When undergoing Invisalign treatment at Potter Orthodontics in Fullerton, the process of changing your aligners is a key aspect of ensuring the success of your orthodontic journey. In this guide, we’ll provide you with essential tips for changing your Invisalign aligners effectively, helping you achieve the desired results and a beautifully aligned smile.
Potter Orthodontics’ Tips For Changing Your Invisalign Aligners
Using Invisalign in Fullerton as an orthodontic treatment requires changing your aligners approximately every two weeks. This ensures that your teeth migrate to their proper spots over a healthy period of time. However, one thing that we notice is that some people may find discomfort when they first change their Invisalign clear aligners. Here are our tips for changing your Invisalign aligners to avoid discomfort:
1) Take a physician-approved NSAID such as Aleve or Ibuprofen beforehand
Physician-approved over-the-counter medications can actually be quite helpful for alleviating pain during the first 24 hours of changing aligners. We always recommend that our patients take a physician-approved NSAID like Aleve or Ibuprofen before making the switch. These are effective pain killers, and should greatly alleviate any discomfort you may experience while switching Invisalign aligners.
2) Change the aligners right before bedtime
This is an easy, but incredibly effective tip for changing your Invisalign aligners with minimal discomfort. First, follow tip #1 and take a physician-approved NSAID to alleviate your pain — but do this at night, right before bedtime. Then, go ahead and switch your aligners before you go to sleep. The NSAID will provide more than enough pain relief to alleviate any mild discomfort for you to fall asleep. Further, after you wake up in the morning, your body will already have had 6-8 hours of time to adjust to the new aligners. You’ll wake up having slept through the most “uncomfortable” phase!
3) Smooth out any rough edges with an emery board
Invisalign clear aligners are made with comfortable, flexible plastic. However, they can still sometimes have a few rough edges when new. For example, it’s very common for aligners to feel much more comfortable after the aligners have conformed properly to your moth. A good way to sort of “bypass” this is to simply rub those rough edges out with an emery board. To elaborate, simply take the rough side of the emery board and lightly file down any “sharp” edges around the cheeks or tongue.
Further Tips For Changing Your Invisalign Aligners
The BEST tip we can provide is to always contact us at Potter Orthodontics when your Invisalign aligners are giving you any discomfort. We’ll always take care of you. If you’re looking to get started with Invisalign clear aligners, today, simply click here to schedule an initial consultation!
