What are Invisalign "attachments"? How are they placed? What should you do if you loose an attachment?

Some patient's Invisalign treatment will require the use of "attachments." Attachments are small tooth-colored dots of dental bonding material that are bonded to selected surfaces of selected teeth. The idea is that the placement of the attachments provides an anchor point on teeth around which an Invisalign aligner can firmly grasp. This allows the aligner to direct its forces to the tooth more effectively than it would otherwise be able to do.

An attachment might be needed in those instances where a particularly difficult type of tooth movement is required (such as tooth rotation or pulling a tooth up/down into place). Or an attachment might be need for a tooth whose shape is one that is otherwise difficult for an aligner effectively grasp and manipulate.

Your dentist will be able to tell you if your case will require the use of attachments before you begin your invisible braces treatment and you should quiz them about the need for them. Depending on the locations in which they are placed, attachments may be obvious to others and therefore negate the "invisible" aspect of Invisalign treatment.

How are Invisalign tooth attachments placed?

The placement of attachments is straightforward and simple. It involves the same basic bonding technique that is used with so many other dental procedures. The procedure is quick and easy and don't worry, no anesthetic (shots) is needed.

Your dentist will receive a clear plastic template from the Invisalign people that fits over your teeth. It will look pretty much just like a regular Invisalign aligner. The idea is that the template will have small bulges in it that correspond to specific locations on specific teeth where attachments need to be placed.

Your dentist will fill these bulges in the template with tooth-colored dental bonding material and each corresponding tooth's surface will be cleaned and prepared for the bonding process. The filled template will be seated over your teeth and the set of the bonding materials will be activated by way of your dentist shining a blue-colored light on them. Your dentist will then remove the template. The small dab of (now set) bonding material will remain attached to your teeth as attachments.

How visible are Invisalign attachments?

The visibility of you attachments will depend on where they are placed and how well the color of the bonding material chosen for them matches the color of your teeth. In those cases where attachments are placed on teeth or tooth surfaces that are relatively difficult for others to see, appearance issues will not be much of a factor.

A worst case type of scenario involves a situation where the patient's attachments must be placed on the front side of their front teeth and their tooth color is not an exact match with the shades of dental bonding material that the dentist has to offer. With this type of situation the attachments may be quite visible, making the fact that you are undergoing orthodontic treatment readily apparent to others.

You may find that your attachments are a minor nuisance.

While the process of having Invisalign attachments placed is a painless enough, there can be aspects associated with them that cause the patient some degree of pain or discomfort. When your aligners are not being worn you may find that your attachments are rough or abrasive to you tongue or cheeks. With time, however, your mouth should adjust to their presence. The fit of your clear braces over your attachments can be quite snug. This can make removing your aligners difficult or even painful. When you eat you may find that food tends to get stuck to or accumulates around your attachments.

What becomes of your attachments once you have completed your invisible braces treatment?

When your Invisalign treatment has reached a point where the service of an attachment is no longer needed it is easily removed. Your dentist will simply take their dental drill and polish the surface of the attachment until it has been completely buffed off. This is a painless procedure.

What should you do if one of your clear braces attachments falls off?

Invisalign attachments can come off. The nature of the bond of the attachment to the tooth is quite strong but, from time to time, some patients may find that they have one come off. Certainly the more snugly the aligner fits over the attachment the more likely this is to happen.

Each of your attachments have been placed for a reason and if you have one come off you should let your dentist know immediately so they can make a decision about replacing it. Remember, an attachment provides an anchor point that allows your invisible braces to more effectively control that tooth's movement. If an attachment is lost, your aligner may not be able to accomplish the tooth movement that it was intended to provide.