How to Succeed and Fail at Invisalign

Invisalign’s marketing is so ubiquitous and so quick to point out the differences between Invisalign and traditional braces — Clear! Removable! Comfortable! Fast! — that straightening your teeth with aligners seems almost effortless. Spoiler alert: It’s not. 

Invisalign’s thermoplastic aligners are indeed clear, removable and comfortable. Treatment plans for straightening your teeth with Invisalign in NE Calgary are often shorter than similar plans based on metal braces. But successful Invisalign treatment takes discipline, attention to detail and commitment to your own success and goals. It also requires complying with some simple but important Do’s and Don’ts.

DO wear your aligners for at least 20 hours daily and ideally 22 hours. Invisalign only works when you’re wearing your aligners. The schedule for completing your treatment plan that your orthodontist in NE Calgary gave you is based on wearing them at least 20 hours daily.

DO clean your aligners before you put them back in your mouth — every time. Unless you clean your aligners, bacteria will accumulate on them and become trapped between the aligners and your teeth. Where bacteria accumulates, foul odours and stains are sure to follow.

DO brush your teeth after every time you eat and drink. Food particles, sugars and acids from your last meal will linger in your mouth unless you brush thoroughly and become trapped between your aligners and your teeth. Where food particles, sugars and acids accumulate, tooth decay, cavities and gingivitis are sure to follow.

DO put your aligners in the storage case if they’re not in your mouth or hand. Your aligners are small and, as you may have heard, transparent. That’s a recipe for an item that is extremely easy to lose if you place it on or in a napkin or just leave it haphazardly lying about. Get into the habit of carrying your storage case with you whenever you leave the house, and of using it every time you take your aligners out.

DON’T forget to take your aligners out when you eat or drink. The only thing you can safely drink while wearing your aligners is cool plain water. Your aligners can not withstand the pressures to which they’ll be exposed while you bite and chew food. As mentioned above, food and liquids will inevitably get trapped between your aligners and your teeth and expose you to the risk of foul odours, stained aligners, stained teeth, tooth decay, cavities and gingivitis. It is not worth it.

DON’T expose your aligners to hot temperatures. Drinking hot beverages while wearing your aligners or rinsing them in overly hot water may warp your aligners. Warped aligners won’t produce straight teeth. Remember to drink only cool plain water while wearing your aligners. And use only lukewarm water to rinse them.

DON’T skip aligners in sequence even if you lose one. Your treatment plan is based on an orderly and scheduled progression through a series of gradually changing aligners… in sequence. If you lose an upcoming aligner, let your orthodontist know as soon as you can. They’ll tell you what to do to stay as close to on track as possible while a replacement aligner is obtained.

DON’T clean your aligners with harsh cleansers. Toothpaste and harsh soaps contain abrasives that will scratch your aligners and make them more visible to the outside world than you want them to be. Coloured and scented soaps are especially harmful. When cleaning your aligners, follow your orthodontist’s instructions and the instructions from Invisalign to the letter.

If you follow these instructions and your orthodontist’s guidance diligently while wearing Invisalign in NE Calgary, your diligence will pay off. Your orthodontist in NE Calgary has the same goal as you — that your teeth be as straight as possible as quickly and comfortably as possible. Don’t hesitate to use your orthodontist as a resource at any time questions arise during your Invisalign journey.