About Invisalign
Though many consumers have heard about Invisalign, few know what goes into achieving certification. What is Invisalign? Is it only useful for cosmetic purposes? Do dentists and orthodontists need special training? And what sets specialists apart from the others?
First of all, what’s Invisalign?
You may be aware that Invisalign, true to its name, offers an alternative to metal braces. What are some cosmetic and convenience perks to using Invisalign over braces?
- 1. Feels better – Invisalign uses digital imaging to make sure that your aligners are custom-made to perfectly fit your mouth.
- 2. Works faster – The Invisalign SmartTrack material can align teeth 50% faster.
- 3. Practically invisible – gone are the days of shiny metallic braces. Invisalign is a completely discreet, nearly invisible solution so you can feel confident in your smile.
And Invisalign doesn’t just help you with the cosmetic appearance of your smile. Here are some issues that Invisalign can treat::
- Crowded teeth. When teeth are crowded, it’s more difficult to brush and floss, which can eventually build up to plaque and tartar on your teeth.
- Open bite. Invisalign can also help with an open bite, which is when your top and bottom teeth don’t match up when you take a bite. This can actually cause difficulty chewing food.
- Gap teeth. When you have large spaces between your teeth, it’s easier for food to get stuck in the pockets between teeth, which can eventually lead to gum disease.
Only highly-trained specialists can offer Invisalign treatments.
The first step is to attend the Invisalign Fundamentals course, where providers have to attend a live lecture/clinical course to learn how to offer Invisalign. In addition, their team must attend a live lecture/participation course as well.
Once a provider has attended the Invisalign Fundamentals course and proven their competency with the procedure, they’re eligible to work on patients. However, it’s important to realize that some practitioners have more experience than others.
Align Technology is a global medical device company that pioneered Invisalign in 1999. They offer a tiered system to reward providers for the hours that they’ve put in towards Invisalign expertise.
Doctors earn points with each Invisalign treatment that they complete. With Align Technology’s tiered program, the Diamond level indicates that your dentist is in one of the highest tiers of experience. To reach the Diamond Tier, practitioners in 2022 must have completed at least 65 Full Treatments within the last 6 months. So not only does the practitioner need to successfully complete more than a hundred cases, but those cases all must fall within the 6-month time period to qualify.
