Prior to doing my research, I thought Invisalign was just a series of clear retainers that slowly adjusted the position of your teeth. You get a new set every couple of weeks for a while and boom! done.
Nope. Turns out, it's a little more complicated than that.
So yes, you do wear clear acrylic retainers and upgrade them every two weeks (or 10 days if your dentist/orthodontist says it's okay). BUT they attach these little tooth colored "attachments" to your teeth to help the mechanism of movement. I also had to get two metal "buttons" attached to my teeth for my rubberbands. All of these things - attachments, buttons, rubberbands - make your Invisalign more noticeable.
So at the appointment, my Invisalign guy attached the attachments and metal buttons using some sort of cement to my teeth. He polished them down so they weren't cutting into my mouth. He then showed me how to pop the aligners in and out and how to properly attach the rubberbands. We went over the care and maintenance of my Invisalign, which has been consistent over every blog I've read:
1. Wear them 22 hours a day, if you can. The more you wear them, the more effective they are. For me, I also have to wear my rubberbands 22 hours a day.
2. Brush and floss your teeth after you eat anything.
3. Only drink water when they are in. Other fluids can stain your aligners.
4. If you drink something while your aligners are out, make sure you at least rinse with water. Otherwise, the sugar and bacteria gets trapped by the aligners and you are more prone to cavities.
5. If an attachment or button pops off, try to keep it and call the office so they can get it back on ASAP.
6. Clean the aligners with mild soap and warm (not hot) water. Don't brush them with toothpaste, it is too abrasive and can discolor the aligners.
Invisalign has not in any way paid for or sponsored my treatment. I am paying for it 100% myself. All of the thoughts and opinions about my Invisalign process are my own.
I understand there are different methods of getting your teeth straightened, and I always thought that you just had to wear the invisalign retainers to get the job done. A little more complicated than I thought, but I do love the idea of the invisalign retainers being clear so they are hardly visible. It makes for a better experience.
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