To ensure better oral hygiene, you need to take care of your Invisalign. Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment for straightening your teeth. They are better options if you want your treatment to avoid public attention. Looking to opt for Invisalign in Richmond then be assured they are a good choice for adults. This is due to their comfort and being virtually invisible. However proper care is crucial as it will significantly impact the results. So let’s dive into the Do’s and Don’ts you need to know when caring for your Invisalign aligners.
Invisalign Do’s
- Clean Your Aligners Regularly: Always clean your Invisalign after removing them. It maintains the overall cleanliness of your mouth. You avoid plaque and saliva build. Generally, you can rinse with water but for deep cleaning use cleaning crystals and antibacterial soap.
- Remove Aligners When Eating: Remember to remove your aligners while consuming food or certain hot and cold beverages. The food particles left after a meal can lead to bacteria growth and the beverages can stain your aligners.
- Brush and Floss Before Re-inserting: To avoid dental issues such as bad breath and tooth decay brush and floss before re-inserting your Invisalign. If you ignore this quick step you might welcome unwanted food particles and bad bacteria. They will get trapped between your aligners and teeth leading to such dental issues.
- Keep the Old Ones: The most simple yet effective Invisalign tip is keeping the old ones. They serve as a temporary solution if you lose the new ones or damage them.
- Consistency in Wear Time: Consistency is the key to desired results. Your dentist recommends a certain amount of time to wear your Invisalign aligners. The reason is that projected treatment time ensures you have beautifully aligned teeth post-treatment. Typically the wear time is 20-22 hours a day but make sure your results are excellent.
- Handle with Care: Using sharp objects and extreme force can damage your aligners. Always be gentle while removing them, start with back molars and then move forward.
- Stay Hydrated: Often foreign objects may change your saliva production pattern. You may experience dry mouth too. So it’s important to stay hydrated to tackle dry mouth. For saliva production eventually, you will get used to it by bringing discipline to your oral care habits.
Invisalign Don’ts
- No Harsh Chemicals: Liquids like denture cleaners, mouthwash concentrated with high alcohol, and harsh chemicals are bad for your Invisalign. It can irritate your mouth and damage the plastic.
- Don’t Expose to High Temperatures: High-temperature environment can wrap plastic, so try to not store it directly under sunlight.
- No Hot Water: Again the high temperature of water can wrap the plastic of your aligners. Stick to lukewarm water to rinse them, and avoid unnecessary compromise in your treatment.
- Don’t Wrap Your Invisalign in Napkins: Allocate a place or have a storage case for your Invisalign aligners rather than wrapping them in napkins. People often overlook these kinds of small Invisalign tips. The result; they throw their aligners after a meal with the napkins.
- No Toothpaste on Invisalign: Invisalign are not your real teeth. A few ingredients in the toothpaste cause scratches on the surfaces of aligners. These scratches make the Invisalign more visible and bacteria can build up in these spaces.
- Don’t Leave Invisalign Exposed: Leaving your used Invisalign even after cleaning can potentially invite bacteria when exposed to the atmosphere. It is better to store your Invisalign in a protective case.
- No Colored or Scented Soaps: There are particular anti-bacterial soaps which you can opt for. Scented soaps may have chemicals that can irritate your mouth and colored soaps will discolor your Invisalign.
- Don’t Skip Dentist Appointments: A skilled orthodontist will ask to visit for regular checkups. Particularly one of the reasons is observing your progress over time, but on the other hand, make adjustments to your plan. The adjustments are only made if necessary, however, skipping regular checkups can delay the progress.
Visit River Road Dental Clinic in Richmond Today!
Well, here are the dos and don’ts while taking care of Invisalign during your treatment. Follow these preventive care practices to get effective results. If you have further questions or concerns, our dentist near you in Richmond is here to guide you. They can help you understand the procedure, aftercare, do’s and don’t more specifically, as at River Road Dental we believe in personalized dental care.
Our personalized approach and helping you build preventive care habits is what sets us apart. Also, we fast-pace your appointment booking so we can address your concerns promptly. If you’re looking for an expert to guide you through the Invisalign treatment, reach out to us. Remember for your best smile, proper care of Invisalign aligners is crucial to the treatment too.