For most patients, the attachments that work in tandem with Invisalign aligners will not be needed. However, some cases require your orthodontist to call on the help of attachments in order to move your teeth into the desired position.

As a patient, it is understandable that you might be a little curious about this. After all, Invisalign is supposed to be invisible, is it not? Even with these attachments, you should still be able to retain a measure of discreetness when wearing your aligners.

In What Instances Would a Dentist Decide to Use Them?

Sometimes certain teeth need a little extra help in order to be moved along with the other teeth. For example, a canine tooth might need to be turned as well as moved and to do that, an attachment will be needed to provide the extra force necessary to move that specific tooth.

There are three main types of attachment.

Invisalign Attachments

These attachments are similar to the brackets used by orthodontists to hold traditional braces in place. However, in this case, the attachments are made of composite bonding and will only be put on teeth that need a little extra help with movement due to their position. These teeth will generally be in the smile zone, or in other words, the front 6 teeth from your canine to your central incisors.

When placing these attachments, your dentist will attempt to use a resin that matches the natural colour of your teeth, but even if the shade is off whilst wearing your aligners, they will still be difficult to notice.

Invisalign Buttons and Elastic Bands

These small brackets come in both plastic and metal, and dentists use them as anchor points upon which elastic bands will be attached and used to move individual teeth.

Like Invisalign attachments, brackets won't be very noticeable because dentists usually attach them higher up on a tooth, for example an eye tooth, and try to position them so that the elastic band doesn't intrude when you smile.

If an individual tooth needs an extra force to move it in a desired direction that the Invisalign aligners can't achieve on their own; your dentist will utilise an elastic band. This elastic band is attached to one upper and one lower tooth and provides a gradual pulling force to help move an awkwardly positioned tooth into a more appealing position.

If you are thinking about starting a course of Invisalign but are worried you might need Invisalign attachments, speak to your dentist about your concerns. Together you can come to some kind of arrangement that allows you to start your treatment without worrying whether the attachments will make them more visible.

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