8 Tips to Improve Your Invisalign Experience

Wearing Invisalign is a wonderful experience! During the entire Invisalign process, patients enjoy that promising hope that the treatment will result in a more beautiful smile. It also raises your social confidence.  Adults and even teens are now benefitting from the Invisalign orthodontic system. To make sure that you optimize the experience and see the full impact of your brand new Invisalign aligners, we have some tips which will be useful during your treatment:

     1.  Buff the Sharp Edges

Invisalign are precision appliances made with the help of a CAD/CAM machine. Despite the excellent fitting and finish of your aligners, they may occasionally have sharp edges that could bite into your gums. If you feel an aligner is biting your gum, remove it immediately and try to locate the irritating edge, then smooth it out with a fine sandpaper. If you are unable to do so, visit your dentist immediately.

     2.  Use a Removal Tool

You are going to wear your aligner for more than 20 hours each day.  However, you will have to remove it quite frequently for drinking, eating, and brushing.  If use nails that are too short, too long, or freshly polished to remove your aligners, you find this to be harmful and destructive to your nails.  You can also injure your gums or cheeks if you try to remove your aligners with your nails. Therefore, to protect your nails, oral soft tissues, and your aligners, it is always a good idea to acquire a removal tool and to use it for removing your aligners.

     3.  Soak Your Aligner While Eating

Your aligners are in your mouth for nearly twenty hours a day. During this period, it is possible for the aligners to become stained or pick up some odor. When you remove them for eating, it is a good idea to soak them in a denture cleaner or in a diluted mouthwash (must be dye-free). When the meal is over, just floss, brush your teeth and put the aligners back in your month.  No stains or foul odor!

     4.  Putting the Aligner Back On- Need A Reminder

Now, this is a very important and tricky issue. The effectiveness of the aligners lies in wearing them for at least 20 hours per day. You remove them for meals. After the meal is over, there are thousands of things to attract your attention. The reinsertion of your aligners is just one of them. Many people tend to forget putting their aligners back in their mouth. The result is that you may go without the aligners until your next meal or some fortunate incident reminds you. “And where did I put them before eating?”. It is quite possible that you will often walk away, leaving the aligners behind. It is important to make it a habit to put your aligners back on after meals. You may want to set a reminder if you have trouble remembering.

     5.  The Invisalign Storage Case

If you put your aligners on the table or in random locations, they may pick up germs. This is a common manner for germs to enter your body. The aligner becomes a Trojan for the germs. Always store your aligners, when removed, in the special Invisalign storage case. The case will protect it from germs, children, and pets. Many pets are fond of chewing things which carry the saliva of their owners. True or not, it is good to use the case for your aligners.

     6.  Brush and Floss

The aligner trays cover your teeth. If the teeth carry any remnants of food, they will remain ‘protected’ by the aligners. The bacteria always present in your mouth will have a very good time converting them to poison. It is important to brush, floss, and then rinse your teeth and mouth after eating.  You should also make a habit of brushing and washing your aligners whenever you put them back on.

     7.  Preventing Difficulty During Speech

Some Invisalign users have reported a slight lisp in their speech when they put on a new aligner. This is quite normal. After all, you are adding a foreign structure to your oral cavity. However, this side effect disappears quickly. If you have an important speech or presentation to make, you should avoid changing your aligners just before the event.

     8.  Avoid Staining Your Aligners

Your aligners do not stain easily. However, chemicals in your food can have a cumulative effect. It is wise to avoid beverages, alcohol, tobacco etc. You should also be careful when applying lipstick. Always make sure the lipstick does not get applied to the internal side of your lips. where it can stain the aligners.

If you follow the tips mentioned above, you will feel a remarkable improvement in the progress of your treatment. It will also become easier for you to adjust to the routine, and your Invisalign treatment will become a more enjoyable experience for you.

Fortunately, Dr. John Ordahl is one of the leading providers of Invisalign in Colorado Springs.  We encourage you to contact us to setup a consultation and let us provide you with the smile you deserve!