Are you planning to undergo Invisalign treatment? That’s great news! After all you have opted for the best alternative for traditional braces to restore your smile. Do you know that Invisalign has to be worn for long 22 hours?
At the same time you have to give parallel priority to proper oral care and hygiene as well. Read on this blog to gain a complete idea of dental hygiene with Invisalign before you visit the dentist in London for Invisalign treatment.
Recommended daily regime for best outcome
So far you have enjoyed a normal daily routine for yourself. Now, aligner makes the task a bit lengthier! With Invisalign, your daily routine will seem like below:
Cleaning of Invisalign trays and teeth after waking up
As you have to go to bed with aligners into your mouth, the very first thing you should do after waking up every morning is to clean the tray and teeth. Then only you are allowed to put the aligner back into your mouth.
Bacterial build up gets influenced at night times, which is important to wash away in the morning. Also, it is advisable to follow oral care regime before bed time as well.
Rinsing of the aligners every time you remove it from your mouth
Ensure that your aligner is rinsed off well every time you pop it out from your mouth. It will wash off dried saliva. Afterwards, keep it in the specific case instead of keeping it in open. It is the basic etiquette of maintaining proper oral hygiene in the long run. Using of hot water can cause warping of the tray which ends up with its deformity.
Flossing and brushing is mandatory before aligner replacement
Generally, trays are recommended to remove only at the time of drinking and eating. So, during the replacement of the last one flossing and brushing is compulsory. It alleviates the risk of trapped food particles in-between your teeth which may develop to dental issues like cavities in the future.
Regular soaking of the trays
Soak the Invisalign tray in denture cleaner or cleaning crystal every day to keep it clean. Avoid using of hot water and mouthwash for such instance. You can use spare toothbrush for eliminating the lingered food particles and plaque from the aligner.
Tricks to ensure good condition of the trays
In addition of daily oral care regimen, here we’ll bring some suggestions which make your treatment much more effective by improving overall oral health. So, let’s check what we have in store for you!
Never leave the aligner in open
While you are not with Invisalign tray, avoid keeping them in the open. Air exposure can result in bacterial accumulation on the aligner which can be the main source of strange smells. Safety is a must so always carry the case along. In case you remove them out then rinsing and soaking is recommended prior to put it back into your mouth.
Put it out from the mouth prior to drink or eat
During consuming any food or drink except water, remove the aligner from your mouth firstly. It prevents the Invisalign tray from the deposition of bacterial and trapped food debris. As a result there is no chance of developing any further dental problems in the future. Moreover, Invisalign tray is not designed for any action like chewing or biting at all.
Carry next aligner set along while travelling around
While you have a plan of tripping around, don’t forget to carry the next aligner set along for consistent treatment progress! Once, you forget, it will be really difficult to get back on the track again.
So, before your departure make sure that the next set is shipped already. Delayed or lost of luggage is quite common and hence it is suggested keeping it in your kitty or personal hand bag.
Avoid using toothpaste for cleaning the aligner
Often patients make use of toothpaste for cleaning the aligner which is an absolute blunder! It leads to discolouration and damage of the trays resulting in dull sheen which can be easily noticeable from a distance. Hence, if you want your aligner to be effective never ever do this again!
Don’t ever soak the aligner in hot water
Hot water can deform the trays causing an irreversible damage! Instead use cold water for proper protection of aligner and its shape while cleaning it by soaking or rinsing at the same time.
Ignore the usage of perfumed and coloured soap for cleaning the aligner
A number of trial and error methods are there for aligner cleaning. But you are requested to simply avoid the usage of perfumed and coloured soap. It can stain the aligner in addition to a strange residual taste. That’s why you won’t be able to keep it into the mouth for long 22 hours anymore. This will hinder the treatment progress too!
Effective ways for keeping the Invisalign aligner clean
Cleanliness is a basic necessity especially the patient with teeth straightening option. Now here you are going to understand the significance of proper tray hygiene and how to attain so!
Soap water
Put a drop of non-perfumed soap in the water to stir continuously till suds can be observed. Then soak the tray in this solution for half an hour. Later you can rinse and brush the aligner gently for effective cleaning.
Water and vinegar
Vinegar possesses a number of merits and aligner cleaning is one of them! By the way, you are advised to use distilled vinegar in 3/4th of water for soaking the tray for about 20 minutes. Then rinse and brush it thoroughly to remove the vinegar-like residual taste.
Peroxide and water
Mix equal parts of water and hydrogen peroxide and soak the aligner tray for about half an hour. Then brush it gently and rinse to remove the bacteria from it before you put it on again.
Water and baking soda
You may have to use elbow grease in this case. Take half cup of water and add a spoonful of baking soda in it for a consistent mixture. Dip the tray into it for a hour followed by thorough brushing and rinsing to eliminate every trace of residue.
Retainer cleaner
Many professional and quality retainer cleaners are available in the market these days! Most of them can be obtained in the form of powder or tablet. Stubborn plaque and bacteria can be easily and effectively targeted by dissolving it in the water.
Also some direct on-the-go wiping options have been introduced in the market recently. But they are a bit pricey than that of the above-mentioned DIY versions. However, still they are quite efficient in replacing embedded bacteria and plaque as well.
So oral hygiene is most important for undergoing Invisalign treatment. Also, you have to ensure the proper and efficient cleanliness of the tray as well. Visit your orthodontist today to obtain the best Invisalign in London and highlight your concerns and query as well for further advice. By this way you are going to be benefitted the most from teeth straightening treatment.
