Congratulations! By getting Invisalign, you’ve taken the first step towards straighter teeth and gaining your confident smile back. However, this is only the first of many steps. Over the next several months, you’ll be wearing aligners and this means that you will have to make certain lifestyle changes. Staying committed and achieving the best results may be a little hard but by adopting the useful tips we have compiled below, you can make your Invisalign journey easier as a new Invisalign user.
1. Your aligners have to be worn regularly
Straightening your teeth is a gradual process that will take time, money, and effort, so it is important to make the best out of your investment by wearing your aligners for the recommended number of hours daily (at least 22 hours per day, only taking them out for eating, drinking and cleaning). Although you might feel tempted to take your aligners out more often, don’t do it as it will only impede your progress.
2. Your aligners trays will need to be changed regularly and on time
For best results, your aligners trays need to be changed out for a new set every few weeks. This is a crucial part of your Invisalign treatment as it ensures a more effective straightening of your teeth. To ensure that you get your aligner trays changed on time, you will need to maintain regular dental visits with a certified Invisalign Surrey provider like Sherwood Park Dental Practice.
3. Chewing exercises will come in handy
When you wear your new aligners for the first time, they most likely won’t be a perfect fit for the current placement of your teeth- after all, the whole point of the aligners is to gradually move your teeth into a new position.
In order to help your teeth adjust to the new aligner, dentists recommend chewing on orthodontic chewies. These small, soft chewies can help your teeth comfortably mould to the new aligners. Another benefit of chewing exercises is that they help massage and promote the flow of blood through the gums making them healthy.
4. Find a trusted dentist
Not every dentist has the certifications to provide and maintain Invisalign treatment so it is important that you do proper research before making a commitment to any dental practice. Ask for their certifications and experience with Invisalign and also ensure to read the reviews left by current and past patients who have undergone the same treatment.
5. Perform speech exercises
As a new Invisalign user, wearing the aligners for the first time will most likely disrupt your speech and make you speak differently (some users have reported developing a slight lisp). By performing speech exercises with your aligners, your mouth can get better used to them. It is also important to exercise patience while doing this as the rate of getting used to the aligners usually varies from patient to patient.
6. Be mindful of the seams
When you first start wearing Invisalign, your tongue might rub against the edges of the aligners which can feel odd or even lead to cuts on your tongue. When this happens, you can either use some dental wax to cover the edges and make them smooth or schedule an appointment with your Invisalign provider to carry out adjustments.
7. Regular rinsing of your mouth is necessary
This is one of the habits you need to adopt as a new Invisalign user. Every time you take your aligners out during the day, ensure to rinse them out carefully in order to remove any lingering food particles as they can cause foul breath, discolouration of the aligners and bacteria build-up.
8. Track your daily wear-time
Your aligners trays need to be worn for at least 22 hours a day with a less than two-hour window for eating and drinking. While this may seem easy enough, it is not. You can easily lose track of time and in some cases even forget to wear your aligners which ultimately impedes the efficiency of the treatment. Thankfully, there are several different tools and apps that Invisalign wearers can now use to keep track of their daily wear time. Talk to your orthodontist about recommending some of these apps and tools.
9. Don’t discard old aligner trays
Just like glasses, we recommend holding on to your previous set of aligners trays just in case the new ones get damaged. This is to ensure that you do not interrupt the treatment process while waiting for the damaged set of aligners to be replaced.
10. Use your cases
Avoid the habit of placing your aligners in napkins or your pocket to save time. Always ensure that you have your aligner case with you for when you have to take them out. This prevents any exposure to bacteria, unfavourable temperatures and damage.
Conclusion:
Without a doubt, wearing Invisalign will lead to several lifestyle changes but these changes are necessary to get the best out of the treatment. Hopefully, the tips above help make your commitment to Invisalign easier.