Invisalign aligners have become a popular alternative to traditional metal braces. The plastic aligners are nearly invisible and can be removed for eating and cleaning, making them a comfortable and convenient option for many patients. However, to ensure that the aligners effectively move your teeth into the correct alignment, sometimes they are fitted with Invisalign attachments.

Invisalign attachments are small, tooth-colored bumps attached to specific teeth to help guide the aligners through complex movements. They also help anchor your aligners to your teeth. These attachments are made from a composite material and designed to blend in with the natural color of your teeth, making them nearly invisible.

Benefits

Invisalign has many benefits. They’re comfortable, removable, and transparent. Plus, they can straighten your teeth in as little as one to two years as long as they’re worn consistently.

Typically placed at the beginning of your treatment, Invisalign attachments help you achieve fuller benefits from your Invisalign. Your aligners will fit more precisely and help your teeth achieve a more complex movement. Not every Invisalign patient needs attachments. Whether or not your orthodontist recommends them depends on your bite.

Placement of Invisalign Attachments

The placement of your Invisalign attachments is a painless and quick process. The attachments are tiny and come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from circular and square to rectangular or triangular. The size you wear depends on the rotation, intrusion, or extrusion of your teeth.

  • First, we clean the teeth and remove any food or debris.
  • Next, we prepare the tooth with a special gel and add a bonding agent. These materials will help the attachments stick securely to the surface of your teeth.
  • Finally, we add the attachment, typically toward the middle of the tooth, and set the bonding agent using blue light technology.

The new pressure from the attachments and aligners may cause some discomfort, but it should subside after a day or so. When it comes time to remove your Invisalign attachments, we buff off the bonding. It’s simple and painless!

How to Care for Attachments

Caring for Invisalign attachments is simple. Continue to brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once. Plaque can build up around the attachments and cause tooth decay over time. Dark liquids like coffee and soda can also cause staining on and around the attachments.

If an attachment happens to fall off your tooth, you must call your orthodontist right away to schedule an emergency appointment. Without your attachment, it may take longer for your teeth to straighten.

Discover Invisalign from Exeter Orthodontics

If you’re interested in Invisalign from Exeter Orthodontics, then stop into one of our five offices and have your questions answered. Exeter Orthodontics also offers traditional braces for the low cost of $3,995.

Request your consultation for Invisalign today.