While aligners offer more comfort and convenience than traditional braces, you still need to pay attention to things like fitting and wear time. In between your appointments, how you monitor progress while using clear aligner trays like Invisalign determines the outcome of your treatment plans.
At Hunter Family Orthodontics, we believe in the power of teamwork to achieve that perfect smile. Whether you’re already underway with treatment or just getting started, here are a few tips for monitoring your progress with your Invisalign clear aligners.
Why You Should Start Tracking Your Invisalign Journey
Monitoring your clear aligner journey ensures that you’re doing your treatment right. After all, the fewer issues you encounter while wearing your Invisalign aligners, the sooner you complete the treatment and enjoy your straighter teeth.
Take charge of your treatment plan and reap the following benefits:
- Increased Motivation: Clear aligners like Invisalign work by gradually moving your teeth to the target position. However small, seeing the progress confirms that the treatments work and motivates you to keep at it.
- Accountability: If you feel the need to take responsibility for your treatment, keeping your records is the way to go. This way, you have a clear picture of how your treatment is going. You can update people who are supporting you in this journey, your orthodontist included.
- Helps With Goal Setting: At the start of your treatment, Dr. Ross Hunter will walk you through the process, including what to expect. Using a self-monitoring regimen can help you to make sure certain milestones are met within their timeframes.
- Gain Insight Into Your Treatment: Tracking your progress with clear aligner trays helps you identify what works and what doesn’t, helping you make better decisions and helping our team provide the right support.
- Maintain Consistency: By monitoring your daily use of your Invisalign trays, it’s easier to constantly.
- Early Detection of Possible Problems: Perhaps most importantly, monitoring your progress between visits to the orthodontist allows you to identify issues before they escalate.
Of course, beyond your scheduled visits to our office at The Woodlands, we’d be happy to assist you throughout your treatment. Feel free to ask questions or raise concerns, especially if you feel something is off.
Progress Monitoring with Invisalign Clear Aligner Trays
When you start your clear aligner treatment with Hunter Family Orthodontics, Dr. Hunter will give you your first set of aligners and instructions on how to use them. These include wearing your aligners for 22 hours or more each day, depending on the orthodontic evaluation. Usually, you’ll only need to drop by every six to eight weeks for a check-up and to receive your next aligners.
You can make your self-monitoring a lot easier by using specialized apps. These tools usually have a timer to track your daily wear time, and can use your camera to take photos of your teeth to create a photo diary of sorts.
One of the most popular apps is My Invisalign, available for both Android and Apple devices. This is designed to connect patients and their providers, streamlining the treatment process. Some of its unique features include the following:
- Find a Doctor: The app comes with a built-in finder that guides you toward Invisalign providers in your area, like Hunter Family Orthodontics in The Woodlands, TX.
- Aligner Change Reminder: Never miss an appointment or an aligner switch with this feature. It offers a view into your treatment schedule, accessible to both you and Dr. Hunter.
- Invisalign Virtual Care: This lets you share photos with Dr. Hunter and receive feedback on your clear aligner tray treatment.
It also comes with a built-in timer that tracks the time you’re not wearing your aligners, perfect for breaks, meals, or other special occasions. My Invisalign requires you to register for an account and works best with certified Invisalign providers, like Hunter Family Orthodontics.
For other brands of clear aligner trays, you can check out TrayMinder. An orthodontist created the platform, initially designed to help users remember to wear their aligners. It has a daily wear time monitor and a progress calendar that makes it easy to track usage over longer periods. Despite lacking the ability to connect with your orthodontist, TrayMinder continues to be popular thanks to its intuitive interface and the quality of its progress photos.
Achieve That Perfect Smile Today
Monitoring your day-to-day usage is crucial in keeping your treatment plan intact. Not only does it give you a detailed account of your journey, but it also allows you to respond immediately should any issues arise.
If you’re ready to achieve your dream smile through Invisalign aligners, contact Hunter Family Orthodontics today and schedule your free consultation today.