Invisalign Straightens Teeth, But Does It Whiten Them?

If you’ve been living with crooked or inconsistently gapped teeth, imagine this. Imagine that you’ve taken the leap and decided to invest your time and money in Invisalign treatment. Imagine that you’ve followed your dentist’s instructions conscientiously and carefully and — a few months later — you’ve finally finished your Invisalign treatment plan. Finally! Your long-held dream of straighter teeth has been accomplished! But are those teeth as white as you wish they were? 

The process of straightening your teeth with Invisalign in Winnipeg is typically five steps long. The Invisalign process itself does not include whitening. Some people try to sneak some whitening efforts into the fourth or fifth step, but the staff at your dental clinic in Winnipeg doesn’t recommend it. Especially considering that there are several options for having your newly straight teeth restored to their cleanest and whitest glory. Here’s what you need to know about the Invisalign process, and how to get your straight teeth as white as possible when you’re done. 

An initial consultation

The investigation stage of the consultation is when we gather all the information needed to confirm you’re a good candidate for undergoing Invisalign near you and to develop a treatment plan. Your dentist in Winnipeg will capture images of your teeth to help us understand your current condition and to simulate your progress. They’ll also take digital impressions of your teeth that will be provided to Invisalign’s laboratory electronically. 

Crafting your aligners

The image scans and digital impressions taken at your first appointment will be sent to Invisalign where technicians will prepare a draft treatment plan for your dentist to review. Before any aligners are manufactured, the dentist will review that treatment plan and make any necessary modifications. 

Getting you ready

The third step is an appointment with a dentist near you once your aligners are in hand. The appointment will end with you walking out the door with your first aligners. If your treatment plan anticipates the placement of buttons on your teeth to help hold the aligners or influence your teeth, they’ll be placed at this appointment, too.

Wearing your aligners

Your treatment plan will be based on wearing your aligners for 22 hours daily and removing them only to eat, drink anything other than cool water, brush and floss. Every couple of weeks or so, you’ll switch to the next aligner in sequence and will visit your dentist in Winnipeg for a follow-up appointment to confirm all is going as expected. 

Finishing up

Once you’ve completed your treatment plan, your dentist will review the position of your teeth. In some cases, your dentist will recommend some refinements and, if necessary, will requisition refiner trays from Invisalign. Wearing a retainer evening after completing your treatment plan will prevent your teeth from shifting out of their new positions for the long term.

What about teeth whitening?

You may have heard or read that you can use your last Invisalign aligner as a teeth whitening tray by adding over-the-counter whitening gel to the aligner while you wear it — thereby straightening and whitening your teeth at the same time. Is it possible? Yes. Is it a good idea? No. Invisalign’s aligners fit so snugly against your teeth that any gel added to the aligner is likely to be squished out and away from your teeth and onto your gums. Your teeth won’t be whitened, but your gums may be irritated. Even if some over-the-counter whitening gel did remain in contact with your teeth, any results you see will be slight, slow to develop and inconsistent — or even absent altogether — depending on the cause of your teeth’s stains. 

To obtain the best, safest, most dramatic, most comfortable and specifically tailored teeth whitening results, ask your dentist to provide professional teeth whitening. Generally, it’s available either chairside in their office or by providing teeth whitening trays with customized gels to wear at home. If you’ve completed your Invisalign plan, both options may be good for you. If your Invisalign plan is ongoing, go for the chairside option so you don’t lose any time with your aligners.