Toothpaste
Even an amazing toothbrush doesn’t get you far without a good toothpaste! Toothpaste should be slightly abrasive and have some sort of restorative property (i.e., fluoride or xylitol). Here are my favorites.
Invisalign
Invisalign Oral Hygiene Series :: Aligner Tray Cleaning
Aligner Tray Cleaning
Let’s face it, mouths are gross – even when you aren’t eating or drinking, that means your trays can be gross too. Brushing your aligner trays with your toothbrush keeps them clean throughout the day. In addition, I like to perform a daily deep clean to keep them clear and fresh – especially since I occasionally partake of (unsweetened, no dairy!) cold brew coffee with my trays in. After all, coffee-stained trays aren’t terribly invisible. If your goal is to prevent people from knowing you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment, you need to become a zealot about tray cleaning.
Personally, I’m fine with people knowing I have Invisalign – but I still obviously want my aligner tryas to be clean and crystal clear. These items help me achieve that.
Method Fragrance Free Soap
Although you can definitely just use toothpaste on your trays, I prefer to rinse my toothbrush of paste and use an abrasive-free liquid soap for tray cleaning. Method’s fragrance- and dye-free gel hand wash is perfect for this purpose. At only $5-6 for a 34oz bag, this is inexpensive to boot.
Invisalign Oral Hygiene Series :: Toothbrushes
In early December, I had another round of IPR. I am amazed every week at the movement of my teeth! Above is the picture of tray 25 I shared on Instagram a few weeks ago – I start tray 25 next freaking week! Week after next I have my last IPR appointment – from there it’s just periodic check-ins to pick up new trays and make sure I’m tracking properly. As you can see from the picture of 25, above, I still have a ways to go – but if you compare it to my baseline it is already like night and day. Even though my course of treatment involves drastic movement which can involve discomfort, it has been milder than I thought. This has absolutely been worth it to me.
The success of an Invisalign treatment protocol depends heavily on the patient taking the commitment seriously. Part of that commitment is caring for your teeth, trays, and gums. My adherence to stringent oral hygiene Invisalign requires has left my teeth and gums in better shape than they have ever been. Since I’ve been at this for six months now, the healthier habits I’ve cultivated will stay with me and enable me to take better care of my mouth.
Invisalign Oral Hygiene Series
I’ve gone through some trial-and-error to figure out what works best for me. Originally, this was going to be one really long post, but I figured it might be a bit tl;dr. Over the next few weeks I will cover the following oral hygiene product topics:
- Toothbrushes (read below!)
- Aligner Tray Cleaning
- Toothpaste
- Floss
- Mouthwash
- Bonus Items
Toothbrushes
Invisalign Update: What is IPR?
I just entered week 16 of my Invisalign treatment. Two weeks ago, I visited my orthodontist to undergo IPR to create some additional room for movement.
What is IPR?
IPR stands for Interproximal Reduction. IPR is an orthodontic procedure wherein tooth enamel is reduced to facilitate treatment. Interproximal Reduction is a common orthodontic procedure that you could encounter with traditional metal braces, lingual braces, or other clear aligner brands.
In short – they remove a bit of your tooth via what is essentially sanding. IPR:
- Creates space without tooth extraction
- Makes teeth fit together better
In my case, the procedure killed two birds with one diamond disc (see below).
What IPR Entails
Invisalign Update: Week 10 of Invisalign
Last night, I switched to my tenth Invisalign tray! Since my last update, there hasn’t been much new or different to report.
It’s amazing that I’m already at week 10 of Invisalign- it doesn’t feel like two and a half months have passed.
Attachments at Week 10 of Invisalign
As the orthodontist suggested, the roughness of my attachments has subsided. That said, they aren’t what I’d call smooth; when I eat, food is attracted to them. All the more incentive to quickly address oral hygiene after eating!
Changing Teeth
My teeth have changed a lot! Each week when I change, I compare my newest tray against my first tray and marvel at the changes. My husband notices a difference in my smile already – so do I.
Getting My Invisalign Attachments
August 22 marked the beginning of my fifth week with Invisalign braces. I’m fairly surprised time is moving so quickly! Overall, I think I have adapted to the routine well. I’ve been devout about the hygiene protocol it requires.
That same day was also my appointment to get my Invisalign Attachments applied. Attachments are clear resin nubs they apply to your teeth to help the trays get the leverage they need to force your teeth around. From an application or installation standpoint, I understood the process – but I was not prepared for the reality.
Getting Prepped for Invisalign Attachments
The orthodontic technician who prepped me for my attachment installation reclined me in a standard dental chair. Once reclined, she placed a (highly attractive) set of orthodontic cheek retractors in place to keep my lips and cheeks out of her work area. Next, she polished the teeth that would receive the attachments with a standard dental cleaning/polishing wand and standard prophy paste. I then rinsed the gritty paste away. So far, so good.
Once I rinsed, I was to hold a suction wand between my teeth to minimize saliva while she used a small, forced air (expulsion, not suction) wand to dry the surfaces of the recipient teeth. This would typically be fine but I have one tooth that is jarringly sensitive when it comes to cold. The air from that wand was cold and I was just not ready for it to hit that tooth. I writhed in discomfort in the chair.