Freedman & Haas Orthodontics has experienced firsthand the popularity of clear aligners among teens and adults alike. They have become a wonderful aesthetic option for those looking to discreetly undergo treatment without the flashy appearance of other appliances. This ever-advancing treatment can be used to straighten your teeth with the expertise of Dr. Freedman and Dr. Haas. Our team has put together five keys to creating beautiful smiles with aligners so you can keep everything in top condition throughout care.
#1) Wearing Your Aligners For The Right Amount Of Time
For your Invisalign treatment to be effective and straighten your smile as timely as possible, you must wear your trays for at least 20-22 hours daily. Sticking to your treatment plan is essential to avoid delays or relapse in your teeth movement.
The only time they should be removed is when you consume food or brush your teeth. Your plastic trays are not meant to withstand chewing pressure and could easily be damaged, necessitating a replacement and lengthening your treatment. As mentioned, giving your teeth a thorough brushing and flossing before placing them back in is a must. If you are unable, at least rinse out your mouth as well as the aligners until you are able.
Adjective Tools Help Aligners Fit Properly
We are dedicated to making it as easy as possible to place your Invisalign trays. We offer special tools to help the aligners adjust to your mouth, as well as tools to help you remove the aligners. When it comes to making it easy to wear aligners, we give that extra touch!
#2) Staying On Top of Your Oral Hygiene
Maintaining general oral hygiene allows your Invisalign to do its job and keep your teeth safe from common diseases that slow down your progress.
Brushing and flossing your teeth in the morning and night is a great practice to ensure your teeth stay fresh and free of plaque. Even more critical is cleaning your teeth before returning your trays to your mouth after a meal. With aligners, you don’t need to worry about your food selections because they will be taken out before a meal. However, the last thing you want is to get part of your meal stuck underneath your trays.
Crooked teeth allow small pieces of food to get stuck between your teeth and gums, giving them a safe hiding spot from getting brushed out. Placing your trays back in with your teeth in this condition can quickly lead to tooth decay. Taking the extra time to double-check that your mouth is free of food particles can help save you from unnecessary procedures to deal with other oral complications like cavities later on.
#3) Keeping Your Aligners Clean and Polished
Cleaning your aligners is just as important as keeping your teeth clean to keep your clear aligner treatment on schedule. Even though you only wear each tray for about two weeks, they can build up bacteria and plaque on them quite quickly.
Since they are in your mouth for so long without breathing room, they can quickly build up bacteria and plaque if not cleaned properly. This can damage your teeth over time and even begin to change the color of your trays, ruining the nearly invisible look that makes Invisalign such a popular choice.
How To Clean Your Aligners
Luckily, aligner maintenance is quite simple! All you need to do is grab a soft-bristled toothbrush different from the one you clean your teeth with and gently scrub it with warm water and an antibacterial soap of your choice or an aligner cleaner sold in stores or through Invisalign. We do not recommend using toothpaste because it may cloud or scratch the clear plastic. It is best to get in the habit of cleaning your aligners every time you re-insert them so they are able to shine and stay in top condition.
#4) Changing Out Your Aligners On Time
Clear aligners straighten your teeth through a series of trays placed on your teeth that should be switched out every two weeks. Using a special digital program to predict your teeth’ movement, our team crafts your trays specific to different phases in your tooth movement.
If you wear the incorrect appliance at the wrong time, discomfort may arise from too much pressure being placed on your teeth from trying to shift too quickly. The trays are numbered and are worn in numerical order, making it easy to keep track of the next tray in your sequence.
Beginning Your Treatment
At your first appointment, unlike offices that give you a box of trays and it is up to you to follow through the entire box, we will give you your first set of trays to allow you to get used to the routine of wear and care. At your next visit and throughout your treatment we will give you enough aligners to get you through a specific period of treatment with precise instructions. This allows us to check your aligner fit and the attachments at regular intervals to ensure proper progress with tracking of the aligners on your teeth.
During the course of treatment, Dr. Freedman and Dr. Haas are continually refining the aligners to further tweak your results until you are satisfied that all goals have been achieved and you are fully pleased with your results.
#5) Attending Your Scheduled Appointments
One of the benefits of Invisalign is it requires about 30% fewer appointments than traditional braces! That being said, it is essential you attend them to ensure your treatment stays on schedule. While the program we use to predict your teeth movement is very accurate, it assumes everything is always going to plan. Your teeth may move a little differently in real life, thus changing the original plan of care to achieve your smile.
Our team gets it; life happens! Sometimes, you need to reschedule your appointment, or you are running late. Please give our front desk a call as soon as possible, and we will happily work with you to find a better time to come in. Staying on schedule as much as possible is essential to creating a beautiful smile so that any adjustments our orthodontists need to make to your treatment plan are swiftly done.
Your Perfect Smile Awaits You At Freedman & Haas Orthodontics
Our highly trained and experienced team at Freedman & Haas Orthodontics is dedicated to realigning smiles and helping patients improve their confidence as their teeth straighten out with the power of clear aligners! We provide high-quality orthodontic care to West Palm Beach, Wellington, and the surrounding communities. If you think Invisalign is the perfect fit for you, don’t hesitate to give one of our offices a call today and schedule your free consultation.
