Holidays With Invisalign: Your Survival Guide

With the holiday season around the corner, the time of festivities and tradition typically follow along with it. Especially the holiday foods and treats that consist of baked goods and flavorful feasts. The experience and joy the holidays bring are very tempting and irresistible, especially for people with braces and Invisalign. Although many may believe that their orthodontic treatment is restricted to the types of food they are allowed to eat, Invisalign aligners provide a flexible treatment that will ensure the patient indulges this holiday season with minimal worry.

How Does Invisalign Work?

Invisalign Aligners are very different than the typical wired braces. They are clear plastic aligners designed to change with a treatment process modified to a patient’s oral cavity and guarantee them a beautiful smile in as little time as possible. Once an orthodontist sets the treatment process, the patient must wear the aligners for the set amount of time recommended. During that time, you should wear the aligners for the recommended 20 hours a day, and you should not remove them for over 4 hours, or not wearing them may delay else treatment progress, and it may add cost. The removal of Invisalign should only be for eating and cleaning. Otherwise, they are pretty comfortable and easy to manage. Especially around the holidays, they can easily be set aside and then put back in after enjoying some seasonal treats. The patient is required to visit their orthodontic office at least once a month for a check-up and readjustment of the device.

How To Clean Invisalign After Christmas Dinner?

Christmas dinner can be filled with different textured foods, sugary drinks, and holiday treats. Although they are very delicious and fun to eat, such food types most likely will leave behind some food particles of residue that can irritate a person’s gums and get stuck in between teeth, resulting in a case of bad breath. To ensure a clean, hygienic oral cavity, a person with the Invisalign treatment should remove their aligner trays before eating. Once finished with their meal, it is highly recommended that they brush and floss their teeth to avoid the build-up of food underneath the Invisalign aligners. However, if brushing is not available, Invisalign user should rinse their mouth as well as possible and pop the aligners back again to enjoy the rest of their evening. When the festivities are all over, and the patient can properly cleanse their device, they should do their normal oral hygiene routine (brushing, flossing, etc.), then take their device and clean it with water and light toothpaste. Invisalign cleaning crystals are also available for deep cleaning. If the holidays leave the device looking cloudy, soaking in water and a splash of hydrogen peroxide overnight may reduce the cloudy effect and potentially remove stains.