There are many of us out there that may have crooked or out of place teeth. This could be a cause for concern as it knocks your confidence and can lead to many health problems down the road. Traditionally there’s an easy solution to this problem which is braces. The problem is a lot of people get even more self-conscious when wearing braces. Traditional braces are made from metal wiring and can stand out a lot on you.
Thereโs a great alternative to braces thatโs really picking up a storm lately. Invisalign is just like braces. Itโs a treatment used to help straighten your teeth. The difference is that it uses clear plastic retainers instead of metal brackets. In doing so it means you don’t look like you’re wearing braces at all. Itโs invisible so you get the benefit of straightening out your teeth without the self-conscious feeling of wearing metal braces.
If you’re interested in having an invisalign treatment here are 14 things you need to know before starting invisalign. These are things number one to eight.
Number one: keep your aligners in as much as possible.
The first tip is simple, you need to keep your invisalign aligners in for as long as possible every day. This is the only way you’ll see results and the best way to see fast results. It is suggested that you refrain from taking them out at all unless you have to brush your teeth, eat or drink. Once that first two day period is over, you should still aim to keep them in as much as possible about 22 hours a day minimum. The longer you have them in, the better it will be for your teeth plus you’ll start noticing them less and less. If you keep them on, it just feels like you have nothing on your teeth which means no cause for discomfort.
Number two: you’ll need to adjust how you speak.
One of the only drawbacks with invisalign is that it can affect your speech. When you first put them on, you’ll have a bit of a lisp. Itโs important to prepare yourself for this, so it won’t shock you as much when you talk. Thereโs nothing you can do to prevent this. Itโs just a natural reaction to having these things in your mouth. However, it’s worth noting that you won’t have a lisp the whole time you wear them. It will only really be in the first few days as you get used to the change. Donโt be tempted to remove them when talking to others. If you keep taking them out, you’ll always have speech problems when they’re in. So it makes more sense to just prepare for the lisp and get over it as you wear them.
Number three: invisalign treatment length varies for each person.
Before you start invisalign, you should probably know how long the treatment is going to last. On average, it can last about a year for most adults. Of course this all depends on the state of your teeth and how much work needs to be done. If your teeth are just slightly misaligned, or if there are just one or two teeth out of place, then it might last less than a few months. Likewise, if your teeth aren’t in great shape, it can last longer.
Number four: results are faster than metal braces.
One of the great things about invisalign is that it doesn’t take long to see results. In fact, most people see them after a couple of months but this only happens if you revert back to point number one and keep your aligners in for as long as possible every day.
Number five: remember to floss.
No doubt your dentist tells you to floss every day whenever you go and visit him. Do you do it? I think we can agree that very few of us actually floss every day. It seems like a chore and we decide not to do it because we’re not in the habit. With invisalign, flossing is more important than ever as you really need to keep your teeth and gums as clean as can be. When you don’t floss, there can be a buildup of food, plaque and other such things between your teeth. This becomes problematic as it can rub off into your aligners. Consequently, you could get this gunk stuck in the aligners which means they don’t fit your teeth as perfectly as they should. This leads to pain which no one wants to deal with. You can use thread floss, floss picks or water flosser to clean your teeth after meals.
Number six: set aside some extra time for daily dental care.
Normally we can get away with a short dental care routine that lasts a couple of minutes. If you’re in a rush, you can brush your teeth for two minutes at the start of the day and two minutes at the end and, that’s it. But with invisalign you need to set aside a little extra minute or two as daily dental care takes longer for one. You have to brush and floss more often than you would without them. Every time you eat you need to give your teeth a brush and floss. This is purely because the invisalign will cover your teeth and keep them covered in whatever you just ate. So you could have sugar stuck to your teeth for hours on end if you don’t brush before putting the aligners back on. You can’t afford to miss any steps during your dental care routine, either. As a result it could take an extra few minutes and you need to plan your day so you have enough time to fully clean your teeth.
Number seven: remember to clean your aligners.
This is such a big tip for anyone considering invisalign. As well as looking after your teeth you should also look after your aligners. They need to be cleaned every day just like your teeth. Cleaning them is so easy, you just use your toothbrush and clean them with some toothpaste every morning and evening. You can also use this tablet to clean your aligners more easily.
Those are first seven things you need to know before starting invisalign. We will talk about the rest next week.
