5 Steps to Invisalign Success

The most successful Invisalign patients are rule-abiding folks. They follow the hard and fast instructions that all Invisalign-wearers must honor, and the result is a straight, strong, beautiful smile. If you want an efficient and discreet way to shift your teeth into alignment, listen to your Haymarket Invisalign provider and, simply enough, follow the rules. Here are some of the important steps to achieve Invisalign success.

1. Wear Invisalign 20 to 22 hours a day.

While 20 to 22 hours of Invisalign wear may seem like a ridiculous time commitment, think about other types of braces. Wearers of conventional metal or ceramic braces have wires and brackets on their teeth permanently. The orthodontics work around the clock to shift crooked teeth and roots into proper alignment.

Invisalign does the same work as metal braces but gives you a little bit of freedom every day to go without braces. That’s a win, if you do your job to be a good patient and wear Invisalign as directed.

2. Don’t eat with Invisalign in.

You may be tempted to sneak a small snack when you don’t want to be bothered to remove your Invisalign. Resist the urge! Invisalign aligners are strong, but they can’t withstand repeated chewing and biting. It’s essential to remove the aligners before every meal and snack so you don’t damage or destroy your aligners.

Many patients love Invisalign because it forces them to think twice before they mindlessly have a snack – some even credit Invisalign with kick-starting weight loss success.

3. Only drink water.

It may seem like sipping on a cup of coffee is harmless enough, but think about how coffee can stain your teeth – it’ll do the same to your Invisalign aligners. One of the biggest perks of Invisalign is that the aligners are nearly impossible to detect. Stain them with coffee, wine, or other dark drinks and you’ll have to live with gross-looking aligners until it’s time to change to the next set of aligners. You can still enjoy your favorite beverages – you just need to enjoy them when you’re not wearing Invisalign.

4. Change aligners as indicated.

In the Invisalign process, you will wear multiple aligners over the course of treatment to move certain teeth at certain times until your entire smile is straight. Aligners are typically changed out every two weeks, though some may need to be worn a little longer.

Your Haymarket Invisalign provider will give you instructions up front so you can see the course of your treatment and how it will play out. You’ll know the dates when your aligners need to be changed – all you need do is switch them out for the newest set. You’ll also see your dentist about every six weeks to pick up the next several sets of aligners and have them at the ready.

5. Clean Invisalign (and your teeth) properly.

If you’re diligent about removing Invisalign for eating meals and drinking tinted beverages, you may think you can get away with skipping a few cleanings. Not so. When you take Invisalign out to eat, your teeth and the spaces between them are getting covered with food particles. You don’t want to trap this stuff in between aligners and tooth enamel and risk tooth decay.

Always brush and floss after meals and before putting Invisalign back in your mouth. Clean Invisalign before you put it back in your mouth so you maintain the integrity of the aligners, protect the health of your teeth, and keep your treatment on track.

Get Started on Your Haymarket Invisalign Journey

If you’re ready to learn more about Invisalign and find out if you’re a candidate for this invisible orthodontic method, or for Invisalign Express, contact your Haymarket Invisalign provider Dr. Sina Reangber at LifeTime Smiles to schedule your consultation.