Congratulations — you've embarked on Invisalign treatment to straighten your smile. Now it's time to get down to business and adapt to a new routine. While this can be challenging at first, it is doable, especially with these tips and tricks from our Delta BC dentists to help you stick with your Invisalign treatment.
Tips for Sticking with Invisalign Treatment
Starting orthodontic treatment with Invisalign clear aligners can feel daunting at first — there are a few things to remember about your treatment plan, and you will need to make the adjustment to wearing your aligners for 22 hours each day. That said, getting used to your new routine will just take some practice and commitment on your part. In this post, our Delta dentists share some tips to help make your Invisalign treatment go more smoothly so you get the most value from your investment.
Commit to wearing your Invisalign aligners full-time
Your commitment to treatment will help you build a great foundation for success. Similar to other good habits, you'll need some time to adopt and adjust to the new changes in your daily routine. To see your anticipated results as treatment progresses (and to enjoy a straighter smile as planned at the end of treatment), you'll need to wear your aligners most of the time for them to work. Expect to spend about two weeks wearing your clear aligners before your mouth becomes used to them. By this point, you may even be more used to wearing them than not having them in.
As indicated in the instructions, you'll need to wear your clear aligners for at least 22 hours each day, removing them only to eat, drink and brush your teeth. You'll feel the results of your diligent compliance with your treatment plan as you switch to new aligners and they it comfortably on your teeth.
Clean your clear aligners while you eat
While you're eating, you can't wear your aligners anyway. Why not maximize the value of the time you have them out of your mouth by soaking the trays in a cleaning solution while you enjoy a meal?
Leave your aligners in a diluted mouthwash, the special Invisalign cleaning solution or a denture cleaner (as long as none of these are coloured as coloured solutions will stain your aligners) for about 5 minutes before taking them out. Do this twice a week to keep your clear aligners fresh and clean.
Set a timer
If you tend to get distracted or forgetful, the timer on your phone can be a useul tool for remembering to put your aligners back in. Wearing your aligners for 22 hours every day is important, and forgetting to put them back in after eating or brushing your teeth will delay your progress to straighter teeth.
While this might be especially tough in the first few weeks, setting a timer can help you remember until the habit becomes entrenched.
Learn To Talk With Your Aligners In
When you first begin your treatment and have put your first aligners in your mouth, you'll likely notice that you talk with a lisp. This is normal as your mouth gets used to having the aligners in. Your speech will go back to normal once you've adopted, but in the mean time just keep talking — call a friend to chat, talk to yourself, sing along with your favourite playlist or read aloud to practice.