Straightening crooked teeth can help you feel confident in the way that your smile appears. Dental patients, therefore, appreciate Invisalign as an option for getting a straighter smile.
The clear-colored plastic aligners offer a discreet look compared to harsh metal braces. This way, patients will not have a disrupted appearance in their smile throughout their cosmetic dental treatment.
To make sure these aligners appear pristine and translucent, you will need to follow instructions from your dentist to clean them. Read on to find tips from your dentist that will help you keep Invisalign looking its best during your treatment.
How to Maintain Your Invisalign
Remove Aligners When Eating or Drinking
One of the draws of Invisalign is that patients do not have to avoid certain foods to protect their appliances. In fact, dentists ask patients to take their aligners out of their mouths when they intend to eat or drink anything.
Food can become trapped in the aligners if the patient wears them during meals. The particles can contribute to plaque formation on the teeth, putting the teeth at risk of cavities and other dental dangers.
Also, certain foods and beverages contain staining agents. The plastic aligners are highly susceptible to absorbing these agents and becoming yellow or discolored. Therefore, patients should follow their dentists’ advice and remove Invisalign when drinking or eating in order to prevent this staining.
Continue Good Oral Hygiene
A good oral hygiene routine includes brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing on a daily basis. When you have Invisalign, you should continue this routine as normal. Practicing good dental hygiene is a part of our preventive dentistry services.
Patients also have the benefit of removing Invisalign as they complete this process, ensuring it will not hinder their ability to get their teeth clean. Proper oral hygiene for your teeth is important because residues that cling to your teeth can transfer to Invisalign if not cleaned well.
Plaque and other residues can wear down and harm the aligners over time. So taking care of your teeth to avoid this build-up can preserve your appliances too. And keeping your smile healthy during this treatment will ensure the teeth straightening process goes more smoothly.
Clean Your Aligners Separately
As you make sure your teeth stay clean with good oral hygiene, you will want to perform a separate cleaning process for your Invisalign. An effective way to do this is to brush the aligners at the same time that you brush your teeth.
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush when cleaning your aligners to avoid scratching the plastic. Choose a gentler toothpaste or cleanser for your Invisalign and rinse them thoroughly before placing them back in your mouth. You should also rinse Invisalign before putting them in your mouth after a meal too.
Avoid rinsing your aligners with hot water. The high temperature can melt the plastic and cause the shape to warp. If this occurs, contact your dentist right away, and do not wear them.