Attachments are part of most Invisalign patients’ orthodontic treatment. These miniature miracle-workers have a very important job and major impact on the movement of teeth and the perfection of smiles. It’s good to understand exactly how they work.
1. Attachments Have a Purpose
The arbitrary placement of Invisalign attachments can make them seem like a haphazard decoration on your teeth, but their location is quite deliberate. The tooth-colored “dots” are situated where the Invisalign aligners need to grip the teeth more firmly to achieve the desired movement in a set amount of time.
2. They Are Temporary
Invisalign attachments aren’t forever. They’re small, composite shapes that are temporarily bonded to tooth enamel for a predesignated length of time during teeth straightening. Once they’re no longer needed, the composite is buffed off. This might occur at the end of treatment or at significant times in between aligner switches.
3. Attachment Shapes Can Be Funky
Attachments come in a variety of shapes. Depending on the type of movement your orthodontist wants from your teeth, you may find yourself sporting attachments in the shape of circles, squares, rectangles, trapezoids, triangles, or crescents. It’s kind of a fun part of treatment and the carefully designed Invisalign attachments are unique to your teeth.
4. They Deliver Controlled Chaos
Though your attachments might feel chaotic because of their seemingly haphazard locations and shapes, their purpose is to allow for more predictable tooth movements and a better fit of the trays. It’s good if you feel a little soreness or pull from your Invisalign aligners – it means everything is working properly.
5. They Are Not Very Visible
Just like the rest of the components for Invisalign for adults, attachments are difficult to see. They fit snugly inside each aligner as you snap it onto your teeth. This move, however, does change the smooth trays into bumpy ones but the effect is still subtle. If you brush your attachments well and keep them white, they’ll stay mostly hidden.
6. Invisalign Attachments Are Super Tough
Attachments might be small, but they are mighty, and their presence makes the treatment of more severe types of misalignment possible. If you’ve gone through life never getting braces because you feared years of metal mouth, Invisalign might be a possibility, all because of attachments.
7. They Might Speed Up Invisalign Treatment
It’s not a guarantee that the presence of attachments will make your overall Invisalign treatment shorter, but it’s possible. The additional force exerted on teeth – and not every tooth usually needs an attachment – can make your smile straighter, faster.
8. Invisalign Attachments Aren’t a Big Deal
You may not have envisioned an Invisalign treatment without any visual interruption, but attachments are common and many patients have them. If you look at the big picture – which your orthodontist will explain clearly – these small dots transform the progress, efficiency, and speed of your treatment. If some nearly invisible little bumps on your teeth are the difference between a year wearing Invisalign and weeks or months less than that, embrace it. Find out if you’re a candidate for Invisalign. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Mariana at her orthodontic office in Monroe, WA.
