Wearing Invisalign During the Holidays
The holiday season is here and it’s time to gear up for all the office parties, family gatherings, and get-togethers with friends. We know this means plenty of opportunities to eat, drink, and travel. This can often throw us out of our everyday routines, making it a little more challenging. Whether you are busy working, vacationing, or attending holiday events, you need to wear your Invisalign aligners. We’ve helped create a mini guide to help you stay on track and wear your Invisalign during the holidays.
Prevent Damage to Trays and Teeth
The rule you’ve likely heard time and time again is that your aligners should always come out before you eat or drink and be worn for 20-22 hours a day. This is to protect both the aligners and your teeth. This can be more difficult to remember during the holidays. Instead of 3 regular meals, you can find yourself snacking all day during events. Breaking the rules by eating with your retainers can also break your trays.
While Invisalign trays are made of durable, SmartTrack material, it doesn’t mean they are indestructible. Hard objects can crack the tray or even snap it in half, causing it to become ineffective.
Drinks, other than water, can cause harm to your aligners as well. Liquids can seep under the trays and stay trapped, creating a breeding ground for cavities. Dark beverages like coffee, tea, or red wine, can stain the plastic and even melt them if hot enough.
Carry Your Case With You
A common mistake made with aligners is setting them in a napkin while eating or drinking and then setting them down on a table. This is a big mistake as it often gets picked up and thrown in the trash on accident.
Prevent any delay in treatment by always carrying your clear aligner case with you. If you place your aligner in their case when not in your mouth, you reduce the risk of accidentally throwing them out. Learning how to care for your Invisalign is an important part of your treatment.
Preserve the Invisalign Progress
The main reason many choose Invisalign to straighten their teeth is they are clear and easy to remove, although this can become a hassle during the holidays – but it’s doable. Many people end up leaving them out for hours, or even days, at a time as it can feel like too much trouble.
Invisalign is meant to be worn for 20-22 hours a day. If you keep your clear aligners out for too long it can undo the work they have already done to straighten your teeth. If you begin to reduce the time wearing the aligners it can cause a setback to your treatment schedule.
If left out for too long, aligners can become uncomfortable because the teeth have already began shifting back to their original positions. Everyone and their Invisalign treatment are different, so the effects of leaving your Invisalign out will also vary. To prevent too much disruption, you want to make sure to wear Invisalign during the holidays as much as you can. This can mean wearing them up to the moment your guests arrive, or in the car on the way to the event. The closer you get to 20-22 hours the better!
If you do end up missing several days of wear, check with our team to see how to proceed, especially if there is any major discomfort when placing the aligners on the teeth.
Wisconsin’s #1 Invisalign Provider
At Bubon Orthodontics, your neighborhood orthodontic experts, we are Wisconsin’s #1 Invisalign provider. We proudly provide high-quality orthodontics at an affordable cost. Schedule your free consultation today at any of our 15 locations across Southeastern Wisconsin.