If you’ve ever considered or worn traditional braces before, you likely already know how challenging it can be to clean your teeth and gums with this type of equipment in your mouth. Thankfully, because of its discreet, removable trays, Invisalign treatment doesn’t cause these common frustrations. Here’s a closer look at how to care for your smile while wearing clear aligners, and why routine oral hygiene is so important when you do!
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment that aligns your smile with discreet, comfortable clear trays that fit over your teeth, gently guiding them into a more ideal position. However, unlike traditional braces, Invisalign trays are completely removable, so you don’t need to worry about getting food and debris trapped in them while you’re eating, and cleaning your teeth and gums after each meal is a breeze!
The Importance of Oral Hygiene with Invisalign
Because your clear aligners must remain on your teeth for 22 hours a day, it is important to always have clean teeth and gums. This means that in addition to taking your trays out before eating and drinking, you should both brush and floss your teeth after each meal, and brush after any beverage besides water. This way, you won’t have food particles or beverage residue trapped on your teeth with no way to be rinsed away underneath your aligners. Failing to keep your smile clean during Invisalign can increase your risk of cavities, decay and gum disease, which is one of the reasons why orthodontists only recommend it for adults and older or more mature children.
How Do I Floss with Invisalign?
While there are many useful tricks and tools available to make flossing easier for patients with traditional braces, the good news is that you shouldn’t need to invest in any of these with Invisalign. Because your trays are completely removable, it is easy to keep your teeth and gums clean using a regular soft-bristled toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. While it’s true that you will need to care for your teeth more often with Invisalign, this extra effort will be well worth it in the end, when your aligners come off for good and you have a gorgeous, glowing, perfectly aligned smile to show for it!
Remember, with discreet, comfortable Invisalign trays, you won’t need to worry about special tricks or tools to keep your smile looking and feeling its best. While you will need to brush and floss more frequently when you wear aligners, these easy steps will help keep your teeth healthy and strong during treatment and beyond!
About Our Practice
At Lifetime Dental Care, we want you to have a healthy, beautiful smile for, well, a lifetime! That’s why we’re pleased to offer Invisalign as one of our many oral health options. If you’d like to align your smile faster, more discreetly, and more comfortably than you ever thought possible, contact us today to learn more about this incredible treatment. To schedule your Invisalign consultation, visit our website or call us directly at 785-992-0345.