Congratulations on choosing Invisalign!
Here are a few guidelines to follow:
How Long Do I Wear My Aligners?
Typically, we recommend you keep your aligners worn for up to 22 hours a day. As your treatement plan progresses however, this number will change at the recommendation of Dr.Rahimi.
One thing to remember when you pop your aligners in, is always to be sure they are seated correctly on your teeth! You will have been prescribed either “chewies” or “sticks” which are specially designed to help you seat the aligners snuggly by gently biting down to make sure the aligners are fitting correctly.
Keeping up with Oral Hygiene
One of the amazing things about Invisalign as opposed to Braces, is that because your teeth are covered by the aligners, food rests and particles are kept away from being stuck between your teeth. This does not mean that you can slack on your oral hygiene though!
You should have no trouble keeping up with your regular brushing and flossing with this exceptionally convenient system! Make sure you pop the aligners out and progress with your regular tooth brushing and flossing.
Caring For Your Aligners
Invisialign is a very easy system to take care of but since the system is removeable, there is often a temptation to remove them, especially for teens and children. Here are a couple of rules to follow so you ensure your treatment goes according to plan.
Protect them while not in use: We have a saying, “in your face or in the case”. You will receive a specially designed case for your aligners, it is important when you take them out to either eat or brush your teeth that you be sure to place them safely in the case.
Keep them away from furry friends: Aligners make excellent chew toys for pets! At least they think so! Be sure to NEVER allow your pet to get access to your aligners. They will destroy them, and could get very sick as well! Always place them in the case when they are not in your mouth
Keep them clean: Oral hygiene is easy to maintain with Invisalign, and it’s a good idea to give them a light brush with luke warm water periodically.
MAKE SURE YOU PRACTICE PROPER HYGIENE by throughly washing your hands before and after handling your Invisalign. This is less to do with the system and more to keep you safe by minimizing exposure to germs.
Never eat food without taking out your aligners: You can easily damage the aligners by chewing food! One of the key advantages to Invisalign is you can pretty much eat whatever you like! (unlike braces which can be damaged by sticky or crunchy foods.). Just be sure to always remove them first and brush your teeth before popping them back on. We recommend kids and teens bring a oral hygiene care bag with them on the go!