So, you’ve been given the green light for using invisible aligners and are now curious as to how these devices work and how best to look after them.
Here are some common care tips to help your Invisalign in Bromley treatment go off without a hitch!
Keep the case with you!
When you remove your invisible aligners to eat, you should always aim to place them in the case that they came with.
If you place them in tissue paper or compartments of your bag, you run the risk of losing them or damaging them. And as the cases are designed to keep the aligners safe, it is always best to keep them stored safely inside of them when they are not in use.
Track your progress
When wearing clear aligners, you will typically need to change between them every 14 days.
And while you may not be too sure that such intervals are wise, it is always best to stick to your treatment plan and to check on progress regularly with your dentist or orthodontist.
There are now downloadable apps that can help you to send images of your teeth regularly to your dental team. But just to be safe, you should also keep track of your progress (such as when you changed between aligners) on a calendar, your phone or in your diary.
Mini toothbrushes
One of the great things about wearing invisible aligners is that they are removable.
And most dental teams will recommend that you remove your aligners to eat food and to drink beverages like coffee, tea or juice. But before you put the aligners back in after doing this, you need to brush your teeth.
Investing in some travel toothbrushes is a great way to keep your teeth clean and healthy on the go, without having to invest in expensive tools.
Clean the aligners
Many people are aware that when you wear a fitted brace, you have to keep it clean.
And, while you may think that the same is not true for removable orthodontic appliances, it is. To keep your invisible aligners invisible, and to keep your teeth healthy, you will need to clean the aligners twice a day.
And no, you won’t need to buy any special equipment to do so; simply run the aligners under a cool tap to remove any surface debris, and use a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove any food that has become stuck. Try to keep your aligners away from hot water, as this can cause them to warp and avoid using mouthwashes too, as these can cause staining.
Keep backup aligners
It can happen to anyone!
You are out and about, or you have recently done a load of laundry to discover that one of your aligners has warped out of shape.
While it can be tempting to skip the aligner, you should contact your dentist immediately and put in the previous aligner of the series. This should offer some reprieve from your teeth relapsing until you see your dentist and receive the new aligner to continue the treatment.
So, a handy tip is when you finish with one aligner in your treatment, don’t throw it away!