Sacramento, CA patients get tips on caring for invisible braces

Are you considering Invisalign orthodontics? Congratulations! You’ll be joining four million teens and adults who have taken this step for gorgeous, healthy smiles. As you embark on the experience, it helps to understand what you will need to do to keep your invisible braces and your mouth fresh and clean. Sacramento Natural Dentistry shares this advice for Invisalign patients in the Sacramento, CA area. 

Morning

 Aligners must be worn at least 20 hours a day (22 is better) for efficient straightening, so through the night is essential. In the morning:

• Remove aligners and place on a clean towel.
• Brush your teeth.
• Moisten aligners with tepid water.
• Using a soft brush reserved just for aligners and a dab of clear hand soap, gently brush, then rinse.
• Reinsert aligners.

 Mealtime

 Please do not eat or chew gum with aligners in your mouth. It will damage the plastic, and could harm your teeth. Remove your invisible braces before eating. Place them in their storage container – if you wrap them in a napkin they might be mistakenly tossed in the trash. Brush or at least rinse your mouth after eating, then replace aligners.

 Through the day

 It is okay to drink water with the aligner in place. However, hot beverages may warp the plastic. Any colored drinks can stain aligners and trap sugars and acids next to teeth. Some patients find an unexpected benefit from Invisalign treatment – weight loss from reduced snacking and soda consumption.

 Bedtime

 Repeat the morning procedure, but be sure to floss your teeth before reinserting aligners. An occasional soak in denture cleaner or Invisalign’s cleaning product helps to sanitize aligners, keeping breath fresh.

Don’t worry – these care steps quickly become routine as your smile visibly transforms. Start your journey to straight, attractive teeth with a call to Sacramento Natural Dentistry at (916) 823-8585.