Invisalign treatment in Bowmanville is an excellent way to straighten teeth discreetly. The system utilizes a series of clear plastic aligners to gently yet firmly reposition your teeth until they are nicely aligned, resulting in a healthy and attractive smile.
Although treatment is easy, with minimal impact on everyday life, there are a few key points to remember, including proper care of your aligners. Caring for them properly is essential for maintaining good dental hygiene and for protecting your oral health during treatment.
One issue you may face is aligner discolouration, where your aligners become stained. Often, this can be due to lifestyle choices and simple daily maintenance.
Below are some tips on how to keep your aligners fresh and stain-free.
Avoid Using Tobacco Products and Smoking
Smoking is well known for staining teeth, and it can also discolour your aligners. If you currently smoke, why not take this opportunity to try to quit? It’s the easiest way to avoid your aligners from becoming stained.
Additionally, smoking causes bad breath and can increase your risk of gum disease and other more serious problems like oral cancer.
Remove Your Aligners When Drinking Anything Other Than Water
It is easy to drink beverages with your aligners in, but we much prefer it if you remove them. This is because drinks like tea, coffee and red wine can easily discolour your aligners.
Rinse Your Aligners Every Time You Remove Them
When you remove your aligners, try to remember to rinse them under cool running water. This will help prevent plaque buildup and keep them smelling fresh. Avoid using hot water when cleaning your aligners, as this can cause them to distort, resulting in a less secure fit that may affect your treatment.
Soak Your Aligners Every Day
Make a point of soaking your aligners every day in Invisalign’s proprietary cleaning solution or in another solution such as denture cleaner. Soaking them will help remove more plaque buildup and eliminate some stains.
Clean Your Teeth after Every Meal, Snack or Beverage
After consuming anything other than water, it’s best to clean your teeth to remove any sugars and particles that could stain your aligners.
It’s also essential to ensure your teeth are clean before reinserting your aligners, as this prevents the risk of trapping food and plaque around your teeth. This could increase your risk of gum disease and tooth decay in Clarington.
Storing Your Aligners
Whenever you remove your aligners, please get into the habit of putting them in the storage case provided. These cases are strong, protecting your aligners while you enjoy a meal, and they help reduce the risk of misplacing or losing an aligner.
Ensure your aligners are stored away from direct heat, as this can cause them to warp. It’s also a good idea to keep them out of reach of pets. There is a risk your pet could be attracted to the smell of saliva on the aligners and be tempted to use them as a chew toy.
Clean Your Aligner Case Regularly
Get into the habit of cleaning your aligner case daily. You can clean it easily using warm water and dish soap. Afterwards, let it air-dry thoroughly.
What to Do If You Lose Your Aligners
We know it can be easy sometimes to lose an aligner, and if you cannot find yours, then contact us immediately. We can order replacement Invisalign aligners in Courtice for you, and it is essential to do this quickly.
You need to wear your aligners for 22 hours daily for your treatment plan to be a complete success. Leaving them out for too long may lengthen your treatment time.
