Whether a patient is beginning their Invisalign journey or is almost finished with all of their trays, it can be a very exciting time. Our patients normally find the experience of using Invisalign to be extremely easy and effortless, but occasionally some issues do occur. In today’s blog post we will go over some more commonly asked questions about Invisalign to help alleviate stress when treatment may not go as planned. Enjoy!
There are few, if any, real Disadvantages to Invisalign. The Invisalign aligners are strong, practically invisible and comfortable to wear. There are some who think having to take your Aligners/Retainers/Trays out multiple times as a disadvantage, but we believe that while it may seem annoying, it is this flexibility that makes Invisalign so desirable. Say you are going out on a date or need to conduct an important meeting at work, and you feel uncomfortable wearing your aligners. With Invisalign you are free to take them out as long as you need. So long as you don’t keep your aligners out of your mouth for the majority of the day, you won’t affect your progress. Even if you do need to keep your aligners out for longer than a few hours, so long as you inform your Orthodontist and follow their instructions, your progress shouldn’t be significantly affected. Of course, Invisalign may not be right for everyone. At Chicago Smile Design we look at and consider every patient’s needs before we determine if Invisalign is the right choice for them.
At Chicago Smile Design we recommend that our patients try to wear their aligners at least 23 hours a day to see optimal results. If you do keep your aligners out of your mouth for an entire day, say because of work or if you simply forgot to put them in, it shouldn’t make a huge difference in your progress. In this circumstance we would usually recommend the patient to wear their aligners an additional day to make up for the missed day. If a patient wears their aligners for less than the recommended time before transferring to their next set, they most likely will experience tightness and minor discomfort when wearing the new set. If patients are consistently wearing their Invisalign aligners and retainers less than 23 hours a day there is a very high likely hood it will prolong a patient’s Invisalign case.
At Chicago Smile Design we recommend a few different ways to clean your Invisalign aligners/trays. Our favorite way to clean aligners is to do so with dental pods. How it works is you place your aligners in a small pod with an enzyme tablet and let them soak. Once finished soaking, your aligners will come out sparkly clean. Another way to clean your aligners is by soaking them in water with
the enzyme tablets, but just without the self-contained dental pod. A third way to clean your Invisalign aligners or retainers is by letting them soak in a container with water and hydrogen peroxide. If you are able to purchase enzyme tablets to clean your aligners, we would highly recommend you do so. But if you are in a bind, you can use a hydrogen peroxide and water solution. Just be sure to rinse them very well with water after they come in contact with the solution. Chicago Smile Design does NOT recommend brushing your Invisalign Aligner/Retainer with toothpaste and your toothbrush. The reason being is your toothpaste and toothbrush are very abrasive. If you use your toothbrush to brush your aligners it can cause micro scratches in your Invisalign Retainers/Aligners/Trays which can host mold and bacteria.
When you finish your
Invisalign treatment at Chicago Smile Design it is time to celebrate. Congratulations! You have graduated. At Chicago Smile Design if the doctor and the patient are both happy with the positioning of the patient’s teeth, our office will begin by removing any Invisalign buttons or attachments from their teeth. Chicago Smile Design will then take a new scan of the patient’s teeth and send the new Invisalign scan to Invisalign so that they may use it to construct the patient’s Vivera retainers. Vivera retainers are completely clear and look exactly like regular Invisalign aligners, but whereas Invisalign aligners are only designed to be worn for weeks at a time, Vivera retainers are much stronger and are designed to be worn for many years. The Vivera retainers will help keep the patient’s teeth in place. To start, the patient will wear their
Vivera Retainers for a few weeks’ both throughout the day and night. We arrange the time like this to allow time for the patient’s teeth to properly settle into the bone. Once the patient’s teeth are properly settled, the patient will only need to wear their Vivera retainers in the evening when sleeping.
Helping to create beautiful smiles for our patients is always a joy at Chicago Smile Design. While there are many ways we accomplish this goal, Invisalign is by far the smoothest and least stressful, at least as far as our doctors are concerned. We understand that for the patients, however, going through Invisalign can require a certain level effort and patience. But so long as they trust our doctors’ guidance, and follow their recommended treatment, we promise that our patients’ journey to a straighter smile will be a smooth & enjoyable one.
Best,
Dr Tomaselli
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