Manhattan Beach Dentist Gives Best Tips for Invisalign Care

Caring for your Invisalign retainers is an essential component of your daily oral healthcare routine. Luckily, Dr. Don Mungcal of Manhattan Beach Dental Solutions has gathered his best tips and tricks for caring for your new Invisalign retainers! Dr. Mungcal has been the go-to dentist for Invisalign in Manhattan Beach, CA, for almost three decades. The Invisalign system works by scanning your teeth and creating a 3D image of your mouth. Your dentist then uses those scans to create custom trays designed to gradually shift your teeth into the proper alignment.

Many people choose Invisalign over more traditional choices like metal or ceramic braces for aesthetic reasons. Especially for adults, the discretion that clear aligners offer can protect your self-esteem and your image at work. Patients also love that they do not have to give up their favorite foods. Unlike braces, you can simply pop Invisalign retainers out as needed for meals!

But to preserve the integrity and aesthetic appeal of your aligners, it is vital that you care for them regularly.

Remove Your Trays Before Eating

Your Invisalign retainers were designed to apply a specific amount of pressure to your teeth to realign them gently. They were not designed to withstand the grinding pressure of chewing food. Chewing rough or textured foods can scratch the plastic of the aligners, making them appear discolored and opaque rather than transparent.

Eating with your retainers on can also cause food particles to become trapped in your teeth and gums underneath the shield of the retainers. This allows bacteria to breed and form plaque on your teeth.

You should also remove your aligners before drinking dyed or corrosive beverages like:

• Kool Aid
• Fruit Punch
• Gatorade
• Coke/Dyed Sodas of any kind
• Coffee/Tea/Hot beverages of any kind
• Lemonade
• Wine
• Other alcoholic beverages

If you are drinking anything other than water, it is a best practice to remove your retainers, says Dr. Mungcal.

Clean Your Trays Every Time You Remove Them

When you remove your trays, you should rinse them off with clear, mild soap and room-temperature water. You can also use denture cleaners or Invisalign brand cleaning crystals. Rinsing them under water alone will not kill the bacteria that builds up over time. Overgrowths of bacteria make your aligners smell bad and discolor them.

Just make sure you are not using hot water to rinse your trays when you clean them. Because they are made of thermoplastic material, hot water will bend and distort them. Likewise, cold water can cause them to contract and warp. Room-temperature water is best.

It would help if you always try to wear your aligners for at least 20-22 hours a day, but while you are brushing your teeth and getting ready for bed, try soaking them in a denture cleaning solution. This can disinfect them and kill bacteria like:

• Strep
• Candida (yeast infections)
• Staph
• E.Coli

Keep Your Aligners in a Case

Your dentist should provide you with a special case for your Invisalign retainers. To keep them from becoming damaged or accidentally thrown away, always keep them in your case when they are not in your mouth. This also helps keep them from coming into contact with germ and bacteria-covered surfaces like restaurant tables and countertops.

Looking for the Best Invisalign Dentist in Manhattan Beach, CA?

For more information about Invisalign in Manhattan Beach, CA, contact Manhattan Beach Dental Solutions at 310-340-6663. We will help you schedule an appointment with Dr. Don Mungcal to discuss your treatment options and start your journey towards a healthier, more confident smile!

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