What's involved in Invisalign refinement?

[Sidney]

Hi

My teeth were gappy and last year I looked into getting them aligned together and the spaces between my teeth closed. I researched different systems last year and decided the best invisible brace for me would be Invisalign.

I have been undergoing Invisalign treatment for the past 11 months and my dentist in Birmingham now says that I need to have Invisalign refinement in order to get the best end results.

I would like to know what's involved in Invisalign refinement? By how long does it usually extend the treatment time? Am I going to have to pay more for the Invisalign refinement? Have I been unlucky with my Invisalign treatment or is needing Invisalign refinement a normal thing that is usually necessary?

If I don't have Invisalign refinement is there a chance that my teeth will go back to how they looked at the beginning with the spaces between them? At the moment the spaces are not fully closed but they are less wider that they used to be.

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Hello Sidney,

Thank you for your post.

Invisalign refinement is exactly the same as invisalign and is necessary in the majority of cases. At or near the end of the invisalign treatment your invisalign doctor or orthodontist will look at the position of your teeth and compare this with the initial treatment goals. If treatment goals have been met then refinement is not necessary. In most cases it is necessary to fine tune and perform finisihing movements to complete the treatment. This is known as refinement.

Refinement records are the same as the records taken to begin your invisalign treatment. A set of accurate moulds are taken along with new photos of the face and teeth. These are sent to invisalign for a new clincheck video to be set up. This video will determine the number of aligners and therefore the refinement treatment time. Refinement treatment times will vary but usually it is 3 months. You wear the refinement aligners in exactly the same way as you did previously. Refinement can be done for 1 or both arches.

At Pearl refinement is free and included in the treatment cost quoted at the consultation appointment. Needing Invisalign refinement is very normal and I do it for most of my cases. Not having refinement will not cause relapse. If you do not wear retainers full time for 6 months and then night-time only for life there is a very high chance of relapse and the spaces opening again. I recommend you follow your orthodontist advise with regards to refinement.