If you’re straightening your smile with Invisalign® clear aligners, you’re not alone. Plenty of teen and adult patients worldwide have chosen to change the way their teeth look with aligners instead of traditional metal braces. To make your treatment easier, our Grand Rapids Invisalign orthodontists have a few useful hacks.
Here are 5 ways you can streamline your experience with and still achieve a great smile.
During Your Time Wearing Your Clear Aligners, Try:
1. Making the Switch Before Going to Bed
Unlike braces that remain on your teeth until they’re removed by our orthodontists, Invisalign aligners need to be swapped out every few weeks. Switching between clear aligner sets allows your treatment to progress as scheduled and your teeth to straighten on time.
Graduating to the next set in your series can cause some discomfort as your mouth adjusts. To prevent a day of mild tooth pain, try putting in new trays before climbing in bed. This way, the adjustment period will be while you sleep versus when you’re at work or school. Taking a pain reliever at this time can also help for a smoother transition.
2. Keeping a Handy Care Kit With You
Clear aligners are great when they’re exactly that, clear. If they are not cared for properly, the plastic will accumulate bacteria and stain thus ruining their nearly invisible appearance.
Learn More → How to Clean Your Invisalign® Clear Aligners
One way to avoid this outcome is to keep a small oral care kit on hand wherever you go. Having a separate toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, floss, retainer case, and possibly a small bottle of mouthwash will do wonders. These supplies in a bag or purse will make the task of much easier when you’re out of the house.
3. Setting a Timer
Ok, it might sound strange to carry a timer around with you (your phone is also an option!) but there’s a good reason for deciding to do so. With Invisalign, you must wear your aligners for 20-22 hours a day. That leaves a few hours where you can eat or drink what you’d like, brush your teeth, and floss.
After that time is up, however, the aligners should be back in your mouth and that includes the hours spent sleeping. To make sure you don’t forget to put your aligners back in place, set your timer. Hearing it ring later on will hold you accountable and keep your treatment on track. Who knows, after a while you might become speedy enough that you keep good time on your own!
4. Using a Specially Designed Tool for Tray Removal
The best way to remove your aligners for eating or oral hygiene is to use your nails to get under the plastic and lift it off of your teeth. The problem is, not everyone wants to put their fingers in their mouth or chip their nail polish all the time.
Available for order online, certain like the PUL Tool®, Outie, and OrthoKey all make the task of removing your set of custom aligners easier than ever. Typically, tools of this nature are designed with a hook at one end and a notch on the other.
The hook is placed over the edge of your aligner and as you gently lift, removes the aligner from your teeth. The notch can also be used to dislodge aligner trays. The key is finding a tool that works for you and asking our orthodontists if you have any questions regarding your aligners.
5. Giving Your Aligners a Soak
Because the aligners spend so much time inside your mouth, it’s only kind that you let them have a nice soak in some denture cleanser or diluted mouthwash solution while you eat. Do not use any colored mouthwash (it’ll stain the trays!) and only allow the aligners to sit in the solution until you’re done eating.
While you don’t have to do it every day, it’s best to set up a little soaking station at least once or twice a week to get rid of any lingering bacteria that may contribute to bad breath.
Let’s Talk Invisalign
Compared to regular braces, clear aligners have their benefits but that doesn’t mean they don’t require maintenance. Our , are more than happy to provide you with assistance with regards to your aligners if you have questions. Call Miller Orthodontics today at (616) 942-9320 to request an appointment.
This blog post has been updated.
