What is Invisalign Progress Tracking?

Invisalign progress tracking helps you and your orthodontist monitor your treatment

Starting your Invisalign journey is an exciting time! By wearing your aligners for the recommended amount of time and following your orthodontist’s directions on when to change trays, you’ll straighten your smile faster than if you don’t comply. That’s why invisalign progress tracking is such a powerful tool for your treatment. 

Today, we’re going to be discussing how tracking your Invisalign progress can help you stick to your orthodontist’s plan and get the best results possible. Before we dive in, let’s define progress tracking.

What is Invisalign Progress Tracking?

Progress tracking helps you hold yourself accountable for your Invisalign timeline and results

Tracking your progress helps you stick to your care plan the whole time.

When you begin wearing your Invisalign, your orthodontist will recommend that you wear your aligners for 22+ hours per day. Most of us have busy lives, making it difficult to remember how long you’ve been wearing them especially when you take them out for meal breaks. Failing to comply with the daily recommended wear time can set your treatment back, and you may require Invisalign refinements to get back on track. 

That’s why orthodontists recommend Invisalign tracking to help patients stick to the recommended wear time. Progress tracking can be as simple as writing down your weartime in a journal or using an app like TrayMinder to track everything on your phone. Overall, if you keep a close eye on your progress, you and your orthodontist can avoid any surprises or delays in your treatment.

Why is it Beneficial to Track My Progress?

Tracking your progress prevents you from making repeated mistakes in your treatment

Take a few minutes per day to make a note of your progress.

To put it simply, Invisalign progress tracking helps you stick to your best Invisalign habits and complete your treatment on time. By documenting your journey, you can easily communicate any issues or concerns you have with your dentist. For example, if you are experiencing some fit issues with your aligners, you can make a note of it the day the issue began and snap a picture. Then, when you see your orthodontist the next time, you can easily provide details to help your orthodontist make an accurate assessment.

Monitor Invisalign Progress Tracking Using an Application

There are a few applications that provide helpful tools for progress tracking

By using an application you can update your progress from anywhere in the world.

Using an application to help track your progress is more popular than ever. That’s why we’re taking a look at the two most widely used apps helping Invisalign wearers stick to their care plan. 

TrayMinder App

The number one Invisalign progress tracking app — Trayminder — is an orthodontist-created and approved way to document your progress. Trayminder reminds you when it is time to replace your aligners and when it's time to switch your aligners every few weeks, making it perfect for people with busy lives. You can also visually document your progress by taking teeth selfies every time you switch your aligners. When you visit your orthodontist for a check in, you can easily pull up your progress pictures for reference.

My Invisalign Smile App

Another application you can use to keep track of your Invisalign progress is My Invisalign Smile. Using the My Invisalign Smile app, you can also upload pictures of yourself and program your Invisalign routine. This app has a few added features that are helpful to people wearing clear aligners. For example, you can ask questions about your treatment and get the answer right from the app. This feature can help you avoid unnecessary calls to your orthodontist when you have a question about your aligners. 

Take Some Selfies and Keep a Journal

Invisalign progress tracking doesn’t have to be through an app. Keep track in whichever way works best for you

Watch your smile change before your eyes!

Apps can be very helpful for some Invisalign wearers, but if you feel more comfortable keeping track of your progress with a pen and paper, that works as well. If you’re going to keep track of your progress the old fashioned way, we recommend you start with a planner. That way, you can organize your thoughts and keep track of the proper dates. Additionally, you can keep a photo album of your selfies in your phone so that you can easily view how your smile is changing. Many patients enjoy the ability to look back and see their teeth move with Invisalign after each new set of trays.

Be sure to accurately date each photo so you can match your journal entries to your photo album. Though manually keeping track of your Invisalign requires a bit more work than using an app, it is still beneficial to your overall treatment. 

Invisalign progress tracking is a powerful tool that can change the overall outcome of your treatment. Overall, the closer you track your treatment, the earlier you and your orthodontist can identify any problems or setbacks. Your orthodontist will thank you for keeping detailed notes on your treatment. For more information about Invisalign, as well as tips and tricks to stay on track, check out our Movemints blog to answer every question you have about straightening your teeth with clear aligners!