Considering Invisalign clear aligners to straighten your smile? This popular teeth straightening option uses a series of BPA-free plastic trays to incrementally shift teeth into place over several months. When worn properly, Invisalign can successfully and discreetly align teeth as effectively as metal braces. However, achieving your desired beautiful new smile requires dedication. Follow these key steps to ensure you get the best Invisalign results.
Choose an Experienced Orthodontist
The first vital step is selecting a top-notch, Invisalign proficient orthodontist to map out your custom treatment plan. While general dentists may offer Invisalign, you want someone highly trained in orthodontic mechanics with extensive Invisalign experience moving teeth optimally. Ask to see before and after case photos and patient reviews. An initial exam will determine if you qualify based on alignment needs and dental health.
Take Excellent Care of Your Teeth
Since Invisalign aligners are removable, patients must uphold exceptional oral hygiene habits throughout treatment. Brush and floss after each meal before reinserting your aligners. Use non-abrasive toothpaste avoiding whitening formulas which can roughen enamel. Clean aligners using antimicrobial soap and a soft bristle toothbrush. Schedule professional dental cleanings every 3-4 months removing staining. These measures prevent decay or permanent white spot lesions beneath aligners.
Wear Aligners 20-22 Hours Daily
Aligners cannot shift your teeth if not worn! Apart from eating, drinking, brushing and flossing, trays should be inserted a minimum 20 hours daily. Many doctors now recommend up to 22 hours for best progression. Tracking wear time ensures adequate pressure against teeth is sustained so movement stays on schedule. Always keep prior aligners as back-ups switching immediately if current trays are lost or damaged.
Change to New Aligners on Schedule
Invisalign works by programmed incremental advances. Determine when your doctor wants trays changed – usually every 7-14 days. Switch promptly once reaching the tail end of your prescribed duration to prevent teeth from shifting back. Do not delay aligner changes unless directly advised by your orthodontist. Staying on track with regularly progressing trays accelerates treatment pace.
Attend All Monitoring Appointments
Even with remote impression monitoring programs, maintaining follow-up visits allows necessary adjustments for tracking complications. Your doctor will determine if movement matches projections, order any mid-course corrections like attachment additions or resin sculpting, and scan updated impressions if major deviations occur. This monitoring minimizes treatment detours helping to finish on time.
Be Meticulous With Rubber Band Wear
If prescribed interarch elastics to correct your individual bite, carefully follow all rubber band specifics – amount, which teeth attached, time worn. Consistently wearing specified bands applies forces to reposition the jaw. While removing bands for meals is fine if no consumption occurs with trays in, oral habits like nail biting or all day snacking impede proper rubber band wear.
Adjust Diet and Other Habits
Since Invisalign is removable, you control what enters your mouth versus fixed braces. But certain habits can still undermine progress. Avoid sticky, crunchy or hard foods that could detach or damage expensive aligners when out for meals. Cut caramel, taffy, ice, popcorn, nuts, apples or corn cobs while in treatment. Additionally eliminate oral habits like tongue thrusting, fingernail biting or chewing pens/pencils which elicit forces that push teeth out of alignment.
Take Optimal Care Of Aligners
These trays represent major orthodontic appliances costing over $3,000 to replace if lost or broken beyond use. Never wrap bands around aligners which stretch fragile plastic. Avoid extreme aligner temperatures by not leaving in direct sunlight or removing during hot cooked meals. When out, place aligners in a protective case – not napkins on tables or in pockets where easily thrown away with trash.
Report Any Issues Immediately
Promptly contact your orthodontist describing any complications interfering with aligner wear or unusual new symptoms like severe discomfort. Sometimes specific teeth fail to track properly from improper aligner fitting, necessitating design revisions. Report damaged, loose or ill-fitting aligners requiring replacements to maintain movement. Waiting risks treatment delays down the road.
Complete Any Restorative Work First
Invisalign straightens existing teeth but cannot fix shape, size or positional deviations like braces. Extract indicated wisdom teeth, close unwanted spaces with composites or crown fracture lines before aligning overall occlusion. Restorative work stabilizes ideal functional and aesthetic outcomes from subsequent aligner treatment. Integrating interdisciplinary care optimizes your smile goals.
Successfully Finish For Stunning Results
While demanding responsibility wearing plastic trays nearly round-the-clock, embracing these habits rewards you with dramatic, boosted confidence from a beautifully straightened smile typically within 12 to 18 months. When both patient and doctor uphold their roles, Invisalign proves an exceptional way to transform not just your teeth but your entire look and self-assurance. By progressing smoothly through aligner stages without complications, you will love flashing your new gorgeous grin for years to come! Contact Smile Clinic London for latest Cheap Invisalign offers today!
