Many people want to straighten their gapped or crooked teeth to improve their appearance and enhance their dental health. Even spacing is considered more attractive and makes it easier to brush and floss, helping prevent common concerns such as gum disease and cavities.
Your dentist can improve your grin with Invisalign, which uses removable plastic trays that fit snugly over your arches to shift them. However, they can only be effective if they fit correctly. If you or your child are having a hard time inserting or removing your clear aligners, continue reading to learn 3 tips that might help!
Tip #1: Stick to Allotted Wear-Times
Invisalign continues to gain popularity as a more discreet and comfortable alternative to traditional braces because the transparent trays are considered more discreet and comfortable. But they must be worn for 20 to 22 hours daily to prevent your teeth from reverting to their original positions. If they’ve begun to drift back out of alignment, your clear aligners are less likely to fit correctly.
Adhering to the wear-time instructions helps ensure your grin moves at the anticipated rate, so your trays continue to fit correctly. This also increases the likelihood of completing your treatment on time.
Tip #2: Try Invisalign Chewies
These transparent trays are designed to fit snugly over your arches like a glove. However, it can sometimes be challenging to insert them, especially when switching to a new set of aligners with slightly different dimensions.
If you’re struggling to press your Invisalign over your pearly whites, you can try using special chewies, also known as “rubber cotton rolls.” These are small, cylindrical tubes made of a spongy material that you bite down on, which exerts enough force to push your trays into place. These are intended to be rinsed and reused, but not consumed, so please don’t try to swallow them!
Tip #3: Ask About Backtracking
If you’ve neglected to wear your clear aligners for the designated hours each day, or if you have stubborn teeth that simply don’t shift at the anticipated rate, your next series of trays might not fit correctly when it’s time to make the switch.
In these circumstances, it’s best to contact your provider to let them know you’re having difficulty inserting your Invisalign. They might recommend backtracking or wearing a previous set of trays that fit better until they can examine your condition and make any necessary adjustments to your treatment plan.
If you’re concerned that your Invisalign no longer fits correctly, the best next step is to call your orthodontist!
About the Practice
At G&G Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, your family benefits from a team of experts eager to help you improve your oral health. Dr. Nicole, Dr. Cory, and Dr. Hanna collaborate to provide a variety of orthodontic services to people of all ages, as well as routine pediatric dental care. Their compassionate approach is combined with state-of-the-art equipment to deliver accurate results intended to last. If your Invisalign does not fit correctly, you can request an appointment on the website or by calling (630) 778-9500.
