Invisalign do’s and don’ts whilst in treatment

Your Invisalign Treatment questions answered!

After you’ve had your consultation, and proceeded with your clin check, our Invisalign Dentist will arrange an appointment to go through all the risks and benefits of Invisalign. Once you’re happy, our team will then arrange your “bond up” Invisalign appointment. At your bond up appointment, you will have all your attachments placed on your teeth, and the alteration in the spaces between them will be completed as per your clin check. At this point your first invisalign aligner will be fitted for you, and you are ready to go!

As there is a lot of information to take in with Invisalign, we’ve put together this Do’s and Don’ts sheet, to help ensure we’ve answered all your questions.

Invisalign Braces Scarborough North Yorkshire
Do:
  • Ensure that you are happy with the Clin Check (3D model simulator, designed to show you where we are aiming to move your teeth to). The end result is aiming to get to this point, your Invisalign Dentist will discuss specific complications associated with your teeth, if any. But the end result will not be drastically different, so if you are wanting to achieve something that is not showing on your clin check, its best to discuss this before you start treatment.
  • Make sure you understand that although Invisalign is a conservative way to improve your smile, there are some aspects that are irreversible. Completion of the IPR, which is increasing the spaces in between your teeth, is irreversible. It’s very minimal, and has very minimal consequences to your teeth, but it cannot be reversed. So do make sure you’re happy with what we are trying to achieve to improve your smile before you stage your treatment.
  • Be aware that the attachments that we bond to your teeth have to stay on for the duration of your Invisalign Journey. They are removed at your last appointment. If you lose one, please call our team to discuss your specific case with the dentist. In some instances we might need to see you sooner than your next appointment, in some cases we don’t.
  • Be prepared to have your aligner fitted at your bond up stage. This means from that appointment, you will have to follow the rules for wear and care of these aligners in order for your treatment to be successful.
  • Practice taking your aligners out and putting them back in again whilst with us for your bond up appointment. They are easy to get used to but do take a bit of practice!
  • Take some pain relief for the first day or so of each aligner. These aligners are moving your teeth through bone, so it can be uncomfortable at times
  • MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR ALIGNERS IN FOR AT LEAST 22 HOURS PER DAY, EVERY DAY. THIS LEAVES JUST 2 HOURS FOR EATING AND DRINKING ANYTHING OTHER THAN WATER. NEVER LEAVE THEM OUT FOR MORE THAN 90 MINUTES AT ANY ONE TIME, YOUR TEETH WILL JUST MOVE BACK A STAGE WHICH WILL AFFECT YOUR RESULT.
Don’t:
  • Forget to brush and floss (or use interproximal brushes on) your teeth, as well as brush your aligners really well after every time you eat or drink anything other than water. Make sure you do this before bed, and first thing when you wake up. Make a little kit that you carry around with you with a toothbrush, small toothpaste and interdental aids, so that you can take this with you for use during the day. If you don’t keep your teeth and alginers clean, you will get decay and gum disease, and we will have to stop treatment. If you start to notice staining on your aligners, you can soak them in diluted milton (one quarter of a milton tablet in 20ml of water) for 5 minutes whilst you are having your evening meal. It just makes them a bit less discolored.
  • As above, don’t leave your aligners out for 90 minutes or more at any time. You must wear them for 22 hours a day.
  • Keep your current aligner anywhere other than in your mouth or in the box provided. Don’t be tempted to place it in a tissue or pocket. If you lose your aligner, you can go back to the previous alginer, or try the next aligner in, but often we need to re-order the lost aligner, and there is a charge from Invisalign for this. It will also delay your treatment by at least 2-3 weeks.
  • Dispose of your old aligners until you have finished your treatment. As above, you may need one of them!
  • Be tempted to eat or drink with your aligners in. It will damage your teeth and the aligners. It may mean we have to stop treatment if your teeth need treatment. Or you may have to pay additional fees to Invisalign to replace broken aligners.
  • Forget to change your aligner each week. Unless your Invisalign dentist has told you otherwise, each aligner is worn for just one week only. So make a note of your change over day (it will always be the same day of the week as when you have your first bond up appointment) and on the morning of that day, you move into your new alginer. There may be some cases where alginers have to be worn for longer, your invisalign dentist will tell you if this is the case. You can download the app- “My Invisalign” from your usual app store and this helps keep track of your journey for you, and send you notification if you miss a change over!
  • Miss any of your appointments, where possible, as this will add weeks onto your overall treatment.
  • Forget to check with our team what your specific payment schedule is. Your invisalign dentist will have provided you with details of cost, and told you how much will be due at each appointment. We need to ensure the balance of your treatment is paid in full before your last appointment, so don’t forget to check if you’re unsure about your specific details. In some cases we will be unable to complete your last debond appointment, where your attachments are removed if your payment schedule has not been met.
  • Underestimate the importance of retention. Retention means keeping your teeth in their new position. So this is one of the most important aspects about all orthodontic treatment. If you are not diligent with your retainers, to ensure retention, then your teeth will relapse- which means just go back to where they were. This will happen very quickly in the first year, it can even start to happen over the space of a day. Even after the first year though, your teeth can still move, so retention needs to be maintained for life! (Or as long as you want your teeth in this new position)
  • Forget your retention schedule given to you by your Invisalign Dentist. This will mainly consist of:
    • 1. Wearing your last Invisalign Aligner for a further 2 weeks (sometimes up to 4 weeks if your teeth were in a challenging position initially) after your attachments have been removed. You should aim to still wear them full time, as much as possible, to allow your ligaments around your teeth to get used to being in their new positions.
    • 2. Then wear your retainers (which are like aligners, but with no attachment spaces on, your Invisalign Dentist will make these for you at the end of your treatment) every night. You must not miss a night of wear for the first 12 months.
    • 3. After 12 months of finishing your invisalign treatment, you must wear your retainers at least 4 nights per week. Any less than this and your teeth will go back to the old position.
    • 4. Keep your last invisalign aligner. If you have missed a night wearing your retainers, or you do not wear your aligners full time in the first 2 weeks after treatment, and you relapse, you can use your last Invisalign aligner to try and get your teeth back to the finished result again. It is better though to just wear your retainers or aligners as above.
  • Forget to share your before and after photos with us here at Newby Dental! Tag us in your social media story, we love to see how happy you are with the final result! We’re here to make you smile after all!