Invisalign Tips and Tricks: A guide to a perfect smile!

Welcome to our blog on Invisalign® tips and tricks! If you’re on a journey to achieve a straighter smile with Invisalign®, you’re in the right place. Invisalign® has revolutionised orthodontic treatment in the last decade by offering a discreet and comfortable alternative to traditional braces. While the clear aligners are designed to be user-friendly, maximising their effectiveness and ensuring a smooth experience requires some know-how. In this blog, we’ll share expert advice, practical tips and clever tricks to help you get the most out of your Invisalign® treatment. Whether you’re just starting or well into your aligner journey, our insights will guide you towards a flawless, confident smile. Let’s dive in and explore how to make your Invisalign® experience as seamless and successful as possible!

Cleaning

When you remove your aligners, we recommend cleaning them with cool running water – never hot or boiled water. Water that is too warm can distort the aligners and this could be detrimental to the tooth movement planned for you. There is no need to use toothpaste on your aligners, this will cause them to become cloudy and the surface rough. If per personal reasons, you would like to use an antibacterial agent on your aligners, they hand soap should be perfectly safe to use, however be sure to rinse them thoroughly. Once a week, it is recommended to use the Invisalign® cleaning crystals, provided by Invisalign® to provide a deep clean to the aligners. You can use these by placing the aligners in a glass of cool water, a pinch of the crystals, and leave them soaking maybe whilst you eat dinner.

Storage

Protect your aligners at all costs!

Each time you remove your aligners, it is vital to utilise the protective case that Invisalign® provides at the start of treatment. You wouldn’t believe how any people wrap them in a tissue in a restaurant, and the server takes them away! Or they were left on the coffee table and the family dog fancied a little snack! Whatever you do, it is important to keep your aligners safe when you are not wearing them, if you were to lose or break them during treatment, your will have to order a replacement set which can incur in significant additional costs.

Changing

On average, you will change your aligners every 8-10 days, the specific date change will be determined by the orthodontist according to your specific treatment plan. It is important to stick to the guidelines given by the orthodontic clinician and do not attempt to change your aligners early, this can have significant impacts on the health of the teeth and gums, in addition to the overall outcome of the treatment.

Appointments

Your orthodontist will schedule routine appointments, to ensure teeth are tracking well and the treatment is going to plan. It is important to also maintain regular appointments with the hygienist, to ensure that the gums are healthy and free from disease. Failure to comply with regular appointments could result in the treatment being terminated due to lack of compliance and contraindications to the treatment.

One of the best things about receiving treatment from a well-established clinic like Inspired Dental Care is that they are always there to help and answer any questions or concerns you may have throughout the treatment. We insist on in-surgery appointments throughout your treatment journey so that close attention can be paid to you, your teeth and your treatment. We strongly urge all patients to undergo treatment with a dental practice, with registered and licensed clinicians, rather than online companies who you never meet that might be trading via loopholes and can go bust at any point as we have all witnessed in the past few years.

Commitment and compliance

Some say this is a controversial question, but it is a simple black and white answer. You must wear your trays for a minimum of 22 hours each day. If you wear them as instructed your teeth will move, and if you don’t – they won’t!

Invisalign® is very much a patient driven orthodontic system and relies almost entirely on patient compliance. You should only remove your aligners to eat, drink and brush your teeth, all other times you must be wearing your aligners to ensure teeth move accordingly to your specific treatment plan. Beware of snacking! When you remove the aligners to eat or drink, you must brush your teeth to remove any food debris, sugars and acids, before putting your aligners back in.

When you attend for your routine appointments, the dentist will be able to tell if you have not been compliant with the wearing of your aligners, there’s no hiding from our state-of-the-art intra-oral iTero® scanner! At some pre-planned reviews, the clinician will scan your teeth and compare the current position of your teeth to the predicted position from your treatment plan, this gives clear indication of wear time and tooth movement.

If you do need to remove your aligners for long periods of time, such as a wedding or a big presentation that you are anxious about, that is absolutely fine. However, you must add an additional day of wear time for when you do not reach the 22 hours.  We advise to try to prevent doing this often, as this can impact the overall success of the treatment.

We do understand that this seems like a shock to the system at first, but you will quickly learn to adapt and become more rigid in your brushing and eating regime. If you do not think that the Invisalign® lifestyle would suit your personal circumstances, there are alternative brace systems available.

Retention

Once you reach the end of your Invisalign® journey, it is essential to retain the teeth and maintain their final position. As part of your treatment package, most cases will be provided with a dual method of retention, fixed retainer(s) and removable retainers. Fixed retainers are simply a thin, metal wire that are bonded to the inside of the teeth. You will also be provided with removable retainers, these are very similar to Invisalign® aligners, but these are designed to keep the teeth in one place. Retention is essentially life-long, or however long you would like your teeth to be straight. If you ever broke or lost your retainers, it is imperative to visit your dental practice immediately to receive replacements.

Thank you for joining us on this exploration of Invisalign® tips and tricks. We hope the insights and advice shared here will help you navigate your Invisalign® journey with confidence and ease. Remember, achieving a perfect smile is a process and with the right care and commitment your aligners can deliver amazing results. Be diligent with your aligner wear, maintain excellent oral hygiene and don’t hesitate to reach out to your orthodontist with any concerns. Your journey to a straighter, more confident smile is unique and every step you take brings you closer to your goal. Embrace the process, enjoy the transformation, and look forward to the beautiful smile that awaits you at the end of your Invisalign® journey. Happy aligning!