Are crooked teeth or gaps in your smile bothering you? Your dentist can help you straighten your smile with Invisalign treatment. These custom-made, clear, plastic aligners are worn over your teeth and gradually push your teeth into your desired straighter position.
Many people like that the aligners’ translucent look over the teeth offers more subtlety than harsh metal braces. But in order to keep Invisalign looking pristine, you must take care of the aligners properly. Read on to find three steps you can take to ensure your Invisalign aligners continue to look and function at their best.
Remove Aligners When Eating and Drinking
In order for Invisalign to succeed in straightening your smile, you must wear the aligners as directed. This means keeping Invisalign over your teeth for at least 22 hours each day, including during sleep. But your dentist will ask you to remove Invisalign during mealtimes.
This is because food can easily become trapped and make a mess in your aligners if you wear them while you eat. Plus, staining agents from dark-colored foods and drinks can easily stain clear Invisalign. Then the aligners may appear yellow with no way to remove this discoloration.
Enjoy the freedom of no dietary restrictions with Invisalign thanks to its removability during meals. And make sure you rinse your aligners before placing them back in your mouth after eating to get rid of germs.
Continue Good Oral Hygiene
Because you can take Invisalign out of your mouth when needed, you can also complete your usual oral hygiene routine without interference from the brackets and wires of braces. Good oral hygiene is crucial to keeping your smile healthy, and you must keep brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing each day.
But this routine is also important to keeping your Invisalign functioning as well as possible. Oral bacteria will continue to spread and create plaque on your smile throughout the day, even when Invisalign covers your teeth. You must remove these residues in a timely fashion, or you could form tooth decay, gum disease, and other issues.
Dental problems could alter the shape of your mouth, which may mean that your Invisalign will no longer fit properly. Then your teeth-straightening treatment could become disrupted. Keep up with good oral hygiene habits to prevent these concerns.
Practice Separate Cleaning Routines for Invisalign
You must complete a separate cleaning routine from your usual oral hygiene for your Invisalign aligners. Plaque and other residues will collect on your aligners just like the rest of your smile.
If you do not get rid of it, it can spread to your teeth and lead to dental problems. Plus, plaque may also stain your aligners, which can disrupt your smile’s appearance for the rest of your treatment.
To clean your aligners, brush them at least once a day with a soft-bristled brush. This way, you can clean your Invisalign without scratching or damaging them in the process. Learn more about caring for your Invisalign by contacting your dentist.