When you have Invisalign braces there are steps you can take to properly eat and drink without damaging your aligners. Here are some helpful tips to make eating and drinking with Invisalign braces more comfortable and less worrisome.

Remove Your Aligners

One of the easiest ways to ensure that you don’t damage your aligners while eating is to simply remove them. Take your aligners out before eating and drinking then clean them thoroughly with a toothbrush and warm water. Remember to always brush your teeth before putting your aligners back in.

Avoid Staining Beverages

If you choose to drink beverages while wearing your aligners, try to avoid staining beverages like coffee, tea, and red wine. These beverages can discolor your aligners and make them more noticeable over time. Stick to clear beverages like water or sparkling water.

Cut Your Food into Smaller Pieces

When eating, try cutting your food into smaller pieces. This will help you chew more easily and reduce the risk of damaging your aligners. Avoid biting into hard or crunchy foods, which can cause your aligners to shift or crack.

Rinse Your Mouth After Eating

After eating, rinse your mouth with water to remove any food particles or residue. This will help keep your aligners clean and prevent bacteria from building up. Preventing bacteria buildup is important when you have Invisalign braces, as it can help keep your aligners clean and prevent oral health issues like tooth decay and gum disease.

Keep Your Aligners in a Safe Place

When you remove your aligners keep them in a safe place. Avoid placing them on a napkin or tissue, this can lead to them easily being thrown away or lost. Instead keep them in their case to prevent damage or loss.

Brush and Floss Regularly

Maintaining good oral hygiene is crucial when you have Invisalign braces. Be sure to brush and floss regularly to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Here Are Some Tips for Brushing and Flossing With Invisalign Braces:

Brushing:

1. Remove Your Aligners: Take your aligners out before brushing your teeth.
2. Use a Soft-Bristled Brush: Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean your teeth and aligners to prevent damaging them.
3. Brush Thoroughly: Brush your teeth for at least two minutes, focusing on all surfaces of your teeth, including the front, back, and chewing surfaces. Don’t forget to brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.
4. Rinse and Clean Your Aligners: After brushing rinse your mouth and your aligners with water. You can also choose to use a mild soap or Invisalign cleaning crystals to clean your aligners.

Flossing:

1. Remove Your Aligners: Take your aligners out before flossing.
2. Choose the Right Floss: Use a floss threader or orthodontic floss to floss between your teeth and under your aligners.
3. Floss Carefully: Be gentle when flossing to avoid damaging your aligners. Use a back-and-forth motion to slide the floss between your teeth and remove any food particles or plaque.
4. Rinse Your Mouth: After flossing rinse your mouth with water to remove any remaining debris.
5. Clean Your Aligners: Before putting your aligners back in it is best to clean them with a toothbrush and mild soap or Invisalign cleaning crystals.

Follow Your Dental Professional’s Instructions

Finally, make sure to follow your dental professional’s instructions for wearing and caring for your aligners. They will provide you with specific guidelines to ensure that your treatment is successful.

We at Art of Dentistry Institute want to ensure that your desired results are achieved in the best possible way. To find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign in the Orange County area including Irvine Invisalign and Newport Beach Invisalign, contact us to schedule a consultation. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Smile! In this era of Instagram, camera phones, and selfies, your smile is put on the spot more than ever before. If you have crooked or misaligned teeth, you might feel out of place and uncomfortable every time someone asks you to smile for the camera.

And Americans need a confident smile for more than just the occasional snapshot. Multiple studies have shown how straight teeth impact various aspects of our life, including dating, relationships, and work opportunities. A healthy smile gives you a great chance to make an unforgettable first impression.

Even if you do everything you can to keep your teeth clean, flossing and brushing regularly, crooked teeth might prevent you from a confident smile. You can’t control the alignment of your teeth by flossing and brushing more often, but you can take control through Invisalign.

What Is Invisalign and How Does It Work?

Invisalign, like braces, is a system that straightens out your teeth over time. Instead of the metal brackets and wires associated with braces, Invisalign uses personalized, clear plastic trays. Every couple weeks, you will switch to a new set of plastic aligners, helping your teeth comfortably shift week by week.

So what’s the process? First, you’ll need to schedule a consultation with your dentist. Invisalign can correct many dental issues, both mild and severe, but some specific issues might require a different form of treatment. During the consultation, you will also have time to ask any questions or talk about concerns you have before treatment.

Next, the dentist will take x-rays and impressions of your teeth. With that information, the dentist can prepare a treatment plan and demonstrate how your teeth will move and change over the course of the treatment. Each aligner will make small, progressive corrections to your teeth that add up to make a big difference in your smile.

After your custom aligner trays are finished, you can begin wearing them. You should only remove them for a brief amount of time, like during meals or tooth brushing. Your dentist will observe your progress to make sure the aligners are moving your teeth correctly. Treatment time varies from person to person, but most adults use Invisalign for around a year.

Why Use Invisalign Instead of Braces?

Many people avoid orthodontic care simply because they fear the look of traditional braces. These people probably heard disparaging phrases like “metalmouth” and worry about any repercussions from using metal braces. The great thing about Invisalign is that the aligners are nearly invisible. They draw much less attention than traditional braces.

In addition to the aesthetic benefits of Invisalign, you also enjoy much more freedom. When you agree to braces, you also agree to sacrifice a lot of different foods. Sticky foods like gum and candies are prohibited. You also need to avoid hard or crunchy foods like chips, hard-crusted bread, and nuts. Even healthy foods like apples and corn on the cob might get stuck in or even damage your braces.

Invisalign doesn’t require any food restrictions, because you take out the plastic aligners whenever you eat. This perk also benefits your personal tooth maintenance. Brushing, and especially flossing, become difficult while you use braces, but with Invisalign, you simply remove the aligners when you need to brush and floss.

Because Invisalign evades the use of wires and sharp metal, your mouth will also feel more comfortable than it does with braces. Any blow or pressure to a mouth with braces might result in torn or scratched cheeks. For this reason, playing sports or practicing musical instruments can be painful. The smooth plastic utilized in Invisalign is safe and comfortable.

Do I Have Other Options Beyond Braces or Invisalign?

If you feel like neither braces nor Invisalign will work for you, the dentist might suggest different options. For example, porcelain veneers work as a quick fix if you need results right away. A veneer is a thin plastic shell that bonds directly to the front of your tooth and enhances its appearance. Veneers also help with oddly shaped or discolored teeth, so they can fix multiple problems at once.

Sometimes a dental crown might be the right answer. If you have an oddly shaped tooth, a porcelain crown might fix the issue. Or if you feel like your teeth have a nice shape and alignment, perhaps a cosmetic dentist will simply suggest a tooth-whitening procedure to enhance your smile.

It’s important to know that you have access to a wide variety of treatments to enhance your smile. A reputable cosmetic dentist will find the perfect solution for your teeth. Invisalign isn’t the only answer, but it has helped many, many people feel more confident and comfortable with their smile. So schedule an appointment with a cosmetic dentist to see if Invisalign will help you with your own smile.