If you have started working with your cosmetic dentist or orthodontist to plan your tooth straightening regimen, then you may be looking forward to receiving your first set of Invisalign aligners. During the initial planning stages, you may learn some important details from your dentist. These include wearing your aligners for at least 22 hours a day, taking the aligners out to eat, and working to make sure the aligners snap tightly over the teeth. However, there are a few uncommon tips that your dentist may not directly inform you about.
You Need To Drink Plenty Of Water
When you first start wearing your aligners and also when you switch the aligners for a new set, it is wise to drink plenty of water. When the aligners are put in place, the mouth will recognize that something is not quite right. Specifically, a foreign object will be noted. To help flush the object away from the teeth and gums, then salivary glands will automatically produce a great deal of saliva. Obviously, the aligners are not a foreign object in the sense that it will harm you. Your body will calm down its normal and natural defenses over time.
Until your body gets used to the aligners, and each subsequent set, you should make sure that you drink plenty of fluids. If you do not, then two things will happen. Your body will create thicker saliva due to the lack of fluid to thin it out. Thick fluid is more difficult to swallow and it may actually work to trap bacteria. Also, since more saliva is being created, your body will have less of its fluid reserves to use elsewhere. This can lead to genera dehydration.
Sipping on a bottle or glass of water is best. Make sure to drink more fluid than you usually need. Most adults need about two liters of water a day, so drink just a bit more than this to stay hydrated.
You Should Practice Speaking
If you want your clear aligners to be as unnoticeable as possible, then you probably want to make sure they cannot be seen. However, if you talk with a lisp, like many people do, then individuals will likely hear that you have something in your mouth. It can take some time to speak normally with the aligners in, so make sure to practice at home first before going to work or school with the first set in.
When practicing, make sure to speak plenty of words with s's, sh's, and z's. These are the most common sounds that can be difficult to say.
