Dental Care for All of Us

Have you finally decided to use Invisalign to make cosmetic changes to the alignment of your teeth? You'll likely want to know some tips for when it comes to wearing the trays every day.

1. Smooth Out Rough Edges

The Invisalign trays you are wearing may have some rough edges on them that make them feel a bit uncomfortable. Know that it is okay to file down these edges using an emery board. Just make sure to not go overboard, since you just want to remove any parts of the trays that cause irritation. Hopefully, the next set of trays won't have the same issue.

2. Take the Case with You

You'll need to remove the Invisalign trays when eating, which means you need to put them somewhere when they are not in your mouth. That's why you'll want to take the case for your Invisalign trays with you. It gives you a safe and secure place to put the trays so you will not damage or lose them. The last thing you want is to forget them at a restaurant because you placed them on a napkin while you were eating.

3. Avoid Long Times Without Wearing the Trays

It may be tempting to remove your trays, but you need to keep them in your mouth for the recommended amount of time, which is 22 hours per day. Don't think of it as getting a two-hour break from using Invisalign during the day, but that you have three 40 minute breaks for eating meals. If you leave the trays out any longer than that, you'll end up slowing down the Invisalign process. You may even feel your teeth hurt if the trays are out for a long time since your teeth will naturally want to move back to their former position. 

4. Wait After Eating Meals

One problem you should be aware of is putting the trays back in your mouth immediately after you stop eating. You should give yourself about 10 minutes after you finish eating your meal to allow saliva to wash over your teeth and remove some of the food particles left behind. If possible, you can speed up the process by rinsing out your mouth with water. This will prevent food from being trapped under the Invisalign trays until the next time you eat a meal, which will be much better for the overall health of your teeth.