Living with Invisalign – Columbus, OH

Are you thinking about getting started with Invisalign? You might wonder how your aligners will affect your daily life. They will require you to make some adjustments. Most patients are able to adapt fairly quickly, and our team is always ready to answer any questions or concerns that might pop up along the way. Specifically what should you do to make your treatment a success? This page provides helpful information.

Wearing Your Aligners

You should make it your goal to wear your aligners as much as possible. Ideally, they should be on your teeth for 20 – 22 hours each day. Failing to reach that marker could undermine the effectiveness of your treatment. You should only remove them when you are eating, drinking anything other than plain water, and tending to your oral hygiene.

Your aligners may cause you some mild discomfort, especially when you first start wearing a new one. That is a sign that your treatment is working, so do not take it to mean that you should remove your aligners from your mouth.

Eating and Drinking with Invisalign

Plain water (cool or room temperature) is the only thing you should consume while wearing your aligners. Anything else could damage them. For example, if you attempt to chew food while wearing Invisalign, your aligners could break. Highly pigmented beverages could stain them, and hot drinks could warp them.

Place your aligners in their storage container during meals. Clean both your mouth and your aligners before you start wearing them again.

Invisalign Checkups

Our team will need to monitor your progress with Invisalign, so we will encourage you to attend regular appointments (every 6 – 8 weeks or so). These checkups are usually very brief unless there is a significant problem that requires our attention.

Cleaning Your Aligners

In addition to rinsing your aligners after mealtimes, you should give them a more thorough cleaning each night. You can use Invisalign cleaning crystals to get rid of harmful bacteria, reduce the risk of unwanted odors, and keep your aligners looking their best. Alternatively, you could use a denture-cleansing formula to soak your aligners for 20 minutes or so.

You should also be mindful of the need to keep your teeth clean. Wearing your aligners while there are food particles or plaque on your teeth could damage your oral health.

Dealing with Mishaps

If you ever misplace or damage an aligner, call our team so we can give you directions. We may order a replacement for an aligner that is no longer usable, or we might tell you to move on to the next aligner a few days early. We want to get your treatment back on track as quickly as possible!