Before you start your Invisalign experience, it’s important that you are physically and mentally prepared for the stresses and struggles that your trays may bring. A few common complaints include bad-breath-causing bacteria, some painful rubbing on the gums, and general discomfort. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent or relieve these issues!
Bad Breath
Halitosis (the medical term for bad breath) is often caused by poor dental hygiene—if one does not routinely clean their teeth, tongue and gums, the food, drink and saliva quickly create bacteria that builds up and produces an unpleasant smell. Invisalign trays that surround your teeth at all times do not allow for bacteria to naturally clean itself out—rather, the bacteria is left in the perfect circumstances (moist, creviced and warm) to reproduce and develop into a more serious condition that is more difficult to get rid of! To combat this bacteria, dental care should be a primary concern for you. Brush and floss your teeth daily, use a tongue scraper to remove excess bacteria, and brush your trays as well! Keeping trays clear of bacteria will prevent it from developing into halitosis.
Painful Impact on Gums
Your trays are made of plastic, each set created to cover your entire set of teeth for the best and most secure guarantee for movement. This plastic, unfortunately, is not the softest edge. In fact, many find that the hard plastic edge cuts painfully into their gum tissue upon putting in the Invisalign in! There is an easy solution for this: simply file down the edge with a rough texture, like a (unused) nail file. Filing down the plastic in especially sensitive spots or areas where the gums push against the plastic most will remove the problem altogether! Plus, you can file down the “sharpness” of the edge to make the slide on and off the teeth less abrasive to your gums. The trays will still work as intended, and you wont have to deal with gum pain!
Discomfort
Of course, the point of Invisalign is to actually shift your entire set of teeth, top and bottom, so that they are properly aligned and straight. Your teeth—your bones—are literally being moved! This is not a comfortable process, although you get used to the feeling relatively quickly. For your first week or so wearing Invisalign (as well as after any new/updated trays are started) consider using a minor pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to ease the discomfort from your teeth! This will help the process be much less of a distraction or impediment to your day.
Feeling ready for Invisalign? Find more information to get you started here at Stellar Family Orthodontics!