New Invisalign braces - A Guide

This is a guide to what you need to invest in when you first get new Invisalign to make your life with braces just a little bit easier.

Invisalign braces are the latest development in orthodontics and are almost invisible clear braces made of medical grade plastic. The aligners are removable and must be taken out for eating and drinking in order to prevent damage to the teeth. They can also be removed for short periods for important social or business events.

Whilst this ability to remove the aligners is one of the great advantages of Invisalign it can also mean that there is certain equipment required to keep the aligners fresh and hygienic particularly when out in public. Whilst some of the items listed here aren't absolutely necessary- treatment can be successfully completed without every item of equipment- they can make living with Invisalign a lot easier.

When you receive your first set of Invisalign braces you may, if you are lucky, also receive a starter kit containing some useful equipment. This however is dependent upon the goodwill and generosity of your orthodontist or dentist.

Invisalign provides new patients with a booklet that gives guidance as to the wearing, storing and cleaning of the aligners. They also supply two cases, one red, one blue, for storing the aligners when they are not in your mouth. If you lose these cases, generic replacements such as the ones in the grey box on the right are available very cheaply on Amazon.

For me personally, two cases aren't enough. I like to have a lot of them so that I always have somewhere fresh to put my aligners. So I have one in the car, one on the kitchen workbench, one in just about every handbag and purse I own....

My orthodontist also provided a free toothbrush, some toothpaste, and a lip balm for the inevitable dry lips that the early days of Invisalign cause.

Whist the items supplied by Invisalign and my orthodontist were useful, they weren't all that I needed to get the best from my Invisalign experience. In addition to those items I needed things to keep my braces experience comfortable and hygienic.

One of the inconveniences about Invisalign is that they are required to be removed when eating or drinking anything other than water. This means that when you are at work, in a restaurant, or anywhere other than at home you need a kit in order to be able to store your aligners and brush you teeth.

A basic kit for this would include a toothbrush and toothpaste, dental floss, and hand sanitizer as well as the cases provided by Invisalign. Many Invisalign patients find this prohibitively bulky and prefer to use disposable prepasted brushes for brushing when outside their own homes.

In an ideal world Invisalign braces spend a minimum of 22 hours in every 24 in your mouth. Whilst this is the best way to achieve good results it can also mean that after a few days wear the aligners develop a slight odour and possibly a white film.

Although it is not recommended by Invisalign, one way to avoid this is to soak your aligners once a day in a denture cleaning solution. For this you would need a denture bath, some denture soaking tablets such as steradent or Polident and a soft toothbrush. When you remove your aligners for the last time at night to brush, pop the aligners into the denture bath with the soaking solution, leave for ten minutes and then remove them and scrub with a soft toothbrush. For a full guide to keeping your Invisalign clean please read my guide on Invisalign Cleaning

Invisalign can be hard to remove when they are new. Some people are perfectly happy removing their Invisalign with their fingers. Others find that holding a paper towel in their fingers whilst grasping the aligner gives sufficient grip. Still others prefer to use a tool specifically designed for this. Known as an outie or aligner hook, they help to lift the aligner over any attachments and ease removal. Please follow the link for a full guide to removing Invisalign

Some people also like to get some wax and painkillers for any sore spots in their mouths and some nail files to remove rough edges.

A summary of the items you might need for new invisalign would be:

• Toothbrush
• toothpaste
• washbag
• floss
• prepasted brushes
• mouthwash (ph neutral only)
• Denture tablets
• Denture bath
• Aligner hook.
• Wax and gel
• Nail files
• Nitewhite bleaching kit (if you plan to use your aligners to bleach)

Whilst this might sound like a long list these things both last a long time and make the Invisalign experience a lot easier!

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