Know How Invisalign Attachments Can Help Your Treatment

When you've decided to use Invisalign aligners to straighten teeth it is because it can be removed and it is invisible. However, when your orthodontist mentions that you need to use attachments you worry about how it would look on your teeth or if it will make it still invisible. What are Invisalign attachments and why do you need them?

What are Invisalign Attachments?

When Invisalign was introduced, the treatment was limited to a few complications. If the patient has severe crowding or malocclusion, orthodontists have no choice but to use metal braces. Over the years, Invisalign has been used to treat mild to moderate cases, but it hasn't been able to treat extreme cases of misalignment. With these attachments, it will be able to treat severe cases.

Invisalign attachments are used when the patient cannot achieve the desired results with aligners alone. These are small that come in various shapes that are placed to the tooth using a strong bonding material. Orthodontists place these tooth-colored dots on a specific tooth and location, normally in the middle of the tooth. The purpose of these attachments is to provide an anchor point that helps direct forces of the aligners more effectively to the tooth.

These attachments come in various shapes. It can be circular, rectangular, triangular, or square and its shape and orientation dictates the purpose it serves such as intrusion, tooth rotation, translation, or extrusion.

The attachments used are primarily to solve problems of crowding or crookedness and when the tooth needs to rotate. There are also instances where the tooth will need to be raised within the gums so it aligns to its neighboring teeth. The aligners alone cannot do this which is why it needs attachments to move it into its proper positions.

Learn about Invisalign Treatment Timeline and Limitations.

How are Invisalign Attachments Placed?

Placing attachments is simple as orthodontists simply bond these "bumps" by using similar techniques used with many dental procedures. No need to drill and there won't be any shots to install it.

Attachments are placed using a template. Here's how it's performed:

  • Orthodontists will receive a clear, plastic template from Invisalign. These look like regular aligners but it has small bulges to match the location and teeth to where the attachments will need to be placed.
  • Your orthodontist will then clean and prepare the surface to help it bond effectively to the teeth.
  • They will then fill the bulge with a dental composite. The composite matches the color of the tooth and the shape of the bulge creates the shape of the attachment to be placed.
  • The filled template is seated to your teeth and your orthodontist will cure the bonding using a dental curing light.
  • When hardened, your orthodontist will remove the template and get rid of any excess material. The small bump of bonding that remains of the tooth is what makes up the attachment.

Can I Have Dental Attachments if I Have Dental Restorations?

If you have some sort of dental restoration placed such as crowns, veneers, or fillings, your orthodontist should still be able to bond attachments to your tooth. Although some types of restorations pose more of a challenge than others.

Composite restorations - since this is the same type of material used to create attachments, this shouldn't be a problem.

Metal or porcelain - adding attachments to these types of restorations may be possible, although the bonding may not be as strong as when it is applied on a tooth or composite material. Depending on the level of forces involved, it may be difficult to place throughout the treatment.

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