescent tablets. Avoid using toothpaste or mouthwash to clean aligners as this can be too abrasive on the material.
Eating/Drinking
Remove aligners to eat or drink (especially hot or colored liquids). You can leave them in to drink water of course.
Storage
Please use the containers provided to safely store your aligners and to keep them clean. Avoid storing them in your pockets, counter or even in a tissue as you might lose or break them. Also keep them away from pets and children. If you lose an aligner, please contact our office as soon as possible and we will order you a replacement at no additional cost. Always keep the previous set of aligners when moving forward through treatment just in case the current set is misplaced or damaged.
VPro
This device must be used once a day and for only 5 minutes. This will make sure that the Aligners are properly pushed against your teeth and follow the movement plan. If used daily, it can reduce discomfort and also reduce your total estimated treatment time. Make sure to charge your device for 8 hours before initial use and then charge as needed. Please also note that only the detachable mouthpiece is waterproof - the charger and vibration device is NOT.
Attachments
Attachments are tiny tooth-coloured “bumps” that sometimes have to be bonded to the teeth to facilitate tooth movement. They will be placed at precise locations to allow the aligners to grip the teeth as they are guiding them to their new locations. If you lose an attachment, please contact us as it might need to be replaced.
IPR
IPR stands for interproximal reduction. It is the process of creating very small amounts of space between pairs of teeth in order to allow the teeth to move as needed during treatment. The dentist may use strips, disks or a bur to create spacing in between the teeth as instructed in the treatment plan.
Common questions
How long does it take for clear aligner therapy?
The duration of aligner therapy can vary depending on several factors, including the complexity of the orthodontic issues being addressed and how well the patient adheres to wearing the aligners as prescribed. On average, aligner therapy typically lasts between 6 to 18 months.
Will my insurance cover this?
Dental insurance plans can vary in coverage, deductibles, and limitations. Some plans may cover part or all of the cost, while others may not. A dental estimate will be submitted to your insurance company/companies prior to treatment to confirm the covered amount and determine any out-of-pocket expense prior to your appointment.
How often do I wear my trays?
Follow your dentist's aligner schedule. The current SureSmile care sheet recommends changing aligner sets every 10–14 days unless instructed otherwise, wearing each set 20–23 hours a day. Remove aligners for eating, drinking anything other than water, and cleaning your teeth.
What are attachments?
Attachments are tiny tooth-coloured “bumps” made of composite resin that sometimes have to be bonded to the teeth to facilitate tooth movement. They will be placed at precise locations to allow the aligners to grip the teeth as they are guiding them to their new locations. If you lose an attachment, please contact us as it might need to be replaced. At the end of treatment, these attachments are removed.
What are Retainers?
SureSmile retainers are custom-made dental appliances designed to maintain teeth alignment after orthodontic treatment. Resembling clear aligners, they are transparent and custom-fit for comfort. Initially worn full-time, they are later transitioned to nighttime wear. These retainers prevent teeth from shifting back to their original positions, ensuring a lasting, straightened smile.
What is IPR?
- IPR, or Interproximal Reduction, is a dental technique used in orthodontics to create space between teeth by selectively removing a small amount of enamel from the sides of adjacent teeth
- It's performed to facilitate tooth movement and achieve proper alignment, particularly in cases of mild to moderate crowding. IPR is carefully planned and executed using specialized instruments, and is used to optimize treatment outcomes and reduce overall treatment time.
What is VPRO?
- SureSmile VPro is an orthodontic device that employs high-frequency vibration technology to expedite tooth movement and enhance patient comfort during orthodontic treatment. Patients use it daily by biting down on the mouthpiece, which delivers gentle vibrations to stimulate blood flow and facilitate faster tooth alignment
- Your team will explain whether the VPro device is part of your treatment and how to use it. Only the detachable mouthpiece is waterproof; keep the charger and vibration device dry. The manufacturer's quick-start guide is available with our SureSmile care guide.
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