How to Ensure a Successful Treatment
One clear advantage of choosing Invisalign over traditional braces is that you can remove your aligners. This makes it much easier to keep your trays clean and avoid damage.
Even though Invisalign makes it easy to maintain your aligners, you must follow all of Dr. Grussmark’s instructions if you want to achieve the stunning results you desire.
Explore our guide below to learn some valuable tips on caring for your aligners.
Meal Times
Invisalign aligners are removable, so you can take them out while you’re eating meals. This allows you to eat unrestricted without interfering with your treatment. It also prevents crumbs from getting lodged under your trays and causing an infection.
For optimal results, you’ll need to wear your aligners for 20 to 22 hours per day. This leaves you plenty of time to enjoy your standard meals, though you may need to modify your eating schedule and refrain from a lot of snacking to make it work.
While it may take you a bit of time to adjust, you’ll find that eating with Invisalign is simple and convenient.
Cleaning Your Aligners
The easiest way to maintain your aligners is to remove and clean them every morning when you wake up and every night when you go to bed. You can do this by soaking your trays or lightly brushing them with mild soap.
Additionally, it’s important to brush your teeth after meals to remove any leftover bacteria before putting your aligners back in.
Our dentist also recommends using the Invisalign Cleaning System. This method involves placing your aligners in a case filled with warm water and cleaning crystals. Gently shake the case for 20 seconds to activate the crystals, let your aligners soak for 15 minutes, then gently shake for another 20 seconds and rinse off your aligners.
Common Mistakes
Unfortunately, some of our patients have damaged their aligners by not following care instructions. To avoid causing harm to your aligners, it’s important to follow some tips:
- Don’t eat or drink with your aligners in (except water)
- Don’t put your aligners back in after eating until you’ve brushed your teeth
- Don’t use toothpaste, mouthwash, or any type of rough or colored soap on your aligners
- Don’t remove your aligners for more than four hours per day
- Don’t leave your aligners unprotected when you’re not wearing them
Ask Dr. Grussmark for Invisalign Care Tips
As the only Diamond-Plus Invisalign provider in Dade County, Dr. Grussmark has the experience to ensure your treatment runs smoothly. If you follow his advice, you can achieve the flawless smile you desire in no time at all.
Call our practice at (305) 842-3672 and schedule your free Invisalign consultation with our Miami dentist. Dr. Grussmark proudly services patients in the Miami, Coral Gables, and Brickell areas. We look forward to meeting you!
Frequently Asked Questions
I dropped my aligners in an unsanitary place. Do I need to sterilize them after I clean them?
It’s important to always ensure that your aligners are clean and hygienic. You can use Invisalign Cleaning Crystals to assist in keeping your aligners clean, clear, and free of bacteria. Failure to do so may increase the number of unhealthy bacteria in your mouth. This may set you back on your treatment and threaten your oral health.
What should I do if I lose or break an aligner?
If you lose or break an aligner, contact our Miami office immediately at (305) 842-3672. Our expert dentist Dr. Grussmark will work to ensure you stay on track with your treatment plan, which may involve wearing the previous or next set of aligners or ordering replacements.
Acting quickly can help avoid losing progress in your treatment. We recommend keeping the aligner from your previous phase of treatment to wear in the vent that you break or lose your current aligner.
If I have food residue in my mouth when I put my aligners back in, can they become stained?
It’s crucial to thoroughly brush your teeth before placing your aligners back in your mouth. This ensures that your oral hygiene stays in good shape and won’t cause your aligners to become stained from leftover food residue.
We recommend using gentle formula or all-purpose toothpaste and cleaning crystals designed for your trays. Other substances like mouthwash may damage your aligners.
What can’t I use to clean my aligners?
It’s important to clean your aligners every day to avoid the risk of bacteria collection. However, you should never clean your aligners with:
- Mouthwashes
- Whitening toothpaste
- Hot water
- Colored antibacterial soap
These substances may damage your aligners, significantly setting back your treatment. It’s crucial to follow Dr. Grussmark’s cleaning instructions to ensure a successful treatment.
When should I not wear my aligners?
Because you need to wear your aligners for at least 20 to 22 hours each day, you should only remove them when necessary. You should remove your aligners when:
- Eating a meal
- Using mouthwash
- Drinking something other than plain water
- Brushing and flossing
- Cleaning or soaking your aligners
If you don’t remove your aligners at these times, it may damage your aligners, which can set back your treatment. It may even increase the number of harmful bacteria in your mouth.
