How to Care for Invisalign® Clear Aligners
Wish you could straighten teeth without traditional metal braces? We offer Invisalign®️ as an alternative to metal braces. As the name suggests, Invisalign is a series of nearly invisible aligners that must be worn over your teeth for 20 to 22 hours a day during orthodontic treatment.
Since Invisalign is removable, you’re able to continue eating your favorite foods and maintain your oral hygiene routine. The average Invisalign patient is able to enjoy their new smile in as little as 12 months!
Invisalign Take-Home Instructions
We recommend using the to clean your aligners, which uses crystals to remove plaque in about 15 minutes. You may also brush your aligners with toothpaste under lukewarm water.
Follow our list of Invisalign take-home instructions below.
- Brush and floss after meals.
- Avoid staining drinks.
- Store clear aligners in their case.
- Wear your aligners 20 to 22 hours a day.
Brush and Floss After Meals
Brush and floss your teeth after eating to avoid staining your clear aligners. While this may seem like an inconvenience, it’s better than allowing your aligners to get yellow and smelly. Food particles left behind in your aligners will give you bad breath and the incentive to take better care of your smile during orthodontic treatment.
Avoid Staining Drinks
Certain drinks like coffee and red wine will stain , not to mention your teeth. If you can’t survive without your morning cup of coffee, we recommend removing your aligners before drinking.
Once you’re done drinking coffee, brush your teeth to avoid staining your aligners. While this may seem extreme, it’s important that you keep your aligners clean and free of bacteria.
Many of our patients appreciate that Invisalign is subtle enough to go unnoticed by family members, friends, and co-workers. However, there’s no point in wearing Invisalign if you let them get yellow over time. Our Invisalign dentist can give you more tips on how to adopt a healthy oral hygiene routine during clear aligner treatment.
Store Clear Aligners in Their Case
When your aligners aren’t in your mouth, they should be resting in the case your dentist gave you. When you take out your aligners to eat, make sure that you place them in their special case and not in a napkin.
Too many patients have accidentally thrown out their aligners because they were wrapped in napkins or sitting on lunch trays. Don’t let this be you! No one wants to dig through a public trash can because they threw out their Invisalign braces.
Clear aligners are custom-made to fit the contours of your teeth and gums. However, you could risk crushing or bending your aligners out of shape if you store them in your pocket, purse, or anywhere else besides their case.
Wear Your Aligners
One of the safest places for your aligners is in your mouth. In order for Invisalign to work, you need to wear your clear aligners 20 to 22 hours per day. You should only remove your clear aligners when you need to eat or brush your teeth. Otherwise, your teeth won’t move according to schedule.
When you get a new set of aligners from your dentist, you’ll feel pressure on your teeth for the first few days. This pressure is a sign that the aligners are moving your teeth into optimal alignment. For the pain, we recommend taking over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol or Motrin.
Request an Appointment With Us
We offer Invisalign as a teeth-straightening alternative to metal braces. To request an appointment with our Invisalign dentist in Grand Rapids, MI, call Renew Family Dental at (616) 245-3205.
This blog post has been updated.