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Your Invisalign treatment is designed to give you the smile you’ve always dreamed of, but following the plan closely is necessary to achieve the best results.
While the aligners may be comfortable and convenient, it’s easy to slip up on wear time, hygiene, or tracking your progress. That’s why we’ve compiled ten tips to help you stay on course.
These Invisalign tips will make sure you maximize the benefits of your treatment, avoid delays, and reach your goals on time.
Choose Your Dentist Carefully
Many underestimate the role of a dentist in their Invisalign treatment, assuming they only need to receive their aligners from the manufacturer. However, this isn't the case.
Your dentist should be your first point of contact. They will assess your teeth and determine whether Invisalign is the right solution for you. Invisalign can’t treat all teeth conditions, so it’s best to consult with a dentist if your condition is treatable with Invisalign or not.
Additionally, a dentist will examine how your teeth align to ensure the best fit for your aligners. Throughout the treatment, your dentist will monitor your progress, provide advice, and guide you on how to care for your aligners to achieve the best results.
Change Your Invisalign Aligners by the Schedule
To achieve the best results with Invisalign, you need to follow the recommended schedule for changing your aligners. Typically, you will need to switch to a new set every one or two weeks, as outlined in your treatment plan.
Your dentist can guide you on the optimal time to change your aligners, ensuring you're on track. It's important to stick to this schedule.
You can set reminders or use mobile apps to help you stay on top of your aligner schedule and maintain consistency throughout your treatment.
Switch your Invisalign Aligners at Night
When you switch to a new set of aligners, you may experience some pain or discomfort due to the pressure they apply to your teeth. This temporary discomfort is a sign that the aligners are doing their job.
To help you to minimize the pain, dentists recommend changing your aligners at bedtime. By doing this, you can sleep through the initial discomfort, and when you wake up, you'll likely only feel mild soreness. It allows you to rest while your teeth adjust to the new set, making the transition a bit smoother.
Wear Your Aligners for 22 Hours a Day
For Invisalign to be effective, you need to wear your aligners for at least 20-22 hours a day. You’ll need to take them out for certain activities, such as eating or brushing your teeth, and it’s okay to remove them for special occasions like job interviews or social events.
However, it's important not to remove your aligners more than necessary. Exceeding the recommended time-out can slow down your progress.
Some people experience a slight lisp when they first start wearing aligners, but this usually fades over time—so removing them to address speech issues isn't a long-term solution.
Keep Your Aligners and Teeth Clean
Your clear aligners can lose their clarity if they aren’t properly cleaned after exposure to food or beverages.
Beyond looking dirty, unclean aligners can develop an odor and become uncomfortable. To keep them clean, you can use the Invisalign Aligner Cleaning System, which uses special cleaning crystals to remove plaque from your aligners.
Aside from cleaning them after exposure to food and beverages, you should also brush your aligners before going to bed.
But your teeth need cleaning too! Since aligners fit tightly around your teeth, any food particles or plaque trapped inside will stay there, and your saliva won’t be able to naturally wash away bacteria.
To prevent cavities and maintain your oral health, it's recommended to brush your teeth every time you remove your aligners for eating or drinking.
Avoid Cleaning Your Aligners with Toothpaste and Mouthwash
While toothpaste and mouthwash are great for cleaning your teeth, they aren’t suitable for cleaning your aligners.
Toothpaste contains abrasive particles that can scratch the aligners' thermoplastic material, and using a toothbrush can make the problem worse, turning your clear aligners cloudy and more visible.
Similarly, avoid soaking your aligners in mouthwash, as the dyes and colorants in the solution can stain them, leaving them with unwanted tints of purple, green, or blue.
It’s best to stick to products that are specifically designed for cleaning them to keep your aligners clear and discreet.
Additionally, avoid using hot tap water whenever you're brushing or rinsing them. The warm temperatures could permanently warp Invisalign aligners, leaving them unusable. So, stick to room temperature or cool water instead.
Use a Whitening Toothpaste
Wearing aligners can actually offer a benefit when it comes to teeth whitening. Since aligners trap particles against your teeth, they also help keep whitening agents, like fluoride in toothpaste, from being washed away too quickly. This makes Invisalign treatment a great time to enhance the brightness of your smile.
Unlike those with metal braces, who need to wait until after their treatment to whiten their teeth to avoid uneven coloring, Invisalign users can safely whiten during treatment for more consistent results.
Always Carry an Aligner Case
When you need to remove your Invisalign trays, place them in an aligner case instead of wrapping them in a napkin, as this can lead to accidentally losing or discarding them.
An aligner case keeps your aligners secure and ensures they're easy to find when it's time to put them back in.
Since you'll likely need to remove your aligners while hanging out with family and friends, having an aligner case on hand is essential.
Consider storing one in your purse or briefcase, and even keep extra cases in convenient places like your desk at work or at home to avoid constantly transferring them.
Keep a Backup Set of Aligners
You should always have aligners on hand to prevent your teeth from shifting back to their previous positions. If your current set gets lost or damaged, your progress could be at risk.
Since it usually takes about a week to receive a replacement, going that long without aligners could impact your treatment.
To avoid this, hold on to your previous set of aligners as a backup when switching to a new set. This way, if an issue arises, you can wear the previous set to maintain progress while waiting for the replacement.
Once the new set arrives, simply restart the wear period for that set and adjust your schedule accordingly. A mishap could delay your treatment, but having a backup can minimize setbacks and protect your progress.
Wear Your Retainer After Completing Treatment
After completing the treatment, you’ll need to start wearing a retainer to keep your teeth in their new positions.
Without a retainer, your teeth may gradually shift back to their original place. So, it’s recommended to protect the results of your investment by wearing your retainer consistently, ideally for the rest of your life.
It's also a good idea to keep your final set of aligners as a backup in case your retainer gets lost or damaged. This way, you can use them temporarily until you get a replacement.
After all your effort, the last thing you want is for your teeth to move out of alignment. Therefore, wearing your retainer will help ensure your smile stays perfect.
Final Thoughts on These Invisalign Tips
Following these Invisalign tips can make a big difference in how smoothly your treatment goes and how great your results turn out.
Sticking to the basics, like wearing your aligners as directed, keeping them clean, and following your dentist's advice, will help you avoid setbacks and keep everything on track.
And remember, once your treatment is finished, the journey isn’t quite over. Wearing your retainer consistently is key to keeping your new smile in place.
Trust the process, and before you know it, you’ll be enjoying the payoff!
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