Keep Your Confidence While You Straighten Your Smile
Invisalign – Richmond, VA
You’ve always wanted to straighten your teeth, but at this point in your life, you don’t want to wear metal braces for several years to make it happen. We have wonderful news! You can realign your smile without sacrificing your appearance. Made of clear plastic, Invisalign aligners are subtle and practically disappear when worn. As a result, you don’t have to worry about metal brackets and wires interfering with your social and professional interactions. Reach out to one of our two dental offices to straighten your teeth and finally have the smile you’ve dreamed about thanks to Invisalign in Richmond, VA.

Are you excited to keep your confidence while you straighten your smile with Invisalign in Richmond? This unique orthodontic treatment is very different than traditional metal braces, so it’s natural to have a few questions. While we’ll be more than happy to personally answer all your inquiries during your initial consultation, feel free to take a look at some frequently asked questions we’ve gathered for you below!
Will Straightening My Teeth with Invisalign Hurt?
Traditional metal braces are notorious for their sharp wires and brackets that wreak havoc on soft tissues like the lips, cheeks, and tongue. Since Invisalign aligners are crafted from a single, smooth piece of biocompatible plastic, you can expect a much more comfortable experience! However, moving teeth into a new position will always cause some level of discomfort. While you may experience some soreness for a few days after starting a new set of aligners, it should be short-lived and easily managed with over-the-counter pain relievers and ice packs.
How Long Do I Have to Wear My Invisalign Aligners Every Day?
While the removable nature of Invisalign aligners is one of its most popular benefits, it’s also one of its greatest responsibilities. It will be up to you to keep your treatment on track by wearing your aligners for 20-22 hours every day. If you don’t wear them often enough, your teeth may begin to shift back out of place. This could potentially increase both the timeline and cost of your treatment!
What Foods Can I Eat During My Invisalign Treatment?
Unlike traditional braces that require you to adhere to a diet that doesn’t contain sticky, crunchy, or hard foods, you can eat anything you like during your Invisalign treatment! Simply take your aligners out, enjoy your food, and then give your teeth a quick brush before popping your aligners back into place. However, it’s important to remember that you should always store your aligners in their case when you’re not wearing them. While it may be tempting to wrap them up in a napkin while you eat, it’s all too easy to accidentally leave them behind or throw them away!
Will Wearing Invisalign Aligners Change How I Talk?
At the beginning of your Invisalign treatment, it may sound like you have a slight lisp. This is because the placement of your new aligners blocks some of the areas your mouth uses to make certain sounds. But don’t worry—this won’t last for very long! Your tongue simply needs time to adjust to the presence of your aligners. Typically, the lisp will fade on its own within a week or two. To speed up this process, you can practice speaking aloud and repeating words like “sixty” and “Mississippi.”
Can I Get Invisalign If I’ve Had Metal Braces Before?
Many patients who had traditional braces earlier in life but then neglected to wear their retainer find that their teeth have become crooked again years later. Thankfully, Invisalign is typically a great choice for anyone with slightly to moderately misaligned teeth. We’ll carefully inspect your teeth, jaw, and bite during your consultation to ensure that Invisalign is the most effective solution for your smile.
Will I Need Invisalign Attachments?
In some cases, attachments might be recommended if a patient requires more than just the clear aligners to straighten their teeth. Although not everyone will have attachments for their treatment plan, they can often help with more complex orthodontic cases. Our team will review your situation and determine if you require them depending on the severity of misalignment and how challenging your tooth movement will be. The specific number of attachments that you might receive will also be based on your unique case and may even change throughout your treatment. Sometimes teeth can end up making unexpected shifts or might not move as expected, so we’ll have to remove the attachments off some of your pearly whites and place them on others.
Who is Not Eligible for Invisalign?
Firstly, Invisalign is mostly reserved for patients who have all of their permanent teeth fully developed, meaning kids as young as 13 years old can already be candidates for this treatment. Although the majority of healthy teens and adults can undergo this orthodontic process, there might be some exceptions where someone may not be eligible for it. For instance, a patient’s bite misalignment may be too severe to be fixed with clear aligners alone, meaning they might have to get braces or use other orthodontic methods instead. Those struggling with small, misshapen, or eroded teeth also might not be good candidates until other preliminary dental work is completed. Patients who smoke and aren’t able to quit this habit won’t be eligible since tobacco products can end up staining Invisalign aligners and increase the risk of oral health issues.
Can Invisalign Fix an Overbite?
Minor overbites might be normal, as you typically want to have your upper teeth slightly in front of your bottom row. However, some patients might have their upper arch protruding too far, which can lead to orthodontic issues that impact their bite and comfort. Invisalign can often correct mild to moderate overbites (and other misalignment issues). That said, some overbites might be too severe to be addressed with clear aligners, meaning you might require other orthodontic treatments to fix the problem. During your consultation, our team will walk you through your situation and determine whether Invisalign can effectively address an overbite.
Does Invisalign Give You a Lisp?
Since your mouth won’t be accustomed to your oral appliance right away, you might experience an adjustment period that could affect your speech. A lisp may occur due to improper tongue placement when talking, which makes certain words sound different when said aloud. This isn’t always the case, but it can happen because the aligners are slightly changing the space within your mouth. The good news is that this is usually temporary and only requires time and practice for you to get used to having your Invisalign trays on.