I’m done with my Invisalign treatment! What now?
Many people believe that once their treatment is complete, they no longer have to worry about their crooked teeth. However, that is far from the truth. Now that you are done with your Invisalign treatment, you have to maintain your results and keep up with your oral health. If you take good care of your smile, then your results will last forever. Chapel Hill Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Chapel Hill, NC will provide you with instructions on how to do this.
How To Care For Your Smile After Invisalign
There are several very basic things that you must do to maintain your results after Invisalign. You need to brush and floss every day as well as visit your dentist twice a year for a routine checkup. These are basic oral care steps that you should already be taking. However, they are especially important now because they will prevent serious dental problems that may affect your results.
Wearing a retainer is also a very important part of maintaining your Invisalign results. A retainer will help prevent your teeth from gradually shifting back into their original position. Any time teeth are forced to shift into a new position, they will inherently want to revert back to their original position once the forces stops.
You will wear your custom retainer at night while you sleep. This is something that you will have to do for the rest of your life to maintain a straight smile. By wearing a retaining nightly, it will prevent the teeth from shifting back to their original position.
Vivera® Retainers
Our Chapel Hill dentists use Vivera retainers to help prevent shifting after Invisalign treatment. This type of retainer is similar to Invisalign but it is much stronger. They are clear and very discreet. When compared to other retainers, Vivera retainers are twice as durable.
To make your retainer, we will follow the same steps; we will take digital impressions of your teeth and send those to the lab. They will be custom fit to your teeth making them the most comfortable choice available.
With each Invisalign case, we include a complementary set of Vivera retainers. However, retainers are not meant to last a lifetime. The standard is to switch them out every two years or when they break, stretch or get lost. We notice that some patients need to switch them out sooner. That is why we suggest having four sets of retainers on hand. Not only is it more convenient for, but it also allows us to give you are large discount. By having a set of four retainers on hand, you will not have to visit our office as often for replacements.