We are back to continue the discussion about Invisalign.  A common misconception for Invisalign treatment is that you only have to wear the aligners at night when you sleep.  However, most orthodontists recommend your Invisalign trays should be worn for around 22 hours/day.  For most of us, that means all the time except for when eating and brushing our teeth.  During this time, the aligners use light controlled forces to move the teeth into their new aligned position.  Wearing the aligners for less than the recommended time can lengthen treatment time, and lower the predictability of your result. 

You must also be careful of what you ingest while wearing your aligners. Although it is recommended that you remove your aligners when eating, drinking colored liquids such as coffee, tea, soda, red wine, etc. can cause the trays to discolor and may become apparent as you near the end of a current aligner. To counteract this, try to limit the consumption of these liquids.  If you must have them, try to drink them while eating, since you’ll have your aligners out at that time already.

Many people think that heat will sterilize your aligners, but DO NOT heat your Invisalign trays. Invisalign trays are made of a specialized plastic, and will melt if they are heated, boiled, microwaved, etc, and will no longer fit.  Brushing your teeth and aligners, as noted in our last blog, will be sufficient.

Lastly, you will still experience discomfort with Invisalign.  Luckily, the forces we use are light, and most discomfort you will experience can be controlled with over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol or Advil.

If you have any questions about your Invisalign, or if you’re interested in starting Invisalign treatment, please feel free to call our offices at Doylestown (215-348-5301) or Glenside (215-885-6020) today.