Your in-depth Invisalign plan

01Can teeth with crowns or veneers be treated with aligners?

It can be. Attachments bond less well to ceramic than to natural enamel, though, which calls for a specific technique in placing the force. The doctor will forecast this and set the course out transparently from the start.

02Does Invisalign treatment always require extractions?

Not necessarily. Under a minimally invasive philosophy the doctor gives priority to interproximal reduction (IPR) or arch expansion. Extraction is the last indication, reserved for severe cases, in order to hold a stable long-term result.

03Can patients aged 30–40 have orthodontic treatment?

Absolutely. The prerequisite is a healthy periodontal foundation, not age. A first consultation always comes with a thorough periodontal screening.

04Why is a cephalometric film required before the treatment plan is settled?

Because looking at the face cannot accurately separate protrusion or underbite caused by tipped teeth from the same appearance caused by the skeletal structure of the jaws — two groups of causes with entirely different lines of treatment. A cephalometric film supplies data on the relationship between the upper and lower jaws, and it is the only scientific basis on which the doctor can conclude whether your case can be treated with orthodontics alone, or has to go to joint consultation with surgery.

05How long does a course of Invisalign treatment usually take?

Most clinical cases finish within about 12–24 months. Cases that only lightly refine the front teeth can be over in 6–12 months; complex cases indicated for extraction, by contrast, need a longer course. The exact time is only established once the doctor has built the 3D digital plan (ClinCheck). That progress depends heavily on your cooperation, though: aligners only deliver their force when worn 20–22 hours a day. Falling short of that wear time means the result will not come out as the plan projected.

06Do you treat patients travelling from distant provinces?

Yes. The biomechanical advantage of Invisalign clear aligners is that patients change trays themselves at home, which spaces out follow-up visits compared with traditional fixed braces. For patients coming from a distance we set up an optimised plan, grouping the clinical procedures that require attendance into a single appointment so you travel as little as possible, combined with close remote monitoring.

07Do you take on retreatment cases — treatment elsewhere that fell short?

Yes — though this is a complex clinical group calling for the greatest care. The first consultation is not aimed at fitting new aligners straight away, but at letting the doctor re-analyse the existing record and take imaging to assess the room left in the alveolar bone and the movement that has already taken place. After that screening, the doctor will be transparent from the outset about whether your case can be retreated in full, or needs a safe medical limit set in order to preserve the teeth.

08How does the Invisalign Black Diamond Doctor standing differ from Black Diamond Provider?

Align Technology assesses and awards trophies independently to two parties — the individual clinician (Doctor) and the healthcare facility (Provider) — on the basis of the number of clinical cases actually treated. That Dr. Tony Dental maintains Black Diamond standing for both Dr Ho Le Bao An and the practice as a whole attests to the in-depth capability of the person leading it, and confirms a closed-loop, consistent quality-control process across the centre.

Dr Ho Le Bao An — professional profile →

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