Easy Dental Life Hacks To Prevent Your Own Tooth Loss

Invisalign is a breakthrough in orthodontics because it allows you to straighten your teeth without the unsightly metal and brackets. Many patients are thrilled with their results, but if you want the best results possible, you should consider these three tips.

Don't Constantly Remove Them

One of the reasons Invisalign is so great is that you can remove the aligners. This means you can keep eating all the foods you love and keep your teeth clean. However, this advantage can also become a huge problem if you aren't careful. You need to wear your aligners for at least 20 hours a day for them to work properly. Only remove them for eating and cleaning, and put them back in your mouth as soon as possible. If necessary, keep a travel toothbrush and toothpaste with you, so you can brush if you are away from home. That way, you don't have to keep your aligners out until you get home to brush. Failing to wear your aligners can drastically lengthen treatment time.

Try Chewies and Attachments

For your aligners to work properly they need to fit snugly. There should be no gaps or air bubbles between your teeth and the aligners, and they shouldn't slip or fall. However, some people need a little help keeping their aligners tight. One tool is chewies. Chewies are simply plastic cushions. You can bite down on them to push your aligners flush to your teeth and lock them in place. If your aligners tend to slip, your dentist may recommend attachments. Using dental bonding material, your dentist creates "buttons" on your teeth. These prevent the aligners from moving but still allow you to remove the aligners for eating and cleaning.

Consider Interproximal Reduction

You may have heard of patients needing teeth extracted during orthodontia. This is done because there are more teeth than there is space in the mouth. To create a beautiful, straight smile, the dentist must remove some teeth. Interproximal reduction or IPR is a less drastic way to make more room in your mouth. Instead of pulling teeth, the dentist removes some of the tooth surface between teeth. This won't harm the teeth or lead to infection or decay, but it does create enough space so all the teeth can fit properly when they have been moved.

Don't waste your time or money. If you are considering Invisalign, you need to know the best way to improve your results and get the most out of your treatment. For more information, contact Fayetteville Family Dentistry or a similar location.