Invisalign aligners: all you need to know about the most popular invisalign alignes

Just because you didn't have orthodontic care when you were a child doesn't mean you have to resign yourself to having crooked teeth. Today, there is a device that has revolutionized orthodontics: Invisalign. Totally invisible, it is the ideal alternative to metal braces that can be embarrassing to wear for adults.

What is Invisalign ?

The Invisalign concept was developed in the late 1990s in the United States, in California, and began to develop in France in the early 2000s. These are removable appliances that come in the form of transparent trays. Instead of wearing unsightly metal braces, you wear these aligners, day and night, and remove them to eat and brush your teeth. They apply gentle pressure to your teeth to gently straighten them.

The brand trains orthodontists around the world in its technology. Your orthodontist will first determine if you are eligible, which is the case in 90% of cases. If necessary, he scans your jaws and takes your prints.

Thanks to the Invisalign technology, the orthodontist can then start the manufacturing of your aligners. Indeed, you will change your aligners as the treatment progresses. This can be every week or every two weeks. Each set of gutters is manufactured taking into account the evolution of the treatment.

Every 6 to 8 weeks, you will go to a control visit that allows you to judge the progress of the readjustment. Depending on the orthodontist's observation, the rhythm of the tray changes is maintained or shifted.

When the straightening treatment is over, you will need to continue wearing aligners to permanently fix your teeth. You should never neglect this phase, otherwise your teeth could naturally return to their former position. You will therefore wear the same aligners for a few more weeks. Your orthodontist will assess whether you should continue to wear them all the time, or only at night.

The total duration of the treatment varies between 6 and 24 months.

To learn more, discover this short video presenting the Invisalign concept:

The advantages of Invisalign

Invisalign is certainly more expensive, but its advantages justify this cost difference.

• The gutters are transparent. You don't have to wear unsightly rings.
• The pressure exerted by the trays is sufficient to make your teeth move gradually, but it remains soft so as not to hurt you.
• The comfort is absolute, because the trays are made according to the impressions of your jaws. The adaptation is very fast and you do not suffer from speech defects.
• The aligners are removable, so you can take them out to eat and brush your teeth. You can also remove them exceptionally, for example for a date or a sports competition to be more comfortable.
• The hygiene is perfect. With braces, pieces of food often get stuck and you have trouble brushing your teeth. The trays can be removed, allowing you to brush your teeth and clean the trays at the same time.
• You won't get hurt. With rings, it is common to injure the tongue, the inside of the cheeks and the lips. If you play sports or have any kind of incident, any shock to the mouth can cause tears in the tissues inside the mouth, which does not happen with aligners.

What does an Invisalign treatment cost? Current prices

When it comes to dentistry, and even more so for orthodontics, prices are skyrocketing. It is all the more complicated to manage since orthodontics is not reimbursed by the social security after the age of 16. Invisalign is no exception and is more expensive than metal braces.

A classic treatment costs between €2,000 and €10,000, while the Invisalign procedure will cost you between €2,000 and €7,000. This fee includes the entire treatment, including all appliances, pretreatment visits to assess your needs and take impressions, and all follow-up visits during the treatment period, including the stabilization period.

The range is quite wide, but you have to take into account the problems to be addressed. If you need an ongoing treatment, the treatment will cost only two 2000 to 3000 €. However, for a more complex treatment, you will have to use the full version of Invisalign and the cost may exceed 6000 €.

In any case, your orthodontist will be able to inform you about your eligibility for this treatment.

Are there cheaper alternatives to Invisalign?

In recent years, several brands have entered the invisible aligner market, offering clear aligners at much lower prices than Invisalign.

Some offer remote orthodontic services, where monitoring is done via a mobile app. Others offer in-office services, very similar to the way Invisalign works.

At Nutrident, we particularly appreciate the aligners of the German brand DrSmile, which allow the correction of a large number of alignment and malocclusion problems, and which are offered at very competitive rates: from 33€ per month!

If you are interested in DrSmile treatment, the first step is to make an appointment with a certified orthodontist. He will explain in detail how the treatment is performed and will analyze your teeth with a 3D scanner. This will create a visual simulation of the treatment and a customized treatment plan.