Whether this is your first day or you're a seasoned pro at Invisalign the following tips and tricks guide will make your journey a breeze!
If you haven't watched the video below please review the quick guide video on using AI to track your progress using the My Invisalign app. This will:
- Keep your smile on track with the doctor able to review your progress on a weekly basis
- Provide convenient virtual check-ins from anywhere
My Invisalign® app
Wear time during the day
It's essential to wear your Invisalign trays at all times and remove them only for eating, brushing and flossing. Optimal tooth movement with Invisalign requires you wear your aligners for a minimum of 22hrs/per day. You are encouraged to track Daily-wear on the wear timer in the My Invisalign® app
Use the virtual care app for photos every week. Sending photos infrequently (every 4-6 weeks) will increase time that tracking issues go unaddressed.
Can I drink hot or cold drinks with my trays in?
Feel free to enjoy ANY drink with your trays in —coffee, water, soda, tea, alcohol, and smoothies—all are fine. Regardless of your choice, when you're done, simply remove the trays, give them a quick rinse under water, and place them back. This practice prevents sugar and other undesirable residues from accumulating beneath the trays and lingering on your teeth, which could lead to cavities. Use Hyrogen peroxide as indicated below to keep your trays stain free.
Daily care and maintenance of your Invisalign aligners
Clear, lightly-scented hand soap and a soft manual toothbrush is a simplest, easiest way to clean your Invisalign trays. Do not use toothpaste as it can scratch the trays.
Aligner cases may be hand washed with soap and water. Do not use a dishwasher to clean your case or your aligners.
Keep aligners away from HOT water and harsh chemicals. Do NOT use denture cleaners to clean aligners, and do not soak them in mouthwash. These products can damage the surface of the aligner, causing them to become dull and more visible.
Always rinse your trays with water when you take them out- this helps prevent them from turning yellow. Lukewarm water should be used because hot water can cause deformation.
Tobacco use, smoking or vaping while wearing aligners will lead to discoloration or damage.
Hydrogen peroxide for cleaning trays that are turing yellow
The best solution for removing yellow stains on trays you are wearing full time is using 3% hydrogen peroxide and soaking for 20 minutes.
What if I run out of top or bottom trays but still have more trays to wear on the opposite arch?
Wear the tray you finished early with at nighttime only. The recommended wear time is 10 hours/night so if you can place them in after your last meal that would be ideal.
When you wake up in the morning you will store that 1 tray in a cup with 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and then put it back in the next night. You will continue to change the tray on the opposite arch at the prescribed intervals from your My Invisalign® app.
Using this method will keep your trays looking clean for multiple weeks.
Change the Hydrogen peroxide solution, once a week. We recommend Sundays to keep it consistent.
Is there a best time in the day to put in my aligners?
Insert your new aligners after your last meal before bedtime. Having your new aligners in for the longest uninterrupted time can help move your teeth into the next position. With new trays, you may experience mild to moderate discomfort for the first 48 hours. You can use a mild pain reliever like Advil if needed.
Is there a right way to remove the trays?
Yes! "Peel the tray off" the teeth from the lingual. Start on one side and remove it from only one side and then work it out the rest of the way.
DO NOT:
- Remove trays on both sides at the same time
- Start removing from the front first
Otherwise you could end up tearing the Aligner
Invisalign Storage Cases
You are going to get two cases. One will be used as a travel case, and the other will be used as a stay-at-home case. Basically, one should always be with you, and one should always be at home. The travelling case will be used when you take your trays out. If you go to a restaurant and order food when the trays come out, the case is a safe place to put them. Many patients will put them in napkins, and the waitress will take them and throw them away. Unfortunately, there is a fee of $75 to replace trays.
The stay-at-home case will be for when you move on to tray #2. You will then put tray #1 in the stay-at-home case. When you move onto tray #3, you will put tray #2 in the stay-at-home case, and tray #1 will go in the garbage. All you are doing is keeping the previous tray in case you lose your current tray. You can go home and put that last tray in until you can call our office to order you a replacement tray before your teeth start shifting.
How to read Invisalign markings
To help avoid confusion, each aligner is engraved with your unique case number, a “U” for upper and an “L” for lower, followed by the stage number.
You may insert either the upper or lower aligner first. When inserting each aligner, gently push the aligners over your front teeth. Then apply equal pressure, using your fingertips, to the tops of your left and right molars (back teeth) until the aligner snaps into place.
Refrain from biting your aligners into position, as too much force could damage the aligner.
A part of adapting to wearing Invisalign is getting used to removing them from your mouth. While the vast majority of patients that have been wearing Invisalign for longer than 2 weeks find removing them very simple, for new Invisalign patients or kids, it can take some getting used to.
The good news is that removing your Invisalign trays does become quick and easy. Try not to remove the aligners from all your teeth at once. Instead, try to start on the back teeth at one side and move your way around your mouth, easing them off one section at a time.
Lost or broken aligners
There is a $75 fee to replace lost or broken aligners. Please call the office immediately to inform us if you need a new set.
To prevent loss, use the hard cases we provided for temporary storage.
What if I'm not wearing my trays?
If your aligners stop fitting due to poor compliance, you may be charged a fee if a new set of impressions are required.
Always keep the most recently used aligners. If your current aligner is lost or broken, we may recommend that you temporarily go back one stage while a replacement is being made.
Preventing the aligner trays from staining
Almost all aligner discoloration cases result from poor oral hygiene or drinking too many coloured beverages. It might be hard to clean a stained aligner fully; that is why it is better to prevent the stains from occurring in the first place by brushing them every night and using Hydrogen Peroxide.
What if I lose or break an attachment?
If an attachment is lost or broken, please let us know and we can decide the best course of action.
