Living with Invisalign

The Invisalign lifestyle is a given once you commit to this treatment. Living with Invisalign requires certain behaviors and sacrifices, but it also doesn’t ask much of the patient. At Manhattan Beach Dental Solutions in Manhattan Beach, CA, our certified Invisalign provider and dental team are ready to help you find out if this alignment method is right for you – and how you live, work, and play.

Living with Invisalign

You’ll begin getting used to Invisalign in the comfort of your home, and this is great because you’ll see just how non-invasive the treatment really is. Living with Invisalign only adds a few more tooth brushings to your daily life. It also requires you to be aware of when the trays are on and off your teeth so they are worn for the minimum of 20 to 22 hours a day.

Cleaning Invisalign: Nearly invisible aligners do not clean themselves. If you want them to stay clear, soak trays daily. Brush your teeth several times a day. Keep food and drinks out of there. Easy.
Sleeping while wearing Invisalign: Bedtime is the best time of day to change from one set of trays to another because you avoid the initial tightness of new trays. The aligners are in places for several hours straight and do their best work while you snooze.

Dos and Don’ts of Working While Wearing Invisalign

Work can mean an office job, a virtual position, a freelance role, hourly work, or even going to school. Whatever you do with most of your hours every day will be impacted by wearing clear aligners. When you’re living with Invisalign it’s important to remember the following:

Don’t sip all day: Whether your daytime beverage is coffee, tea, or soda, sipping all day is only permitted if you remove aligners first. Otherwise, you could stain your clear trays and cause odors to develop.
Do drink water: Water is the only beverage allowed with Invisalign in place. It’s good for keeping mouth and trays moist and cleaning off teeth.
Don’t snack mindlessly: You can’t eat with Invisalign trays in place. Not only does this risk breaking and discoloring the aligners, food gets stuck between tray and enamel, increasing the chance of tooth decay.
Do go about your regular activities: Invisalign doesn’t stop you from functioning at work or school. Speak, smile, and carry on as usual. If you stop for lunch, remove the trays for the length of the meal then brush and floss before snapping them back in place.

Playing While Wearing Invisalign

No matter how you choose to spend your free time, Invisalign will not get in the way. Can’t imagine your lifestyle accompanied by invisible aligners? Consider this:

Tech-friendly trays: Maybe you like to take selfies, make videos, or use Zoom. Whatever your tech of choice, Invisalign is hardly noticeable and won’t get in the way of fun. Some people even document their Invisalign journey weekly.
Easy socializing: Whether your idea of socializing is a night out at a bar, dinner and dessert, or time at home with friends or family, remove trays before drinks or meals, then put them back in when done. Keep a case ready so you can stash the aligners and avoid losing or damaging them.
Sports superstar: If you play a sport, talk to your dentist about whether you need a mouth guard or if it’s safe to wear Invisalign alone. Don’t mistake the trays as protection for your oral health – Invisalign and guards are two different appliances.