Can You Get Invisalign After Braces?

If you had braces earlier in life and now, once again, have some dental misalignment, is it possible to get Invisalign? Absolutely. This is actually a really common phenomenon in our office. After orthodontic treatment, you have to be diligent about either getting a permanent retainer or wearing your removable retainer every single night. Many of our patients lost or stopped wearing their retainers after their teenage years. Without that retainer keeping the teeth in the correct position, they gradually move back. Ten years without wearing a retainer can have surprisingly dramatic consequences. In severe cases, the misalignment is just as bad as it was pre-braces.

I cannot say for sure that you will be a good Invisalign candidate without an exam. Invisalign can fix many orthodontic problems but it still can’t do everything traditional braces can do. Tightly packed misalignment oftentimes requires braces. If you do need braces (after going through braces treatment once before), the length of treatment will most likely be shorter than your first stint with braces. Modern braces are smaller and faster than older ones. In most cases, adult patients are in and out of braces within a little over a year.

What’s the first step?

If you’re tired of your post-braces misalignment, schedule a virtual consult at our office. You can submit a few photos and I’ll send back a video explaining what treatment option might be best for you.

After the virtual consult, you’ll schedule an in-person appointment at our office in Cary, North Carolina. Invisalign appointments are very fast since all we need is a quick digital scan of your teeth. The scan takes a few minutes and is 100% pain-free. It’s sort of like getting an x-ray done — except even easier since no radiation is used to produce the image. We then send that scan off to the Invisalign lab. Within a week or two, they’ll send us your first batch of clear aligners.

Getting a straighter smile

Invisalign typically takes between six to twelve months to complete. Patients go through a series of clear aligner trays, changing them every week or every other week. We keep a close eye on every Invisalign patient’s progress to ensure a perfect final result. If you’re not happy with your smile at the end of treatment, Invisalign offers complimentary realignment trays to refine any minor flaws.

We want your smile to last a long time which is why we always strongly encourage our patients to get retainers. Our office offers both removable and fixed retainers. I’ll take a look at your case and recommend one or the other. I typically prefer to put fixed retainers on my patients since it ensures long-lasting alignment. Removable retainers work well — but it’s difficult to remember to take them in and out.

Ready to schedule?

Want to take the first step to getting the smile of your dreams? Make an online appointment here or call (919) 460-9665 to set up a complimentary consultation.