What Are Invisalign Buttons and Attachments?

Long Beach, CA – Invisalign is a wonderful orthodontic treatment option for many patients. When it was first released, it was really only effective for patients with minor malocclusions. However, as its technology has advanced, it has opened the treatment up to even more orthodontic patients.

Patients with more severe malocclusions need more than just braces or aligners to guide their teeth. Other appliances and rubber bands can help the orthodontist apply the force needed to achieve certain tooth movements. Until recently, this wasn’t possible with Invisalign. But over the years, Invisalign has evolved to include the use of buttons and attachments that allow for patients with these more severe malocclusions to be able to use the treatment.

So, what are they?

Attachments are essentially very small tooth colored bumps that are bonded to the patient’s teeth. The orthodontist places them at precise locations along the smile. The attachments allow for the aligner to grip better and direct tooth movement forces more accurately as they guide the teeth to their new locations.

Buttons are used to attach or anchor rubber bands. In most cases they are tooth colored, however depending on their location, they may be metal (this is most likely if they are placed in the back of the mouth).

Orthodontic treatment does a lot more than just straighten the smile – for some patients, they may have teeth that are rotated or not above the gumline enough or angled in a strange way. Other patients may have a bite that doesn’t function properly because the jaws are misaligned. These problems can be difficult to correct with Invisalign because the aligners alone cannot provide the force needed to correct the issue. However, attachments and buttons have changed the game.

An attachment can provide the anchor point by which the force of the aligner is directed, allowing Invisalign to work even more efficiently and effectively. Buttons allow for the use of elastics, which are used to correct the bite and ensure the jaws are aligned properly.

The good news is, utilizing buttons and attachments doesn’t change much about your Invisalign treatment. The aligners should still be removed when eating, drinking, brushing and flossing. It can take a little bit of time to get used to removing the aligners and placing them back in with the attachments on. The attachments will make the aligner feel more snug against your teeth, so you may want to practice at home to ensure you can remove them seamlessly when out and about. You’ll still enjoy the benefits of a nearly invisible treatment; however, buttons and attachments will make the treatment slightly more noticeable than it otherwise would. However, your treatment will still be discrete and won’t draw the same attention metal braces would.

Before you begin your treatment, your orthodontist should discuss with you if he or she believes you may require buttons or attachments during the course of your treatment. Placing them is a very easy procedure. Your orthodontist will have a template with the locations of the attachments or buttons ready. Once your teeth are cleaned, the bonding material will be applied at the precise locations and a special light will cure the material. And once treatment is complete, the material is simply polished off, showing no signs it was ever there.

Invisalign attachments and buttons make Invisalign treatment a viable option to many more patients than it otherwise would be. If you are interested in orthodontic treatment but would like a more discrete way to get the smile of your dreams, learn more about Invisalign today.