invisalign

Everything you need to know about invisalign

 

How often do I wear them?

You will be wearing your aligners 22/24 hours of the day. You will only take them out to eat, brush and floss your teeth.

If you eat with them they will break (so we advise against it!) You may drink with them, but keep in mind they are clear and will stain when drinking dark liquids.

For best care, remove them when drinking dark liquids and brush or rinse your mouth before putting them back in. If you don’t mind them staining, you may drink with them in.

 

When do I switch out MY aligners?

You will be switching out your aligners weekly -unless- the Doctor recommends otherwise.

We will make things easy for you and label your upcoming aligners with the dates you will need to switch them out on. You just have to make sure you are switching them out on the correct date. If you don’t switch out your aligners on the correct date, you risk delaying treatment and also messing up the switch out dates labeled on your other upcoming trays.

TIP: set reminders on your phone for all your upcoming aligners switch out dates.

 

What do i do with MY old aligners?

You can toss old aligners -BUT- make sure to keep one previous set of aligners just in case you lose the current one you’re in.

If you lose the current tray you’re in, first try to move forward onto the next aligner. If for any reason the next aligner does not fit properly, use the previous one to stabilize your teeth and prevent things from shifting. Let us know immediately if you lose or break your aligners, so we can order you a replacement.

You must always have your aligners in. If not, your teeth will shift back and you will need to start the whole process from the beginning.

If you go out of town and forget your next aligners, simply keep the current aligner in at all times to prevent your teeth from shifting back and move on to the next set of aligners when you return.

how do I keep my aligners clean?

We highly recommend Stay Clean Foam, developed specifically to eliminate stains, odor, and bacteria from your aligners. Stay Clean Foam is available for purchase at any of The Chicago Dental Studio locations, or online here.

How to use Stay Clean Foam to clean your aligners: Remove trays and place them inside of their case. Cover aligners with foam and let sit for up to five minutes. Rinse and brush aligners before placing them back into the mouth.

 Do not use denture cleaners. Those are meant for acrylic dentures and will stain your aligners.

making things clear

More of a visual learner? Here is a video for you to watch about your new Invisalign trays.

DONE WITH INVISALIGN?

keep reading to learn how to care for (and maintain) your beautiful new smile

 LIFE AFTER INVISALIGN.

  • Immediately after

    First, give yourself a high-five. You did it! And might we say, you look amazing!

    Since your teeth were in constant movement for multiple weeks while in treatment, our new goal is to get them stabilized.

    For the next 4-6 weeks, you should wear your retainers 22/24 hours per day.

  • After 4-6 weeks

    Now that you’re teeth are stabilized and secured into a more anchored position, you can stop wearing your trays so frequently.

    Now, you will only need to wear your aligners at night (every single night) to help hold your teeth in place.

  • Happily Ever after

    Keep smiling and showing those beautiful straight teeth off to the world.

    But to make sure this is a happily ever after situation, you’ll need to always wear your retainers at night.

    TIP: When worn consistently over time, clear aligner trays may warp and flex, which is why it’s important to occasionally update your set. The Chicago Dental Studio offers an aligner subscription, Stay Aligned, making it easy to maintain a beautiful, straight smile. Learn more here.

    Your teeth have memory, so not wearing properly fitting retainers will cause your teeth to shift back.