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Ensure You Wear Your Aligners as Recommended
Ideally, ensure you wear your aligners for at least 22 hours a day. We recommend only removing them for meals, when drinking a beverage other than water, and for oral care.
While it is acceptable to leave the aligners out occasionally for a special event, it’s essential to stress that you shouldn’t do this too often. Leaving your aligners out frequently or forgetting to wear them could lengthen your treatment or affect the outcome.
Cleaning Your Aligners
It is crucial to keep your aligners clean as this will ensure they remain hygienic and prevent them from becoming discolored and stained.
Regular Cleaning
Clean your aligners every time you remove them to ensure they remain fresh and sweet-smelling. After removing your aligners, brush them gently using a soft toothbrush to remove dental plaque. You can also use a gentle dish soap or plain water. Avoid using toothpaste as this is too abrasive.
Deep Cleaning
Regularly deep cleaning your aligners is important, as it helps remove plaque more thoroughly. Invisalign manufactures various cleaning solutions, including deep cleaning crystals that work within 15 minutes.
Another option is Invisalign’s sanitizing case, which uses UV light to disinfect them quickly and effectively, eliminating the need for chemicals or water. This can be useful for disinfecting your aligners when you are on the go and do not have easy access to running water.
Getting Used to Wearing Your Aligners
All new dental appliances initially feel strange, so it’s important to be patient when you first start wearing your Invisalign aligners.
Coping with Discomfort
It’s not unusual to experience some minor discomfort when you first start wearing a new set of aligners. This is perfectly normal as your teeth start to move.
Typically, over-the-counter pain relief can effectively manage these symptoms. However, if you find them too uncomfortable to wear, please get in touch with us.
If necessary, we can provide further help and advice, or we can adjust your treatment plan to increase your comfort level.
A useful tip is to start wearing a new set of aligner trays at bedtime. Your mouth will become more accustomed to wearing the aligners while you sleep comfortably.
Speaking with Aligners
Many people find their speech is unaffected by aligner trays. However, others find it difficult to enunciate certain sounds or develop a slight lisp.
If this happens to you, practice speaking out loud. You should find it easy to speak normally after a short while.
Sports Activities with Aligners
Your aligners will not protect your teeth during sports. If you currently have a sports mouthguard, you can remove your aligners and use it instead, but be sure to replace your aligners immediately afterward.
Remove Your Aligners for Meals and Beverages
Always take your aligners out when eating and drinking anything except water. We know it can be tempting to keep your aligners in during meals, but there are good reasons why you shouldn’t.
Food, plaque, and debris can become trapped underneath your aligners, increasing your risk of oral disease. Additionally, foods and beverages can easily stain your aligners, so they look unsightly.
Keep a Dental Kit and Aligner Case with You for Oral Care on the Move
It is easy to lose aligner trays, so get into the habit of keeping a storage case with you at all times. If you misplace your aligners, please get in touch with us immediately so we can order a replacement set promptly.
When you are out and about, be sure to have a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss with you, as well as a small bottle of water, so you can clean your teeth after eating.
Change Your Aligners as Frequently as Recommended
You will need to change your aligners every 10 to 14 days. The exact timeframe can vary, and we will inform you of the frequency at which you need to discard your current aligners for a new set.
It’s important to track this timeline carefully. Invisalign’s app can help track your usage and provide useful reminders.
Attend All Invisalign Checkups
We will need to see you regularly throughout your treatment. These appointments are quick and entirely painless, but are very important.
Our Invisalign dentist must ensure that your teeth straightening is done correctly and, if necessary, make any small adjustments to your treatment plan. We will provide additional sets of aligners so you can continue your treatment and address any questions or concerns, ensuring you are satisfied with your progress.
Post Treatment Care: Wearing Retainers
Once your treatment plan is complete, we assess the overall results. If necessary, we can likely make any final adjustments using additional sets of aligners. Wearing your aligners as directed will help to reduce the need for any final adjustments that could prolong your treatment.
Removable Retainers
After you finish wearing your aligners, you transition into wearing retainers. Invisalign produces its own proprietary, removable retainers that look exactly like the aligners but are more comfortable to wear since your teeth are no longer moving.
Wearing your retainers is extremely important because your tooth roots have moved through your jawbone, and it takes time for the bone to remodel around them, securing them in place. Initially, you must wear your retainers all the time, gradually decreasing their usage as instructed by our Invisalign dentist.
Long-Term Removable Retainer Use
In the longer term, be prepared to wear your removable retainers once or twice a week to maintain the results, often by just leaving them in overnight. This will prevent your teeth from shifting back into their original positions, an issue known as orthodontic relapse, which we want to avoid.
Fixed Retainers
Fixed retainers are an alternative to removable retainers and may be suitable if you are likely to forget to wear them regularly. Fixed retainers can also last for years and are an economical solution.
A fixed retainer consists of a thin wire that is bonded onto the inside tooth surfaces, nearest to your tongue, where it cannot be seen. If you opt for a fixed retainer, be aware that you will need to clean around it thoroughly to remove plaque and food debris, thereby avoiding dental problems.
With the right habits and guidance from your dental team, living with Invisalign can fit seamlessly into your everyday routine while gradually transforming your smile. Book dentist appointment today at NYC Dentistry Center to learn how Invisalign can help you achieve a straighter, healthier smile.
6 E 45th St #801
New York, NY 10017
(45th St. btw 5th Ave / Madison Ave)
(212) 518-6096