Invisalign® Instructions
If you have decided to go ahead with your Invisalign® treatment, here are the Invisalign® instructions you must know about to help you better understand the procedure. It will only take a few minutes to read all the below instructions & at the end of it, you will become an expert with complete knowledge about the dos & don’ts of Invisalign® treatment.
How & When To Wear Aligners
- Wear your aligners all the time, 22 hours a day, day and night. The only time the aligners should be out of your mouth is when you eat, drink, brush, floss, or clean them.
- You must not fail to wear your aligner 22 hours a day, or else it will increase the duration of treatment.
- Delray Orthodontist will instruct you on the number of days to wear each aligner at each visit.
- Suppose your teeth are not moving as expected. In that case, Delray Orthodontist might instruct you to wear each aligner for more than seven days.
Insertion & Removal
- Each aligner comes with a number sign on the top corner of the Invisalign® aligner. U gets marked on the upper aligner and L on the lower aligner.
- When inserting, gently push both the aligners to set them into their proper position & never bite the aligners to put them into place.
- Check if the aligners fit your teeth properly & there is no visible gap between the aligner & teeth.
- To remove the aligners, pull them off, apply the same pressure applied while wearing on both sides of the back teeth, and then gently lift off the front teeth.
- Never use any object to remove the aligners.
Storing Aligners
- With aligners, you will get a case. Always after removing, put your aligners trays in that case.
- Never throw away your old aligners & always remember to bring your current aligner trays to your next dental visit.
Lost Aligners
- Try to keep a check on your aligners & never skip a day.
- If you have lost your aligner tray, call Delray Orthodontics immediately.
Care of Aligners
- Every time you want to wear the aligners after the meal, wash them thoroughly with cool running water & brush gently to clean them.
- Never use cleaner, alcohol, or bleach to clean them as sit can damage the clear aligners.
- Never clean or soak the aligner in boiling or hot water. It can damage its shape.
- Always use fluoride toothpaste for cleaning your teeth. It would help if you left a little bit of toothpaste on your teeth when you insert your trays after brushing. After this, immediately wear your aligners.
- Wash your aligners every day twice or thrice to ensure there is no plaque accumulation. If your aligners seem cloudy, visit Delray Orthodontics immediately.
Other Questions
Oral Hygiene
Even when you are not pursuing any orthodontic treatment, it is vital to maintain your oral hygiene. Brush twice & floss once a day after eating.
Eating
You will be glad to know that you do not have to follow any particular diet while pursuing Invisalign® treatment. You can eat whatever you want & just have to take your aligners off.
Drinking
You have to remove your aligners before drinking anything but water. Beverages or alcohol can damage your aligners by changing their color & staining them.
Chewing Gum
It is a big NO. It would be best if you never chewed gums while wearing Invisalign® clear aligners.
Smoking
To keep your aligners stain-free, avoid smoking.
General Soreness
Whenever you get a new pair of aligner trays, they tend to move your teeth into a correct position, due to which you experience some soreness. It is entirely normal! It shows that aligners are doing their work correctly. Aligners can also affect your speech, but it rarely happens. Once you get habitual of wearing aligners, this will also fade. Most people do not face any speech issues at all, so it depends on each patient & their dental condition.
Aligner Fit During Treatment
When getting your aligners, make sure that there is no considerable gap between your aligner & teeth. The aligner must fit close to every tooth & if there is any visible gap, the aligner will not move the teeth in the correct direction or position. It happens when you do not wear your aligner trays for at least 20 hours a day. So, make sure you are following your orthodontics instruction & wearing the aligners for an appropriate time in the day. If you fail to do so, you must not go ahead with the next step of the aligner without consulting Delray orthodontics.