At the commencement of your treatment and throughout, our team will provide you with advice and tools to maintain good oral hygiene. You will also be encouraged to continue seeing your general dentist for routine checks and cleans.
If the necessary steps are not adequately followed and your teeth or orthodontic device are not kept clean, your oral and dental health may decline, and this may cause bad breath, staining, tooth decay, gingivitis and gum disease.
As with any new orthodontic appliance, there is a short stage of adjustment as your tongue and lips get used to having something new nearby. Some people report having a subtle lisp with the very first aligner that is gone after a day or two. Since the aligners will be in your mouth for the better part of every day, you will get so very used to them that you’ll forget they are there.
However, the beauty of Invisalign means that, if you have an important work meeting or a special event, you can simply remove the aligners for that short period of time.
To be most affective, it is recommended that you wear each set of aligners for a minimum of 22 hours per day (allowing time without them to eat, drink, clean your teeth and the aligners) for two weeks. However, if you need to take them out for a special event or feel like you just haven’t been as diligent for a fortnight, you can simply make up that lost time beyond the date you would normally be due to swap to your next set.
Please note that prolonged misuse of the aligners may have a negative impact on your treatment, including delaying or even preventing movement of your teeth.
Invisalign has become one of the most popular methods to straighten teeth for many of our patients in various age groups. Yes, Invisalign is a perfectly safe, effective, and discreet option for teenagers if your child’s teeth have developed to an appropriate stage, using Invisalign Teen.
One of the great benefits of Invisalign is that the aligners can be removed, meaning you can maintain good oral hygiene with minimal disruption. With this said, compliance and the commitment to wearing your aligners for 22 hours a day are crucial for your treatment result.
It is more common to see teenagers remove their aligners and forget to put replace them. This isn’t always the case, but something to be consider when committing to Invisalign treatment. Invisalign is a great alternative to braces for teenagers who possess the motivation and responsibility to follow the prescribed treatment to achieve a positive outcome.
Orthodontic treatment (whether you have Invisalign, braces or another appliance) should not impact playing sport. However, we strongly recommend you use a re-mouldable sports mouthguard to prevent injury or damage to your mouth, teeth or your Invisalign. For more information, see Patients in Treatment.
The aligners are made of non-toxic, medical grade plastic, making them safe for use by all. If you have any further concerns, please do not hesitate to mention them in your consultation.
Invisalign treatment is designed to move the teeth through gentle pressure or tension. Each set of aligners will cause a small movement over the two weeks they must be worn. After this, you will move to the next set and the next small movement. When you are fitted with your first set of Invisalign aligners, and when you subsequently change to the next set, they will feel tight and you may feel pressure or tension in the areas where the movement is being encouraged. This is normal and may only be noticeable for a day or so. This feeling might be achey, but it should not be “painful”.
We recommend that you do not eat or drink with your aligners in, except for cool water. As the aligners are clear plastic plates fitted to your teeth, anything you eat or drink will likely end up inside the aligners and will be detrimental to the health of your mouth and teeth. You will also risk staining or even breaking your aligners. So, when you would like a snack or a drink, simply remove your aligners and replace them when finished.
When you commence treatment, we will recommend that you hold on to your previous set of aligners in case you misplace or damage your current set.
If this has happened, we recommend you switch back to your previous set of aligners, so you have something to hold your teeth in their current position. As you know, without aligners in place, your teeth are at risk of moving out of position, which may throw off your treatment plan.
Please contact us to determine if replacement aligners need to be made.
If you do not have any aligners available to wear, please contact us immediately, so that we can organise another solution for you.
Invisalign Chewies (the small rubber blocks you will have received when you collected your first sets of aligners) are used to help seat your aligner by minimising the airspace between the aligner and the teeth. Sometimes you will need to use this for specific teeth more than others. Each time you insert your aligner, gently bite down on the Chewie as you would a piece of chewing gum, using light pressure, from one side of your mouth to the other, ensuring all teeth have been contacted. This will improve the fit of the aligner, allowing for the most successful movement.