Avoid These 4 Mistakes During Invisalign Treatment

Invisalign treatment provides an easy and highly effective way to address dental misalignment. However, it will not be able to do its job properly if you do not follow some basic Invisalign dos and don’ts. Missteps could delay your results or even completely derail your treatment. Below, you will learn about some Invisalign mistakes and how you can avoid them.

Eating and Drinking with Your Aligners in Your Mouth

Invisalign aligners are quite durable, but they are not meant to endure the force your mouth exerts when you are chewing. If you eat while wearing them, they could easily incur damage. They are also likely to accumulate food particles and bacteria.

As far as drinking goes, the only thing you should consume while wearing Invisalign is plain water. Pigmented items, such as coffee and soda, could easily stain your aligners. Hot drinks may warp the plastic. Sweet drinks are also off-limits because they can allow sugar to get trapped against your enamel, thereby increasing your risk of tooth decay.

Not Keeping Up with Oral Hygiene

You should floss and brush your teeth after each meal, before you put your aligners back in your mouth. This might seem like a challenging addition to your oral hygiene routine. However, it is extremely important because you do not want food particles and harmful bacteria to get trapped in your aligners. This could lead to issues like bad breath, stained aligners, and a number of oral health problems.

Not Wearing Your Aligners Enough

It is recommended that Invisalign patients wear their aligners for 20 – 22 hours each day. The closer you can get to 22 hours, the better. Complying with this guideline ensures that the aligners have the time they need to apply adequate pressure to your teeth. Failing to wear the aligners for an adequate length of time each day could slow down your tooth movements. Additionally, if you switch to a new aligner without having worn the previous one enough, the transition may be much more uncomfortable than you expected.

Leaving Your Aligners in the Wrong Place

Some people wrap their Invisalign aligners in a napkin while they eat. That habit increases the risk that they will accidentally get tossed in the trash. Other patients might set their aligners on the edge of a counter or table, which makes it much easier for them to fall and get lost beneath the furniture. There is also the risk that a curious pet could steal the aligners. Whenever you are not wearing your aligners, you should place them in their designated storage case.

Getting used to life with Invisalign will require some adjustments. Avoiding the above mistakes can reduce the chances that your treatment will run into problems.

Meet the Practice

Dr. Bita Kamali is a highly skilled dentist in Plano with more than 20 years of experience. Her advanced training allows her to offer Invisalign and other specialty treatments. To learn more about her and how our practice may be able to serve you, contact Parkway Vista Dental at 972-818-1300.