A Comprehensive Guide to Invisalign

Invisalign is a variety of orthodontic treatment that helps to straighten the dental alignment, without using braces. And the professionals at New York Total Dental note that a straighter smile helps your confidence, impacting your social and work life. Metal braces may hamper the look of the wearer on smiling broadly, which can be addressed by the use of Invisalign that is made of transparent plastic. So now more dental patients prefer the use of Invisalign, which moves the misplaced teeth to their right positions. However, good quality Invisalign’s price may be a bit higher than ordinary braces.

Essential information to be known about Invisalign

There are a few facts that should be known by the users of Invisalign before placing this orthodontic structure on their natural teeth. Thus, they will be prepared for the initial discomfort and the care that should be taken for the best maintenance of Invisalign.

Continuous use – Since the Invisalign trays are meant to bring misplaced teeth to their proper positions, it is essential to wear these trays for at least 20 – 22 hours per day. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the normal time required for daily meals to make more time for wearing these trays every day, bringing the teeth faster to their required positions. The new trays should be worn to bed at night.

Take out trays while eating – When the wearer eats or drinks while wearing Invisalign trays, there is a high possibility of damaging these plastic structures with the pressure created by hard food materials. Beverages, like tea or coffee, can stain the transparent trays that may make the wearer look ugly. Moreover, the heat of some foods and drinks can distort the shape of these trays. However, the wearer is free to drink cold water and may also chew sugar-free gums to make the teeth move faster due to that extra pressure.

Preparation for discomfort – The Invisalign trays are made of hard plastic that is meant for putting sufficient pressure on teeth. As the roots of the teeth adjust slowly to their intended positions, the wearer feels quite uncomfortable during the first few days. It is best to massage the gums with pain-relieving oral ointment for the first two weeks of wearing these trays. But these trays should not be painful for the wearer, and thus, it is essential to report any pain immediately to the dentist.

Proper care of trays – Since the Invisalign trays are removed while eating something, the wearer should brush the teeth carefully after every meal. Moreover, the teeth should be cleaned with floss and mouthwash, to free the teeth enamel from all tiny food particles that can stick to the plastic trays. Since plastic can melt on heat, these trays should be washed carefully only with cold water or lukewarm water.

Adjustment with attachments – Now, the dentists fix a definite number of minute attachments over the natural teeth, which assist the Invisalign trays in pushing the teeth faster to their actual positions. These attachments are made of hard materials that are quite sharp and may sometimes injure the lips and the inner surface of the mouth cavity while taking off the trays. So the wearer needs to be really careful while taking these trays in and out, to avoid such painful injuries.

Prepare for a bit staining – The fixed tiny attachments on the teeth cause some staining around these minute structures, caused by several foods and beverages. However, normally these stains can be cleaned by simple brushing of the teeth. Some hard stains may be removed with the help of teeth whitener, after stopping the use of Invisalign trays.

In case trays are lost – Since the Invisalign trays need to be taken out while eating or brushing, some people may lose them carelessly. But this should be reported immediately to the dentist, to get a replacement set of trays as soon as possible. Though it may be an extra financial burden on the wearer, most dentists try to keep a minimum price for this replacement set of trays.

Cleaning of the trays – It is best to clean the Invisalign trays with a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in normal water. The trays should be soaked in that solution for some time while eating meals, then rinsed well with a soft-bristled toothbrush and washed thoroughly with clear water. This treatment should be applied at an interval of 2-3 days, to maintain good hygiene. If these trays emit foul odor due to continuous use, the wearer should rinse them with some white vinegar and then wash with water.

Usually, an orthodontist takes a photo of the oral cavity of his patient, which helps in creating the Invisalign trays of accurate size. After a week or two, the dentist again checks the improvement of the patient and prescribes a new set of trays, according to the changed positions of the teeth. On average, a person needs to wear Invisalign trays for a year, changing these trays after every 2-3 weeks. It is best to get the mouth cavity thoroughly cleaned by the dentist, after stopping the use of these trays.