Maintaining Your Marvellous Smile: Post-Invisalign Care Tips
If you have made the decision to invest your time, money, and dedication into getting Invisalign treatment, chances are you understand just how important it is to keep up with good practice and oral hygiene. Ensuring your aligners have been worn at least 22 hours a day, cleaned, and used alongside good hygiene habits.
Now if you have come to the end of your Invisalign treatment, hurrah! Hopefully, you will have a beautiful, straight smile to show for all your hard work and dedication. However, the treatment doesn’t stop there. For your smile to stay beautiful, you need to ensure the proper upkeep and aftercare from your treatment.
To do this successfully, here at Northenden House Orthodontics, we have put together a short guide to ensure that you get the most out of your Invisalign treatment.
Our Top Post-Invisalign Maintenance Tips.
Invisalign braces are excellent at correcting crooked teeth, closing gaps, and straightening overlapping teeth. However, one common mistake we see is the failure to keep up with aftercare. A lot of people think that when they come to the end of their Invisalign treatment they can go back to their usual dental routine, pre-treatment, but this simply isn’t the case. For your smile to stay just as you want it, there needs to be time and effort put into the aftercare.
It’s All About Your Retainers.
After completing your Invisalign treatment, we will provide you with retainers. These are essential for preventing your teeth from shifting back to their original position, and while you may not need to wear them as often as your aligners, following your orthodontist's instructions on how and when to wear your retainers is crucial. Initially, you might need to wear them full-time and then reduce the time you wear them, transitioning to wearing them only at night eventually. Excellent hygiene for your retainers is vital, just like with your Invisalign aligners. Clean them twice daily using a gentle toothbrush and mild soap or retainer cleaning solution but do not use hot water, as it could distort the shape of the retainers.
Keep Up the Good Oral Hygiene.
Continue practising good oral hygiene to prevent tooth decay and gum issues by brushing your teeth at least twice a day using fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristle toothbrush. Floss daily to clean between your teeth and along the gum line, and if you're on the go and can't brush, rinse your mouth with water to help remove food particles. It is also advisable to avoid staining substances such as coffee, tea, red wine, and coloured sauces. If you do consume them then try to do it in moderation and try to rinse your mouth or brush your teeth soon afterward to minimise staining.
Create Healthy Habits.
Drinking plenty of water has multiple benefits for your oral health as it helps wash away food particles, promotes saliva production, which aids in fighting bacteria, and keeps your mouth moist, preventing dry mouth and bad breath. Consume healthy foods that are good for your teeth such as apples, carrots, broccoli, yoghurt, milk and cheese, fish, and nuts, such as almonds. If you have any habits like nail biting, pen chewing, or using your teeth to open packages, now is the best time to try and break them. These habits can damage your teeth and compromise all the work you have put into your smile. Lastly, if you tend to grind or clench your teeth, especially at night, consider discussing a nightguard with your orthodontist. Grinding or clenching can put stress on your teeth and affect tooth alignment over time.
Stay Well Acquainted with your Orthodontist and Dentist.
Ensure that you continue to visit your orthodontist for regular check-ups and maintain your regular examination schedule with your dentist. We recommended regular scale and polishes (professional clean by your dentist or hygienist). Professional cleanings remove plaque and tartar build-up that can't be effectively addressed at home. Your dentist can also monitor your oral health and offer guidance if any issues arise. If you do notice any issues at home, then it’s important to address these with your orthodontist as soon as possible. Prompt attention to any concerns such as discomfort, shifting, or other changes in your smile, can help prevent more significant issues from developing.
Expert Invisalign Care at your Local Orthodontists, Manchester.
In short, Invisalign treatment doesn’t stop at the termination of wearing your aligners. To ensure that you have a straight, healthy, and beautiful smile for life, it’s important to take aftercare seriously.
At Northenden House Orthodontics, Invisalign is our most popular hidden brace system, simply due to its ease of use and discreteness. Our team of expertly trained orthodontists is fully qualified to issue not just the full treatment plan of Invisalign but to ensure that our patients follow through with the aftercare also. After all, if you are investing in your smile then we want to ensure you get the most out of that investment.
If you would like to contact us for a consultation around your eligibility for Invisalign, then you can do so with one of our specialist orthodontists today.
- Mohammad Malik
