What’s the Worst That Could Happen? Potential Complications of Invisalign

When you see commercials about treatments, the people whose lives have been changed transfix you. You feel your hope rise for your own situation, and you wonder whether this treatment would work for you, but then you see the fine print at the bottom of the screen or hear the list of potential complications. When you think about getting Invisalign, you question what complications could happen to you and wonder whether it’d be worth trying. In this post, you’ll learn about possible hurdles you may have to overcome and how to prevent them in Invisalign treatment.

What Are Possible Complications with Invisalign?

When things go as planned, Invisalign can work smoothly and quickly. However, there are potential roadblocks that can come up on your journey toward a perfectly straight smile. Some of these include the following:

• Your aligners don’t fit correctly.
• Teeth do not seem to be shifting the way they should.
• You have delays in your treatment plan.
• You get a cavity during treatment.

These complications can slow down your treatment or even derail you completely! However, understanding how problems happen can help you know how to deal with them and how to stay on track.

What Causes Complications with Invisalign?

Before you start Invisalign, you’ll learn about what you must do on your end to make sure your treatment proceeds. You’ll be given certain rules and guidelines to follow, but if you are don’t, you’ll face problems.

For instance, if you don’t wear your aligners for at least 20 hours every single day, they may not move the way they should. After all, your aligners won’t work unless they’re in your mouth! In addition, if you lose or break an aligner and don’t get a replacement, your next aligner will likely not fit correctly. If you don’t see your dentist for occasional check-in appointments, they can’t monitor your progress and confirm everything is shifting as intended. Sometimes, adjustments to your plan become necessary. If you don’t continue to care for your oral health by maintaining strict hygiene (i.e., brushing and flossing after eating and putting your aligners back in), you can develop a cavity, which involves having to order new aligners to conform to your restored tooth.

How Can I Prevent Complications with Invisalign?

The good news about Invisalign complications is that you can avoid most of them. As long as you follow the instructions your dentist gives you, you should have substantially fewer issues during your treatment. Even if you accidentally run into trouble, such as a broken or lost aligner, staying in close contact with your dentist and reaching out to them as soon as possible will help you know what to do to reduce delays, frustrations, and complications.

With a little persistence and consistency, you can avoid most of the complications potentially involved in Invisalign. However, even if you do encounter some delays, this treatment is completely worthwhile! The beautiful, perfectly aligned smile you enjoy at the end justifies all your efforts and time.

About the Practice

At every appointment, the Applegate Dental team makes sure to keep patients informed and keep communication open. We believe in patient education, preparing them to have successful treatment, and helping them if anything goes wrong along the way. Our four dentists have decades of experience and training and are happy to serve patients in whatever dental needs they have. If you are interested in learning more about Invisalign, feel free to reach out to us online or call our West Seneca office at 716-668-4646 to schedule a consultation.