Have you been wearing your Invisalign aligners faithfully, attending your check-in appointments, and watching your smile gradually transform? If so, then it might surprise you if, near the end of your planned treatment, your provider tells you that you’ll need refinement trays before you’re finished. Rest assured, Invisalign refinements are a routine and expected part of treatment for a significant number of patients! Here’s everything you need to know.
What Are Invisalign Refinements?
Refinement trays are additional aligners prescribed after your initial set has been completed. You can think of them as a fine-tuning phase, rather than a fresh start. Your original aligner series was designed around a projected outcome; however, refinements address the gap between where your teeth ended up and where the final plan intended them to be.
Your provider will take new impressions or digital scans of your teeth at the end of your initial series, and based on them, a new set of trays is manufactured to guide your teeth through the remaining movement needed to achieve your ideal results.
Why Would I Need Refinements?
There are several reasons why refinements become necessary, and some have nothing to do with anything the patient did or didn’t do:
- Teeth don’t always move exactly as predicted. Some teeth move faster than planned, some slower, and occasionally a tooth shifts in a slightly different direction than anticipated.
- Aligners that aren’t worn consistently can’t move teeth on schedule. Even small, regular shortcomings in daily wear time can add up over the course of a months-long treatment plan.
- Sometimes, as treatment progresses and the bite and spacing begin to shift, new considerations emerge that weren’t visible at the outset. Your orthodontist may recommend refinements because an opportunity is revealed to achieve even better final results.
- Certain tooth shapes respond differently to aligner pressure than others, making some movements inherently more difficult to complete within a single planned series, especially rotations and vertical movements.
Staying on Track with Invisalign
Here are the habits that make the biggest difference in keeping your refinements as brief (or unnecessary) as possible:
- Wear your aligners for 22 hours every day, without exception.
- Show up to every check-in appointment.
- Use your Invisalign chewies every time you insert a new tray.
- Tell your orthodontist about lost or damaged trays immediately.
- Keep your trays and teeth clean during treatment to prevent oral health-related setbacks.
Refinement trays are not a punishment, a sign of failure, or a reason to feel discouraged. They are a tool that exists specifically to ensure that your final smile reflects the investment you’ve made in your treatment!
About the Practice
Our team here at Super Braces of Worcester proudly serves patients and families in Worcester and the surrounding areas. We offer a wide range of orthodontic services for patients of all ages, including Invisalign clear aligners. Plus, our very own Dr. Jamie Moon is board-certified by the American Board of Orthodontics and has over 20 years of experience straightening smiles! If you have any questions about the blog or need to schedule an appointment, feel free to contact our office online or by phone for more information. Telephone: (508) 690-5561.