Don’t Let Halloween Derail Your Invisalign Progress

It can be tempting to ignore the rules when there is a special occasion – especially one that calls for mischief like Halloween – but every day must be roughly the same when you are an Invisalign wearer. If you want your clear aligners to work properly and do the work they’ve been created to do, it’s your job as a dutiful patient to put in the work as instructed. Here is how to enjoy Halloween without allowing it to derail your progress.

Watch the Clock

Your entire course of Invisalign is determined at the start of your treatment and every aligner is designed then too. Your Haymarket Invisalign provider uses a special computer program to envision the future and see how your teeth will slowly shift into alignment.

You will wear the trays as instructed until your mouth is fully in alignment, a process that can take anywhere from six months to over a year depending on how much your teeth have to move – and how dedicated you are to your treatment.

Each set of Invisalign aligners is intended to move certain teeth at certain times, which is why the trays are changed out about every two weeks. Important work is being done within each of these timelines, so skipping a tray or leaving it out of your mouth for an extended period can impact the effectiveness of the treatment.

Stash Your Trays

If you’re headed out to trick or treat or going to a Halloween gathering, Invisalign can go along for the ride without getting in the way. Remember, the aligners are clear and difficult to see, so they won’t interrupt whatever costume you’re wearing or interfere with your fun.

Just be sure to take your cases along so you’ll have somewhere to put your aligners if you find yourself tempted by treats. You definitely don’t want to eat or drink while Invisalign is in place – you could damage your aligners or permanently stain them. If you take care of your trays, no matter what kind of shenanigans you get up to on Halloween you won’t be haunted by the ghost of foods you ate on October 31.

Clean Up

Remember, Halloween is only one night. Your Invisalign treatment is much longer – and the trays you’re wearing need to last for at least two weeks. Make cleaning your teeth a priority, especially if you’re really digging into the trick-or-treat sweets. The last thing you want is to leave your teeth coated in sugar and food particles and then snap your trays back in place. This will capture bacteria and plaque in between enamel and aligners, creating an environment ripe for the development of decay.

Don’t neglect your attachments either. These little babies help your trays stay firmly locked in place, but they are also targets for food and drink to cling to. Clean them as carefully as you clean the rest of your teeth to ensure that they stay tooth-colored and as unobtrusive as possible.

Find out if you’re a good candidate for Invisalign from certified Haymarket Invisalign provider Dr. Sina Reangber at LifeTime Smiles. Contact us today to schedule a consultation. Happy Halloween!