If you have minor alignment issues in your smile, such as crooked teeth, a dentist might recommend straightening them using Invisalign. These custom-made, translucent plastic trays fit over your teeth to gradually push them into your desired straighter position in the mouth.
Many dental patients appreciate that this treatment offers a subtle and discreet appearance when worn over the teeth, especially in comparison to harsh metal braces. But in order to keep Invisalign looking its best, you will need to maintain and care for the aligners. Read on to find advice from your dentist for ensuring your Invisalign stays clean and immaculate in appearance during your teeth straightening treatment.
Remove Aligners While Eating and Drinking
One of the major appeals of Invisalign over other orthodontic solutions is that you can take the aligners out of the mouth when needed. This means you do not have to alter your diet as you would with braces. You can enjoy the foods and beverages you normally would because you can remove Invisalign as you eat and drink.
In fact, your dentist will ask you to take out Invisalign during meals. Food can easily become trapped in the aligners and make a mess out of your appliance. And dark-colored foods and drinks will transfer staining agents to Invisalign.
These can make your appliance turn yellow or otherwise discolored. And the stains will not come out when you clean them. Avoid harming your Invisalign by removing the oral appliance as you eat and drink.
Practice Proper Oral Hygiene
Because you can take out Invisalign as needed, you can practice oral hygiene as you normally would. You do not have to worry about fixed appliances making it difficult to navigate and properly clean your smile.
Adhering to a good oral hygiene regimen will help you keep your Invisalign looking and feeling its best too. You must remove plaque from your teeth to prevent dental problems like cavities and gum disease from hurting your smile. But plaque and other harmful residues could transfer to Invisalign too.
This may impact the way Invisalign appears, making it appear cloudy or stained. And if you develop dental issues, you might see changes in your smile that could impact the way Invisalign fits.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss every day to ensure your smile stays clean and healthy. Attend routine teeth cleaning appointments too to maximize your oral hygiene.
Complete Separate Cleaning for Invisalign Aligners
You will need to complete a cleaning regimen for your Invisalign aligners too to make sure they stay clean and continue looking their best. Invisalign will accrue plaque throughout the day too as the aligners spend so much time in your mouth.
At least once a day, brush your Invisalign with a special cleanser. Make sure you use a soft-bristled brush to do this so that you do not scratch your aligners.
Rinse your aligners well before placing them back in your mouth. Avoid using hot water for this so that you do not melt or warp the plastic. If your Invisalign does sustain damage, let your dentist know as soon as possible.