Clear Aligner Procedure

Step 1: Initial Exam

When you visit Foundations Orthodontics for an exam, Dr. Moran or Dr. White will perform a thorough examination and talk with you about your smile concerns and goals. This will allow her to determine if you’re a candidate for 3M Clarity Aligners, Invisalign, or Invisalign Teen.

Step 2: Create a Digital, 3D Model of Your Mouth

If you are a candidate for clear aligners and decide to move forward with treatment, we have time built into your initial exam to take any necessary diagnostic records. For Invisalign or Clarity Aligners treatment, this will entail having quick, comfortable digital scans of your teeth completed using our intraoral scanner. We may also take digital photos and low-dose, digital x-rays to see the entire picture. We’ll input the information into our state-of-the-art computer software and a 3D, virtual rendering of your mouth will be created. Our doctors will plan out each individual tooth movement directly on this model.

Step 3: Pre-Treatment Consultation

As a bite correction expert with a holistic approach, our doctors separate the exam and consultation into two separate appointments. After your exam, she’ll take the time to do an in-depth evaluation of your diagnostic records, and to create a personalized Invisalign or 3M Clarity treatment plan that ensures your teeth and jaw joints will be in their healthiest positions. 

Once she has finished assessing your bite and planning your treatment, you’ll be scheduled for an in-person or virtual consultation. Dr. Moran or Dr. White will explain her treatment plan, fill you in on what you can expect during treatment, and answer any and all questions you may have. Our Treatment Coordinator will then go over the logistics like your insurance coverage, as well as your Clarity or Invisalign cost. We’ll provide you with a full copy of the doctors’ findings, treatment recommendations, x-rays, and Invisalign cost estimate. 

Step 4: Pick Up Your Custom 3M Clarity or Invisalign Aligners

Following your pre-treatment consultation, our doctors will send their treatment plan to the Invisalign or 3M lab. The lab will fabricate a series of custom, clear aligners based on our doctors’ specifications. You’ll swing by our Denver, Centennial, Granby, or Winter Park orthodontics office to pick up your clear aligners. Then, you’ll start wearing them for 20 to 22 hours per day, taking them only to brush, floss, eat, drink, and wear a mouthguard. How long Invisalign takes and the number of aligners needed will depend on your unique case. 

Step 5: Change to a New Set of Aligners Every One to Two Weeks

Depending on your individual treatment plan, you’ll change to a new set of aligners about every one to two weeks. Each set of 3M Clarity or Invisalign aligners is programmed to achieve certain tooth movements, so as you make your way through the series, you’ll be able to see your new smile gradually taking shape. Though Invisalign and Clarity Aligners don’t have to be adjusted like braces, you’ll come in approximately once every six to eight weeks for a check-up so our doctors can keep an eye on your progress. 

Step 6: Reveal Your New Smile 

When you remove your final set of clear aligners, you’ll get to bask in your beautiful, new smile. You’ll also be able to enjoy healthy teeth, gums, and jaw joints; an optimal bite; efficient chewing; and the perfect facial balance. To keep your teeth in their new positions and prevent shifting, we’ll fit you for a custom retainer. Have no fear, we offer clear retainers that work and look like your aligners.