From replacing traditional impressions to making indirect bonding possible, digital technology has made orthodontic treatment more accurate, comfortable, and convenient than ever before. Invisalign’s Virtual Care app is the latest technology that allows Dr. Chamberlain to assess your smile before every tray change, making it possible to personalize your care and keep treatment on track without the hassle of extra in-office visits. Keep reading to learn more about the ins and outs of remote monitoring with Invisalign, instructions for getting started, and the benefits of using this system for your straight smile journey.
How Virtual Care Works
In a traditional Invisalign treatment setting, your orthodontist would assess your smile once every six to ten weeks at your scheduled in-person appointments. While this is a great way to track your orthodontic progress, Virtual Care finetunes the treatment process, allowing Dr. Chamberlain to check in with you on a more frequent basis without adding appointments to your busy schedule.
Invisalign’s remote monitoring program works using three tools: a smart phone, a cheek retractor, and the Virtual Care app. To take advantage of this service, you will submit a series of photos of your smile and bite directly through the app before every tray change. Dr. Chamberlain can then assess the photos to determine how well your trays fit, decide when you should switch to your next set of trays, and address any issues as they arise rather than waiting until your next in-person visit.
Benefits of Remote Monitoring
By using the complimentary Invisalign Virtual Care app, you get more out of your orthodontic treatment than ever before. Here’s what you can look forward to.
More Accurate & Efficient Treatment
Everyone responds differently to orthodontic treatment, and your orthodontist needs to adapt your treatment plan to fit your unique response. The photos you provide through your virtual appointments give Dr. Chamberlain the chance to make changes to your treatment plan in real-time.
Sometimes, this means working with you to address issues with wear time or compliance, but other times, it means jumping ahead to your next aligner tray in the series! Ultimately, the goal is to make sure you get the full expression of tooth movement before we move on to the next tray, which can reduce the need for refinements that lengthen treatment.
Fewer Appointments
The irony of remote monitoring is that you get more progress check-ins with fewer in-person appointments, freeing up your schedule while offering even better results. This best-of-both-worlds scenario means you can experience a more convenient treatment schedule without sacrificing your quality of care.
Improved Compliance
Because Virtual Care allows Dr. Chamberlain to assess your smile more frequently, we can hold patients more accountable for following critical treatment instructions. This is especially important for younger patients or teens who are most at risk for non-compliance. Regardless of age, these additional check-ins serve as a powerful tool for anyone going through treatment to help keep their plan on the right track.
Direct Support
The app allows you to chat with Dr. Chamberlain and the team about your treatment progress, which can help you better understand your treatment plan and get your questions answered remotely. By communicating directly with our clinical team, you can feel more confident every step of the way.
How to Submit Your Photos
Now that you know how Virtual Care works, the next step is to learn how to use the app to submit your photos and receive Dr. Chamberlain’s feedback.
Taking Pictures
When you’re ready to change trays, you’ll submit three sets of three photos for a total of nine images that you’ll send through the app. Each photo will show Dr. Chamberlain a different angle of your teeth and bite to show how well your current trays fit and if modifications to tray change intervals or elastics are needed.
For each photo, you’ll use the cheek retractors provided by Dr. Chamberlain. Gently insert them into your mouth with the loop facing down, ensuring that they pull your cheeks out so that your teeth are fully visible in the photos.
Remember: it’s important to take clear, well-lit images so that Dr. Chamberlain can get an accurate idea of your treatment progress, so follow these instructions to get started.
Photo Set #1: Aligners on. Bite open.
For this set of three photos, you’ll keep your current aligner trays inserted. Hold your mouth slightly open, about a pinky finger width apart, to show how your trays are fitting compared to the digital prediction. Don’t forget to wear your elastics in the center, right, and left photos!
Photo Set #2: Aligners off. Bite open.
During this next set, you’ll take your trays and elastics out and keep your mouth slightly open. Again, you’ll take a center photo followed by a photo of the right side and then the left side. These photos will help Dr. Chamberlain evaluate the alignment of your teeth, especially the lower anteriors.
Photo Set #3: Aligners off. Bite closed.
For the last set of photos, keep your trays out and bite down all the way so that your back teeth are touching. This set of photos will help Dr. Chamberlain check your midlines and bite. Be sure to use your pointer finger to pull the cheek retractor back on the right and left biting photos!
Receiving Feedback
Once you’ve submitted your photos, Dr. Chamberlain and our clinical team will review them shortly after. You’ll receive notifications when they have responded to your photo submissions. Please review these messages carefully, as they may have additional information or further instructions for you to follow before your next in-office appointment.
Then, if you have any questions, you can use the chat feature to ask our team directly!
Keep Your Treatment On Track
Orthodontic treatment is a two-way street. The more you and Dr. Chamberlain are on the same page about the status of your treatment, the better your results will be and the faster you will get there. Learning how to use your Invisalign Virtual Care app will make a huge difference in the quality of your results, and we can’t wait to share them with you!
If you have any questions about Virtual Care, please feel free to call us in Redlands or Beaumont today!
