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If you’re about to start aligning your smile with the help of Invisalign, you may have already heard the many wonderful benefits of this innovative treatment. Invisalign truly does provide unprecedented freedom over traditional braces, but despite its convenience and flexibility, there are still a few things you should know about it before you begin. Here are five facts about Invisalign to be aware of before you get started.
It Could Still Be a Bit Uncomfortable at First
One of the perks of Invisalign is that it’s more comfortable than traditional braces. But that doesn’t mean it’s completely painless. You may still experience a bit of discomfort with aligners, especially when you advance to a new set. Thankfully, this soreness typically only lasts a day or so, and can be easily managed with the help of over-the-counter pain reliver like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
You May Have a (Temporary) Lisp
When you’re first getting used to speaking with your new aligners, it’s not uncommon to have a slight but temporary lisp. Thankfully, the more you get used to speaking with them on, the faster this will go away and the clearer you will be able to enunciate again. Most patients notice this goes away in about a month.
You May Want to Change Up Your Diet
While Invisalign does not carry with it the dietary restrictions that traditional braces do, you may still want to rethink how you eat. With Invisalign, you’ll need to wear your aligners for 22 hours each day in order for your treatment to be successful. Removing them for meals is a great help, but if you are a snacker or grazer, you might want to reconsider this. That’s because your aligner-free time must also include time to care for your teeth and gums, so while you do have two hours off, you’ll need to get all of your meals and cleanings into that two hour window to keep your treatment on track.
Thus, make sure you’re divvying up your snack, meal, and oral hygiene times appropriately!
Oral Hygiene Will Take Longer
Keeping your teeth and gums clean during Invisalign treatment is very important, because once those aligners go on, your saliva cannot do its job and rinse away plaque, bacteria, and food particles from your teeth. Thus, it is essential that your teeth and gums are completely clean when you put your aligners back in. This of course means that you will likely spend more time brushing and flossing than you normally do, so don’t forget to build that time into your day and your two-hour aligner free time.
Treatment Doesn’t End with Your Aligners
Once you’ve completed your Invisalign treatment, you are free to enjoy your new smile, but you will likely still need to wear a retainer to maintain your beautiful results. For the first month, you will most likely need to wear them around the clock; however, after that you will likely only need to wear them to bed. This is done to prevent your teeth from shifting back into their original pre-treatment alignment.
Remember, Invisalign is much easier to wear and more comfortable than traditional braces, but it still does require you to commit to proper care and usage during treatment. The good news is that despite these minor temporary lifestyle changes, you’ll soon have a beautiful smile to show for all that hard work!
About Our Practice
At Dentex Dental of Philadelphia, we take the stress out of oral health care. Whether you’re looking for an exam and cleaning, to replace lost teeth with the help of dental implants, or you’d like to better align your smile with Invisalign, our team of skilled, compassionate dentists is honored to help.
To learn more about your Invisalign options, or for any other type of appointment, please visit our website today, or call us at 215-677-3904.