Maintaining Good Oral Hygiene with Invisalign

Maintaining Good Oral Hygiene with Invisalign

Jun 01, 2023

Invisalign has become an increasingly popular alternative to conventional orthodontics, requiring you to wear metal brackets, wires, and bands over your teeth to correct problems like crooked, misaligned, rotated, and gapped teeth. Ever since its introduction Invisalign has ushered in a revolution among adults increasingly considering orthodontic treatments to change their teeth position, unlike earlier.

Invisalign has not relegated conventional orthodontics into the background but has become the favored choice of braces among teenagers and adults with the above-mentioned problems. Besides causing problems like dental infections such as cavities and gum disease, imperfect teeth also impact smiles because the teeth don’t appear aesthetically pleasing. Most importantly, people find it difficult to maintain good oral hygiene to become victims of infections in their mouths without realizing the cause behind it.

Conventional orthodontics while being equally effective as Invisalign imposes restrictions on patients to maintain their oral hygiene appropriately because the brackets, wires, and bands can trap food particles between them needing special tools for cleaning. Thankfully Invisalign does not require additional tools for cleaning teeth besides a toothbrush and dental floss, ensuring that patients intent on straightening teeth without conventional orthodontics can succeed without compromising dental health.

How Can Adults Obtain Invisalign Treatment?

Regardless of whether they are 30 or 70, adults with the above-mentioned problems need to research Invisalign near me and visit the provider nearby to assess their situation to start treatment with Invisalign braces that do not saddle them with a mouthful of metal. Instead, they receive a series of clear aligners fabricated from dental grade BPA-free plastic they wear on their teeth for the duration of their treatment.

Patients receive their first batch of aligners a month after their assessment with instructions to start wearing them immediately and moving their teeth into appropriate positions. However, the provider instructs patients to maintain excellent oral hygiene even with the aligners over their teeth to prevent infections when straightening them. If patients express surprise at the instructions, the provider helps clear them with information that Invisalign aligners have a removable feature and need removal for eating foods, drinking anything but water, and cleaning teeth. Therefore patients do not have to change their brushing routine and can continue as usual while undergoing orthodontic treatment to eliminate the problem of crooked teeth in their mouth.

Maintaining excellent dental hygiene with orthodontic treatment using Invisalign is a breeze. This article focuses on how patients should maintain oral health with Invisalign braces over their teeth. Adults considering this treatment should read the tips mentioned to benefit from them.

Tips to Maintain Good Oral Hygiene with Invisalign

  • Brushing and Flossing: the Invisalign provider recommends patients keep the aligners over their teeth for at least 22 hours daily, permitting them to remove the braces whenever eating or drinking anything but water. However, patients receive instructions to brush and floss their teeth before putting the aligners over them to keep their dental health in optimal shape. Patients also receive instructions to keep a toothbrush handy to clean their teeth whenever they remove the aligners for eating. Patients finding it challenging to carry a toothbrush must remember to swish their mouth with water before replacing the aligners over their teeth.
  • Limiting Staining Foods and Beverages: although Invisalign imposes no restrictions on the foods and beverages patients can consume, the provider requests patients limit having staining foods and drinks to prevent their teeth from discoloring and the aligners from staining. For example, patients are advised to limit the consumption of coffee, tea, wine, acidic fruit juices, and soy sauce to prevent staining the teeth and the aligners.
  • Brushing the Aligners: Orthodontics in Phoenix requires patients to care for their virtually invisible aligners, similar to their teeth. It indicates the aligners need brushing every time they are removed from the mouth before replacement over the teeth. The aligners are durable but require gentle handling to ensure patients don’t damage them during the cleaning. Patients can use their toothbrushes for brushing aligners without considering toothpaste, instead using soap for the brushing and rinsing them thoroughly before placing them back in the mouth to continue their treatment.
  • Invisalign Cleaning Kits: when patients discuss cleaning the aligners with Invisalign’s provider, they will receive information on the ease at which they can maintain the aligners with the help of an Invisalign cleaning kit. The kits help deep clean the aligners to ensure they are ready for placement over the teeth. In addition, patients running out of Invisalign cleaning kits can soak the aligners in a glass of water with denture cleaning tablets for similar results.
  • Aligner Storage: Invisalign provides storage cases to store the aligners after removing them from the teeth for eating or drinking. Patients should use the cases to keep the aligners to prevent them from picking up germs and bacteria, which eventually wind up in the mouth.

Patients qualifying for Invisalign treatment can complete the therapy within six to 24 months, depending on the complexity of their situation. However, if they follow the instructions of Invisalign’s provider, they will achieve successful results without compromising their oral hygiene to show off a beautiful smile faster than conventional orthodontics.

Adults with imperfect teeth considering orthodontic treatment should get their situation assessed by USmile Orthodontics to determine whether they qualify for the comfortable and virtually invisible Invisalign therapy to straighten their teeth. If they do, they should get their teeth straightened without second thoughts to benefit from an excellent treatment to straighten teeth without a mouthful of metal and the restrictions accompanying them.

Click to listen highlighted text!