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If you’re using clear aligners for the first time, you’re probably wondering, “Can I drink hot coffee with my aligners on?” “Where should I keep the aligners when I’m not using them?”
Let us take you through the dos and don’ts of wearing invisible braces.
What do you mean by Invisible Braces?
Invisible Braces, also known as Clear Aligners are transparent, painless, and stylish orthodontic devices that are better alternatives to traditional braces.
Invisible Braces are designed to straighten teeth and fix dental problems such as overbites, overcrowding, and teeth gaps. Clear aligners work best when they are handled with care and precision.
Here are the dos and don’ts of invisible braces to remember. These tips will help you keep your aligners intact and make your teeth and gums healthy throughout your treatment.
The Do's of Invisible Braces
While every brand of aligners comes with an instruction manual, here are some easy and quick tips on what you should do when using them.
1. Do rinse regularly
Regular rinsing is an important ritual to get accustomed to when using aligners. When it comes to keeping your aligners intact, plaque, bacteria, and food particles are your worst enemy.
Before the food and after a meal or beverage, rinse your mouth thoroughly before you put your aligners back on.
2. Do remove your aligners before eating
The best thing about clear aligners is that they feel light, and you barely realize you have them on. Having said that, don’t let your aligners trick you into eating without removing them.
Make a mental note to remove your aligners before you sit down to eat or drink, especially if you’re binging on hard nuts, foods with added colours, fruits, & so on.
3. Do the whole course patiently
Patience is the key when it comes to using aligners and teeth straightening. Ask any dentist, they’ll tell you how crucial it is for you to keep your aligners on for a minimum of 20-22 hours a day.
If you want your teeth straightening journey to be smooth and successful, keep this time frame in mind and remove your aligners for not more than 2 hours on any given day!
4. Do keep them clean
Bacteria colonize faster than anything else under the sun! Cleaning your aligners post every meal is an absolute must. Before you put your aligners back on, follow the instructions and wash your aligners with water properly.
This will help you get rid of any invisible or invasive bacteria that may settle on your aligners when you’re not using them.
5. Do handle them one at a time
Whether you're cleaning them, removing them, or putting them back on, work with one aligner at a time instead of working with both at the same time. Since clear aligners are delicate devices, hasty and irresponsible movements can damage them in no time.
6. Do store them appropriately
Clear aligners aren’t like any other, regular accessory. They are special tools that help straighten your teeth for life! You can’t leave your aligners unattended or stranded on the bathroom sink or your dressing table.
Even wrapping them in paper or napkins is damaging in the long run. Make sure you store them appropriately, in case they come in. Besides your mouth, that’s where your aligners belong.
The Don’ts of Invisible Braces
Here are a few don’ts about wearing and using clear aligners that no one warns you about. Follow these rules and your teeth alignment journey is paved with zero obstacles.
1. Don't get touchy-feely
Wearing and getting adjusted to aligners for the first time makes you want to keep touching and feeling them on your teeth. Avoid making physical contact with your aligners in this way.
Two things could go wrong if you do: One, you run the risk of contaminating your aligners with dust and bacteria. Two, rubbing your aligners unnecessarily can damage their shape and structure.
2. Don't take matters into your own hands
Clear aligners or transparent braces are extremely user-friendly but don’t think you can alter them to suit your needs on your own.
If they hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable in any way, contact your orthodontist or dentist right away and book a remote monitoring session to adopt a clinically-approved solution.
3. Don't use colourful cleaning materials
Before you use your coloured bathing soap or face wash to clean your aligners, read the instructions carefully.
While your usual cleaning materials may clean your aligners, artificial colours in such products could permanently tint your aligners.
To ensure that your aligners are always fashionably transparent, use cleaning methods that are sanctioned by your dentist.
4. Don't eat or drink hot stuff
The best part about using clear aligners is that they are removable and allow you to eat or drink anything you want.
However, if you have your aligners on, make sure you’re not drinking or eating anything hot or warm.
Whether it’s a nice cuppa or a sizzling steak, remove your aligners before you dig in.
5. Don't cheat the process
Straightening your teeth isn’t the same as following a diet or exercise routine. You can’t cheat the process by doing away with your aligners for even a single day.
Aligners do a successful job only when they’re worn every day and consistently. The good news is you can at least remove them for a little while every day.
6. Don't light up or chew gum
Smoking or chewing gum with your aligners on is a recipe for disaster. Chewing gum is probably the stickiest thing one could ever consume and pairing such a substance with clear aligners will invite more trouble like food particles, plaque, and bacteria.
Tobacco and nicotine will slowly but surely stain your aligners. If you’re looking to don a beautiful smile, no one wants stains and chewing gum damage!
Conclusion
Think about it. None of the dos and don’ts mentioned above is difficult things to remember.
What may seem like a lot to take in at the beginning, slowly grows on you just as the aligners do.
Once you get the hang of it and incorporate these little hacks into your daily aligner routine, you’ll start to see tremendous results.
Finally, DO smile, DON’T frown!
