Taking Care of Invisalign
Brace Connection in Downey, CA, provides a Roadmap For Successful Invisalign Treatment
You are “clearly” on your way to a healthy and beautiful smile. Here are a few pointers to help make your experience a good one:
What Are the Daily Wear and Care Instructions for Invisalign?
Wear your Aligners 22 hours daily. Remove them for eating, flossing, and brushing.
While brushing your teeth, also brush your aligners using your toothbrush and water before placing them back into your mouth.
If brushing is not an option, chew a piece of sugarless gum for several minutes to remove some food debris and to freshen before placing your Aligners back in. Floss, brush, and clean your Aligners when possible.
Invisalign aligners sequentially move your teeth. Therefore, wear each Aligner in the order and for the length of time each one is prescribed.
If there are rough edges on any Aligner, simply use an emery board (filer) in a downward motion to smooth the area.
What Should You Do When Traveling or If You Lose an Aligner?
- Vacations mean new places, more food, and activity. Wear your Aligners as much as possible. Take along your present Aligner, the last and next one too.
- If your current Aligner is lost, we may instruct you to advance or go back to the previous one. Call the office as soon as you can for advice. Lost aligners may be subject to a replacement fee.
- Store your Aligners in the case provided. Never wrap them in a napkin or leave them where your pets can get to them!
- If an Aligner is lost, there may be a replacement fee.
What Should You Know About Dental Visits and Best Practices During Invisalign Treatment?
- During dental visits, be sure you have your current Aligner with you. If any procedure is necessary, the Dentist may use the Aligner as a template to shape restorations.
- For best results, begin each new Aligner phase after your evening meal. Brush, floss, and place the Aligners. This uninterrupted time provides more optimal movement as well as greater patient comfort.
- Clear attachments may be bonded to your teeth. These aid the Aligners with certain types of tooth movement.
- Slenderizing may be necessary to help with some crowded areas. Thin polishing strips are used to help loosen crowded contacts.
- Additional Aligners and/or auxiliary appliances may be needed at any time during, or at the end of your first phase of treatment.
- After any Orthodontic treatment, retention is necessary as a lifetime commitment. Starting out full-time, reducing to nighttime wear, you will receive your personal retention instructions at each visit.
How Should You Clean Your Invisalign Aligners?
We recommend gently cleaning the aligners with mild soap or toothpaste and lukewarm water, followed by rinsing with clear water. We recommend Retainer Brite, which can also be helpful in keeping the aligners clean and is found on Amazon. Another new addition is using Chewies for 5-10 minutes per day for a better fit of the aligners.