Invisalign: Day-to-Day

Across America, more and more people are choosing Invisalign to correct dental misalignment. Instead of using metal brackets and wires, Invisalign improves the appearance and health of your teeth with clear plastic aligners. Many people considering Invisalign often wonder what they can expect from wearing the aligners on a day-to-day basis. Below, your Los Angeles & Century City orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, discusses what to expect in your daily routine from Invisalign.

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Day to Day with Invisalign

For the most part, Invisalign won’t cause you to deviate from your normal routine. A typical day with Invisalign might look like this:

  • Morning: When you wake up, remove the aligner and clean by giving it a quick rinse and brushing under the tap. Then, brush and floss your teeth as you normally would. When you eat breakfast and drink your coffee, remove the aligners. After you’re done eating, brush your teeth once more and then pop in your aligner tray. If you are limited with time, you can just brush after your breakfast.
  • During the day: Try to avoid sipping on sodas, tea, coffee, or any beverages other than water throughout the day. We don’t want the sugar in these drinks to sit on the teeth for any great length of time. Don’t chew gum with the trays and always remove the trays during meals. After you eat, brush your teeth before putting the aligners back in. You don’t want stray food particles trapped in your teeth since this can increase your risk of tooth decay, gingivitis, and bad breath. We do recommend that you put your aligners on your teeth after meals even if you have not had an opportunity to brush. When you get home in the next 4-6 hours be sure to brush your teeth.
  • Before bed: Clean your aligners again and floss and brush your teeth thoroughly before wearing the aligner for the night. You may want to take this opportunity to soak your tray in the specialized cleaning crystals offered by Invisalign. Our patients have also found that Kleen Nite denture cleaners work very well to clean Aligners.

Most of our patients are surprised at how little Invisalign impacts their daily routine. In fact, many experience an improvement in their oral health since they tend to pay more attention to brushing, flossing, and keeping their teeth clean while wearing the trays. A fun side effect is some people actually loose weight while using Invisalign.

A New Tray, A New Day

Approximately every two to four weeks you will upgrade to a new aligner. When you do, you may experience some mild discomfort as the new aligner begins slightly repositioning your teeth. For the first couple of days after you switch to a new tray, you may want to keep over-the-counter pain medication, such as Tylenol (Avoid Advil, Motrin or any Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory – they reduce the speed of orthodontic tooth movement), on hand to ease any soreness. In addition, limiting your diet to softer foods for a day or two after switching aligners can help you stay more comfortable.

Schedule an Appointment with Your Los Angeles Orthodontist

Interested in Invisalign but want to know what you can expect from the treatment? Dr. Alpan will be happy to address any questions or concerns you may have. You can schedule a consultation by contacting us at one of our two locations. Call our Los Angeles office at 213-513-7559, our Century City office at (310) 888-0066