Instructions for Invisalign
Wearing Invisalign®
- To place your aligners over your teeth:
- Use your fingers to put your aligners place. First place the aligners over your front teeth, and then use your fingers to push the aligner down gently over your molars. When aligners are correctly inserted, they will fit all the way down on the teeth, with no space between the top of the aligners and the top of the teeth. Aligners will fit tightly at first but should fit well at the end of the two week period.
- You can remove the aligner by pulling it off both sides of your back teeth simultaneously then lifting it off of your front teeth.
- Be sure to always place your aligners in the case we provided any time they are not being worn.
- Wear each set of aligners for two weeks unless our office directs you to vary from this schedule.
- Wear aligners in the correct numerical order. (Each aligner is labeled by number and with a U or an L to designate upper or lower)
- Keep all of your old aligners and bring them to your orthodontic appointments.
- If you lose the tab attached to your tooth that helps the aligner snap on, please call our office right away so that we can determine if you need to come in before your next scheduled appointment.
- If you lose one of your aligner trays, please wear the next tray if you have it. If you do not have the next tray, please wear the previous tray. It is extremely important to use a tray to keep teeth from shifting. Call our office to let us know which tray was lost so that we can determine if a replacement tray is needed. There will be a fee if replacement trays are required.
- To place your aligners over your teeth:
Eating with Invisalign®
Please remove the aligners each time you eat, which will allow you to continue to eat all the foods you love without any restrictions or worrying about food getting stuck in wires and brackets. With other orthodontic treatment options, the simple act of eating can often be troublesome.
It’s also best to remove the aligners when drinking warm beverages such as coffee or tea to avoid heating the aligner material.Brushing & Flossing Your Teeth
To brush and floss your teeth, please remove the aligners by pulling them off both sides of your back teeth simultaneously before lifting them off of your front teeth.
Once the aligners have been removed, you can easily and thoroughly brush and floss your teeth. Once you have finished brushing and flossing, be sure to clean your aligners before placing them back in your mouth.Cleaning Your Aligners
Please clean your aligners both morning and night to remove bacteria. You can clean your aligners with a toothbrush and toothpaste or the Invisalign Cleaning Kit.
Do not use Denture cleaner, alcohol, or bleach to clean your aligners.Playing Sports with Invisalign®
If you are active in contact sports, wearing Invisalign clear aligners means that you can play without the worry of oral injury from sharp brackets. If your sport requires a protective mouthguard, simply remove your aligners and place them in a case while you are playing!Things to Avoid
- Do not place your aligners in or on a napkin or tissue. Many aligners have accidentally been thrown out this way!
- You can remove the aligner by pulling it off both sides of your back teeth simultaneously then lifting it off of your front teeth.
- Do not use your teeth to “bite” your aligners into place.
- If you have pets, do not place your aligners anywhere that your pets can reach them. Pets are attracted to saliva and would enjoy chewing on your Invisalign® trays!
- Do not use boiling water or warm water on your aligners.
- Don’t chew gum with your aligners in.
- It would be best not to smoke while wearing aligners. The smoke can stain the aligners as well as your teeth.