Invisalign is a set of removable aligners made of a clear, plastic material. Invisalign aligners are also highly flexible, making them more comfortable than other systems. Invisalign can be used to treat a range of orthodontic conditions including overbite, underbite, and crooked teeth.
Dr. Christopher Banks provides Invisalign in his Chevy Chase, MD dental office. He will create a treatment plan based on your needs and concerns. With progress during the treatment, your aligners will have to be replaced every few weeks to help the aligners gradually apply pressure to your teeth and encourage them to shift into a straighter position.
Can Invisalign damage teeth?
Having your teeth cleaned at least twice a year while straightening your teeth, will help to prevent this from happening. Dr. Banks will evaluate the health of your teeth, gums, and jawbone to ensure that they are healthy enough to undergo treatment.
What can I eat and drink while wearing Invisalign?
With Invisalign, you must always remove the Invisalign trays before you eat. Eating or drinking while wearing them can damage the Invisalign trays, causing you to have to restart the treatment. Smoking, alcohol, and gum are also things to avoid. The residue from these items gets stuck on your tray, and when put back on can add a yellow tint to your trays and to your teeth.
Hard foods and candy are fine as long as they aren’t hard enough to push your teeth out of position. Watching what you drink is just as important. Avoiding sodas and coffees is recommended, but a cup here and there is fine. Drinking plenty of water washes away bad bacteria, especially fluoridated water.
Ice and ice cream can break down teeth, either through grinding or cold shock. Grinding happens when hard foods (like Ice) are chewed on. Ice and ice cream can also cause cold shock, but the ultimate problem is that cold foods can actually crack teeth, which can interfere with Invisalign treatment. Acidic foods can break down teeth and gums.
How long do you have to wear Invisalign?
Invisalign aligners need to be worn at least 22 hours a day to be effective. You can take them out to eat, brush, and floss, but then you should put them right back in when you’re done. You even need to wear them when you sleep. Teeth can take as little as 6 to 12 months to fix with Invisalign.
If you are interested in finding out if Invisalign is right for you, please schedule an appointment with us online!