Invisalign; daily survival tips from Clear Braces Direct

If you have recently attended an appointment regarding orthodontic realignment as an adult, you may have been given the green light to proceed with treatment such as an invisible aligner.

This is a great way to straighten your teeth; as an invisible aligner is, as the name suggests, visually discreet and has the ability to speed up the treatment process significantly, while also being more comfortable to wear in daily life.

But you may have some questions about how to maintain and manage the aligner in day-to-day life.

At Clear Braces Direct London, our team has been using Invisalign London to help patients get the straighter smiles that they want and deserve for a long time. And so we know all there is to know about maintaining this aligner and how you can get the most out of it.

In this article, we offer a short guide into how to use and manage daily life with Invisalign London.

Keep them in!

Invisalign London is a removable aligner and so, it can be all too tempting to take it out and leave it out for longer than needed. On average, you should keep the aligners in for around 22 hours per day unless you are instructed to do otherwise by a member of our team.

If you do not keep the aligners in your mouth for the required time, your teeth may cease to move or, more worryingly, they may revert back to the former positions in your mouth, creating an issue with the next stage of orthodontic treatment and the wearing of a new aligner.

So, in short, keep them in!

Keep them clean

Made from clear plastic, it is important to keep your aligners clean to ensure that they remain discreet and to make certain that your teeth and gums remain healthy for the duration of the treatment.

Luckily, it is not difficult to keep these aligners clean; simply rinse them under a cool tap twice a day and use a toothbrush to remove any stubborn debris. Do not under any circumstances rinse an aligner with hot water, as this can cause them to warp out of shape, which will lead to that particular aligner needing to be replaced.

Keep up with your selfies

For the duration of your treatment, each week you will need to send our team a photo or a selfie to show how the treatment is affecting your teeth.

This is important for keeping your visits to our team to a minimum. So even if you are a bit camera shy, it is important to keep up with your selfies, so our team can determine if the treatment is working or if we need to approach your dental realignment from a different angle.

Keep your appointments

A key advantage of invisible aligners is that they do not require tightening or adjusting, and so you will not need to attend our surgery as often as you would with a traditional brace.

But it is important when you have an appointment with our team that you keep it. These appointments allow our team to check for signs of tooth decay, gum disease and, of course, to assess if the realignment process is working.

If you suspect that there is an issue with your gums or your teeth when you are wearing an aligner, then feel free to contact us at any time.