How To Make Invisalign® Work Faster
Invisalign® is a clear aligner therapy used as an alternative to metal braces to straighten teeth. It is a welcome alternative for many patients. Getting the most out of your Invisalign clear aligners —when it comes to teeth straightening— can be achieved with the following 10 Invisalign tips. Read on to learn more:
1: Wear Them Regularly
This tip might seem like common sense, but it’s amazing how many people fail to follow this one simple rule. To get the most out of your aligners, you must wear them! In most cases, this means wearing them at least 22 hours a day. If you don’t do this, your treatment time will likely take longer than expected.
2: Keep Them Cleaned
You also need to keep your aligners clean. You can use toothpaste to clean your aligners or use specialty cleaners designed for just such a purpose. You can also use antibacterial soap and warm water. If you don’t clean them, your “invisible” aligners will soon lose their clarity. You can even get food stuck in them, and they can become stained.
3: Maintain Proper Oral Health
It’s also important to keep your teeth under your aligners clean with good oral health to prevent food particles from becoming trapped. If you don’t keep your teeth clean and brush and floss regularly, especially after meals, you might experience a build of plaque and bacteria beneath your aligners. This can increase your chances of decay.
4: Keep Your Case on Hand
Make sure that you keep your case with you. When you take your aligners out of your mouth to eat, putting them in the case will ensure that they are protected and you don’t accidentally throw them away.
5: Monitor Your Diet
Make sure that you don’t become overly weak because you have to eat less due to wearing an Invisalign. In many cases, since you will have limited time when your Invisalign clear retainers need to be off, you will begin skipping snacks and eat less overall. Make sure what you are eating is healthy and nutritious to maintain your health.
6: Change Your Aligners on Time and In Order
When it’s time to change your aligners, it’s important to listen to the instructions you are given. If you don’t maintain the proper schedule for changing your aligners, it can obstruct and hinder your treatment and make the whole process take longer. When answering the question “Does Invisalign work?”, it’s important to note that the way you follow instructions and maintain your aligner order will go a long way towards a successful experience.
7: Drink Plenty of Water
While it’s always beneficial to drink lots of water, when wearing the aligners, it’s that much more important. This is because your ability to produce saliva can be impacted by wearing aligners. Therefore, you will have to compensate by drinking more water than you might have previously. This is important because this will function like saliva, sweeping away acids and bits of food. Water is also the only drink you can consume with your aligners in your mouth.
8: Wear Attachments if Needed
If your orthodontist suggested attachments or buttons as part of your treatment process, make sure that you adhere to their recommendation. In many cases, these attachments can act like anchors, which in turn provide a better grip keeping your aligners from slipping and providing a more secure fit.
9: Try Aligner Chewies
Another way to encourage a better fit and a more effective treatment is to use chewies. These are small, spongy cushions that are designed to close air gaps that might exist between your teeth and aligners. They are constructed with a soft-plastic material, Styrene Copolymer, and come in a variety of flavors and colors. All you have to do to use them is bite down on them for between five and 10 minutes daily. This simple act will help your aligner sit more securely against your teeth.
10: Follow up With Retainer
Last but certainly not least, when getting Invisalign, it’s important to follow up your treatment by wearing a retainer. Your newly aligned teeth will take time to settle into the jawbone and soft tissue that houses them. This means that you will need extra help to keep them from shifting back to their pretreatment condition. Your orthodontist will instruct you to wear your custom-made retainers either all day and night or just at night, depending on your treatment plan.
Following the 10 tips listed above will help you get the most out of your Invisalign treatment. Follow them all and ask your orthodontist for additional tips to ensure a positive experience and help you answer yes to the question is Invisalign effective?
