Our Top 10 Invisalign Tips
If you are about to start Invisalign or are considering starting, consider following these tips!
1) Switch Into Your New Tray At Night
Typically, when you switch to the next tray you can experience mild soreness. We have found the best way to combat this is to switch to your new tray at night time before you go to bed. Not only will this allow for 7+ hours of uninterrupted aligner wear time, but it also lessens any urges to take the aligner out due to soreness.
2) Taking The Aligners Out
On occasion, some of the aligners can be a little difficult to take out. Invisalign sells a tool to help you pull the aligners out with ease, which can be found here. This is especially for any ladies that have long nails!
3) Gapping & Soreness
If you put on a new aligner and have gapping (room between the top of your teeth and the aligner) you may want to try “chewies” (we have these in office) or invest in Invisalign’s “Seaters” or “Munchies.” These are meant to be chewed on, while wearing the aligners, to better ‘seat’ the aligners on your teeth. Chewing on these can also help with soreness!
4) Carrying Case(s)
We highly recommend investing in more than one carrying case! Time and time again, patients innocently place their aligners in a napkin while they are eating, only for the aligners to accidentally get thrown away. The best way to prevent this is to keep an aligner case in multiple places such as your purse, locker, car, home, gym bag, etc. The more places you have one, the less likely you are to ever accidentally throw them away! There are plenty of cute and fun Invisalign cases online!
5) Avoid Staining
Since the intention of aligners is for them to be less noticeable than traditional braces, you’ll want to avoid stains or discoloration on your aligners as much as possible. It is important that you always take out your trays when eating or drinking anything other than water! Otherwise, you could be stuck wearing a not-so-clear retainer for a week or so.
6) On The Go Hygiene Kit
Since you remove your aligners while eating or drinking anything other than water, you’ll want to keep a toothbrush and floss on hand as well. You don’t want food to be stuck in your teeth and be trapped under the aligners! If you eat something and aren’t able to brush your teeth before putting your aligners back in, at the very least swish with water before replacing them.
7) Cleaning Your Invisalign Aligners
The best time to clean your aligners is when you are already planning to have them out! For example, use the Invisalign Cleaning Crystals to soak your retainers while you are eating a meal.
8) Keep Your Old Aligners
We know keeping your previous aligners sounds gross and you’re ready to throw away your tray the second you switch to a new one, but it can be beneficial. For example, on the rare occasion that you were to lose or break a tray the first day you are wearing it, we may ask you to revert back to the previous tray until a new aligner can be sent.
9) Be Time Conscious
Always aim to wear your retainers for at least 22 hours per day. This will help ensure the best results of your treatment. After all, your teeth won’t move if you don’t wear your aligners! Any time you have to take out your aligners, set a timer as a reminder of when you need to put them back in.
10) Have A Nail File Handy
If you have an aligner that seems to have a sharp edge, simply file it down using a nail file. If you aren’t successful in doing so, reach out to our office and ask if we can file it down for you.
Have questions about Invisalign?
You can read more about Invisalign treatment here or call our office!
