10 Extra Tips for Wearing Invisalign

Wearing Invisalign aligners to straighten teeth is the easiest way to go through orthodontic treatment without the pain and embarrassment of wearing braces or the worry of food stuck between the brackets. 

Currently, there are 1.4 million people who have been treated with Invisalign world-wide. Since Invisalign aligners are removable, they can be removed quickly for eating, brushing, flossing, photo sessions, important presentations or special occasions, such as weddings, graduations and reunions. 

Below are 10 tips that can be beneficial to you while wearing your Invisalign aligners:

1. Brush your teeth often. Frequent brushing can help you remove most food and plaque to keep your teeth and gums feeling clean. Brushing can eliminate most external stains from food and drinks, such as tea, coffee, ketchup or food coloring that will lead to yellow teeth. Brushing often is the first step to having clean, white teeth.
2. Floss your teeth daily. With Invisalign, flossing is as routine and simple as not going through any orthodontic treatment. Daily flossing will cut down food build-up around the gum pockets to reduce the risk of gum inflammation or gingivitis.
3. Eliminate nail biting habits. Like Brittney Spears, a few of us may have this tenacious nail-biting habit that is hard to get rid of. Wearing aligners is the fastest way to help you kick the habit. You will notice that, with plastic around your teeth, you can hardly bite into your nails.
4. Insert new aligners at night. Studies show that patients report a feeling of tightness during the first day or two of wearing a new set of aligners. When you insert a new set of aligners at night, there are two benefits. First, you sleep through the discomfort of new pressure and feel less sensitivity. Second, after eight hours of sleep, your teeth already moved. By the morning, the aligners are easier to remove than when you first placed them in your mouth at night.
5. Take a pain reliever during the first two nights of wearing new aligners. Since most people feel slight pressure during the first two nights of new aligners, taking pain reliever medication, such as Ibuprofen or Tylenol, will eliminate any discomfort.
6. Remove aligners from back to front. It is easier to lift the aligners off on the back area of the mouth first, on both right and left sides. Then peel the front aligner off. If you do the opposite and try to push the front out first, it can be very tight since there is more retention on the front teeth.
7. Remove aligners when the mouth is warm. Invisalign aligners are made out of a special plastic material. Plastic is more pliable in warm temperatures. If you take a sip of warm water or just slightly open your mouth for a few minutes to breath warm air into your aligners, you can lift them off easily. This is especially helpful if you have very short nails or no nails at all. On the contrary, if you take a cold drink of water and try to take the aligners out, the aligner can be very stiff and it is harder to lift off.
8. Whiten your teeth while wearing Invisalign. One of the many benefits of wearing aligners is that you can use whitening gels, such as over-the counter products or from your general dentist's dispensary, to whiten your teeth. Although there are attachments bonded on your teeth while wearing Invisalign, most whitening gels can get beneath the attachments. If there are many large attachments, you may need an extra round of teeth whitening after the end of Invisalign treatment to lighten these spots. In general, whitening 1-2 times a year is generally safe with over-the-counter products. However, if your teeth feel sensitive to cold or heat, then you should consult with your dentist first.
9. Reduce teeth clenching at night. For those who tend to grind and clench your teeth a lot night, wearing Invisalign aligners will cut out enamel wear and reduce the soreness that your teeth feel in the morning after heavy grinding. Since you are changing to new aligners every two weeks, any scratches to your aligners are better than dealing with worn enamel. Aligners make an excellent alternative to a mouth guard.
10. Enjoy a night out. If you ever feel burned out from going through orthodontic treatment, you can remove the aligners for a few hours to enjoy a special night out. Overall, you need to wear your aligners an average of 22 hours a day for your treatment to be successful.

At Care Orthodontics, Dr. Nancy Phan and team hope that you find these tips helpful while wearing Invisalign. If you have any questions or need a complimentary consultation regard orthodontic treatment or Invisalign treatment, please give us a call at our San Jose office to schedule an appointment.