What is Happening Now?
Dr. McCoy is custom designing your new smile!
Dr. McCoy does not let the lab people or the clear aligner software design your tooth movements because that simply doesn’t work well in your mouth. We have all heard horror stories about do it yourself clear aligners or dentists dabbling in clear aligners but being unable to deliver beautiful results like Dr. McCoy does. We have all heard about patients frequently being told that they are not Invisalign or clear aligner candidates.
Personally designing your tooth movements is what sets Dr. McCoy apart from all other orthodontists.
The personal design work done by Dr. McCoy is why he is the only orthodontist in the entire Midwest who can treat 99% of his patients with clear aligners, whereas the rest are only able to treat about 30% of their patients. There is nobody even close to being able to do what Dr. McCoy can do.
Dr. McCoy designs every aligner series that you will receive to achieve your end result. So, every series is an attempt to get you completed. You may need more series if your teeth don’t respond ideally. You may want some personal detail work done towards the end. Don’t worry, this is usual, but each series is designed with your end goal in mind.
Dr. McCoy’s design process typically takes about two weeks of back and forth work by Dr. McCoy on the clear aligner website. Once Dr. McCoy loves the design he has created especially for your tooth movements, he will order your first comprehensive series of aligners to be manufactured.
How long does it take to manufacture my clear aligners once Dr. McCoy approves my custom design?
The clear aligner company’s manufacturing turn around time can be anywhere from three to to six weeks depending upon their workload.
Once your clear aligners ship, we get a tracking number and then your clear aligners arrive at our office.
Once we receive your aligners, there is some preparation work that we must do to check them in and prepare them for your first appointment.
We will notifying you via text or email that we have your clear aligners and are ready for you to make your treatment start appointment.
Here is what you should expect at your first appointment:
1. We will start off by placing a set of clear aligners on your teeth to confirm their fit. They almost always fit ideally. If they do not fit well, we simply digitally scan you again and submit a warranty fit. This does not happen often, but in the interest of your complete comfort it may be necessary at times.
2. Next, we prepare your teeth to place attachments on your teeth. Attachments are tooth colored ridges that Dr. McCoy has positioned precisely on each tooth to help move your teeth effectively. The next steps explain how we get the attachments to stick to your teeth.
3. We place cheek retractors in your mouth for a good view of your teeth and we brush your teeth.
4. Once your teeth are ready, and dry, we place a plastic attachment template aligner over your teeth and shine a special light onto each attachment to ensure that your attachments stay in place on your teeth. We then remove the template from your mouth and the attachments are now on your teeth. They will stay there throughout treatment but will be removed close to the end when you don’t need them anymore. If any attachments come off, it’s not an emergency. Just let us know via email and we will plan on replacing it at your next regular visit if we feel that it is needed. It may be replaced at a later time in treatment, instead, but never at the expense of losing time in treatment.
5. Finally, we will have you practice taking your clear aligners in and out so that you are comfortable with the process and we give you some instructions for their care.
How Do I Take Care of My Aligners?
Please take the time to review Dr. McCoy’s Clear Aligner Tips & Tricks on our website before your aligner delivery appointment. See the link below.
Dr. McCoy’s Clear Aligner Tips and Tricks
There, you will find a short video about Clear Aligner Cleaning Tips and Maintenance for our Invisalign and SureSmile Clear Aligner patients. You will also find many useful tips and tricks that Dr. McCoy shares with you based on his over 25 years of Invisalign and SureSmile Clear Aligner experience.
So, please take the time to review this vital information before your appointment.
You can expect an email or text from us in a few weeks (depending upon the clear aligner company’s manufacturing timeframe) alerting you that we are ready to set up your Start treatment appointment.
When you get that email or text, that would be a great time to review the Dr. McCoy’s Clear Aligner Tips and Tricks web page a second time.
This is all explained on the webpage above, but the two most important things to know about clear aligners is:
- You need to wear them for them to work
- You don’t just change to the next aligner without first checking the fit of your current aligner.
We are excited to have you as a new patient and do let us know during your clear aligner experience if there is anything we can do for you.
Thanks,
Dr. McCoy and staff
