Invisalign orthodontic treatment transforms crooked teeth and bad bites into amazing new smiles. While the clear aligners do an incredible job on their own, sometimes they need a little help with misshapen teeth. That’s when interproximal reduction for Invisalign helps out!
Interproximal Reduction is called IPR or Invisalign IPR since it is often used during clear aligner treatment to smooth rough tooth surfaces on your tooth enamel. We use this technique with Invisalign patients to better align teeth. IPR is quick and painless and produces fantastic results. How does IPR help? We’re happy to explain.
Interproximal Reduction involves smoothing out the enamel of a misshapen tooth. This is a common technique used with Invisalign patients. The clear aligners move your teeth into their proper positions side by side.
Some teeth may have bumps along the sides of their teeth, or they may be misshapen from years of tooth wear. If we align your teeth as they are, you will have gaps in your teeth, and the teeth will not be straight.
To fix this, we use special tools to smooth out the rough spots of your enamel and polish them so they shine like the rest of your tooth. This technique, called IPR, helps remove spaces between teeth and makes your smile more aesthetically pleasing.
IPR dental techniques involve two main tools: polishing strips and a handpiece and bur. The handpiece and bur are grinding tools used to smooth out rough spots on the enamel. They only remove a small amount of enamel, so they do not hurt the tooth.
Polishing strips are thin metal strips that slide between the teeth and polish them with back-and-forth movement. They work like fine sandpaper and smooth out any areas roughened by the handpiece and bur. The strip can also smooth out small bumps and rough areas on its own.
Invisalign clear aligners move teeth into their proper positions and remove gaps between them, resulting in a straight, even smile.
Without IPR, your smile might have black areas between your teeth, or your teeth would not line up correctly. Uneven teeth would also be harder to clean, which could make your teeth more susceptible to tooth decay.
In the past, orthodontists extracted teeth to make room for teeth straightening. Today, we do our best not to extract teeth to create space. IPR can provide enough room to fix mild to moderate crowding without leaving a huge gap like an extracted tooth might.
We want your new smile from Zombek Orthodontics to be perfect, so we use techniques like IPR to ensure you get the smile of your dreams!
Interproximal reduction on teeth does not hurt because it does not affect the part of the tooth where the nerves are found. You shouldn’t feel any pain with IPR procedures. You will feel some pressure as the handpiece and bur are used. The polishing strip may feel odd, like running a nail file over your teeth. Neither should cause pain.
Some people wonder if IPR hurts enamel. We remove such a small amount of enamel during the IPR process that it shouldn’t hurt your enamel. Most enamel is about 2.5 millimeters thick. We remove 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm from your teeth during the process.
IPR isn’t necessary for every patient and isn’t used on every tooth. You can schedule an appointment with Zombek Orthodontics in Weston, FL, or Hollywood, FL, to determine if IPR is right for you. We’ll be happy to guide you through treatment with Invisalign and how it can help build the smile you’ve always wanted!
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