Do you plan on traveling out of town to visit family during the holiday season? Are you staying home to host loved ones this year? In either case, you won’t want to forget your Invisalign routine even amidst the fun and exciting festivities. A few simple slip-ups can potentially set your progress back if you aren’t careful. To prevent any possible delays, here are four tips to help you stay on track with your orthodontic process during the holidays.
Make Time for Brushing & Flossing
Since it’s that time of year when you’re likely to want to munch on your favorite treats often, it can be difficult to refrain from this habit while undergoing Invisalign treatment. Even if you do choose to enjoy small snacks, you’ll need to leave time to brush and floss your teeth afterward at the very least. Not only will this keep food from accumulating around your smile, but it’ll also prevent transferring any debris and bacteria to your aligners. If you’re planning on traveling during the holidays, you can simply purchase smaller-sized toothpaste so that you can have cleaning products handy.
Remove Your Aligners Before Meals
One of the biggest rules during the Invisalign process is that you’ll need to take out your aligners before eating or drinking anything (except for pure water). Keeping your clear trays on while enjoying a meal can potentially damage, warp, and/or discolor them. This can make them either uncomfortable to wear or ineffective for straightening your smile. Furthermore, food debris can end up becoming trapped between the aligners and your teeth, increasing the risk of bacteria and decay. Be sure to remove your trays first so that they remain fresh and clean.
Remember to Wear Your Aligners Again
Once you’ve finished enjoying your meal, you’ll want to wear your Invisalign aligners again right away. This is so that you can resume the required 20-22 hours a day wear time. Leaving your trays out for too long can end up delaying your progress and costing you more time. Try setting a timer or reminder so that you can continue wearing them after eating. Don’t forget to brush and floss your teeth immediately before putting your aligners back on, as you won’t want debris or bacteria to get stuck between them.
Have Your Protective Case Close By
Whenever you don’t have your Invisalign trays on, make sure to store them in their protective case. It’s also a good idea to have this on hand so that you can easily ensure your aligners are safe at any time, especially when traveling. The last thing you’ll want is to accidentally drop them or lose them with all the activity going on during dinner time.
You can still enjoy your holiday season while keeping up with your Invisalign routine. Keep the above tips in mind throughout the treatment, and you might be able to enjoy next year’s festivities with a perfectly straight smile!
About the Author
Dr. Ray Bollin has been providing dental care for a full decade now. Not only is he a member of the American Dental Association, but he’s also taken numerous courses on orthodontics and has been an Invisalign provider since 2005. If you’re interested in straightening your smile or want to know how else to make your treatment a smoother process during the holidays and beyond, visit his website or call him at 479-419-9991.