If you’re frustrated by crooked teeth, you’re not alone. An estimated 9+ million people in the U.S. receive orthodontic treatment every year. While braces are the tried-and-true method, the unsightly metal brackets can feel bulky and uncomfortable and detract from your self-esteem. Fortunately, your dentist can straighten your smile more discreetly with Invisalign.
These clear plastic aligners are made to fit like a glove over your teeth to gently shift them to their ideal placements. However, you must wear the trays for 22 hours daily to prevent them from reverting to their starting positions. If you’re struggling with this requirement, keep reading to learn three tips that can help!
Tip #1: Implement a Routine
Many patients are surprised to learn that their teeth have a muscle memory. You might think of them as immovable structures in your mouth, but they’re connected with muscles, ligaments, and other tissues with a natural capacity for movement. They’re prone to relapsing to their previous positions, which can elongate your overall treatment timeline.
You can safely remove for Invisalign for a total of two hours each day, but you need this time for meals and cleanings. It might help to designate how much time you spend on each activity to ensure you don’t exceed the limit. For instance, you might delegate 15 minutes morning and night to brush them clean, and plan on 30 minutes each day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Establishing a regular routine can help you keep up these habits more consistently.
Tip #2: Set a Timer
It’s easy to get lost in conversation over a meal or get distracted during the day and lose track of time. Without a little extra help, you might not realize that it’s time to put your aligners back in. This can be problematic during your Invisalign treatment because your pearly whites are at an increased risk of shifting back out of place if you regularly remove your trays for too long. Setting an alarm, either on a clock or electronic device, can help remind you how long you have left before you need to reinsert them.
Tip #3: Switch Before Bed
Every one to two weeks, you’ll switch to a new set of aligners to account for the ongoing movement of your teeth. They tend to fit tightly so it’s normal to experience some mild to moderate discomfort as your mouth adapts to the updated dimensions. However, if you’re too sore to wear your Invisalign comfortably, you might feel tempted not to wear it for the day, interrupting your treatment timeline.
Upgrading to the new trays right before bed means that you’ll be asleep during the initial hours of adjustment, which are often the most distressing. By the time you wake up, your teeth and gums will already have been acclimating for several hours.
By making a few simple modifications to your daily habits, you’ll be able to wear your Invisalign for the required time each day!
About the Practice
At Dental Group West, you benefit from a team of dentists who provide a full range of services to help you build and maintain a happy, healthy smile. They take the time to get to know your unique dental needs so they can quickly create fully individualized treatment plans when problems come up. Then, they combine a gentle, caring approach with state-of-the-art equipment to deliver effective, long-lasting solutions. If you’re interested in straightening your teeth with Invisalign, you can request a consultation on the website or call (419) 539-2168.