At long last, after several months of Invisalign Reston treatment, your teeth are perfectly straight and it is over. Does this mean you are done with everything and live a life with straight teeth without following up? Sadly, no. Proper dental care should be a habit that follows us for the rest of our days. Without constant care and regular dental visits in the future, all your hard work will be useless.
For those who are done with their Invisalign treatment, these are your next dental care steps:
Start Of The Retention Phase
The orthodontic treatment phase happens during the months where patients were wearing their alignment trays and getting new ones every two weeks. After completing the active phase, the next phase for patients is called the retention phase. As its name would suggest this is the part of the alignment process that will help retain the beautiful and straight teeth and teeth braces cost very Reasonable.
This is the phase that matters the most because skipping the retention phase will only lead to complications, or worse teeth becoming misaligned again. There are three very important parts of the retention phase:
Part 1: Retainer Wear
After the last alignment tray has done its gone, your Invisalign Reston dentist will fit your mouth for a retainer. Retainers have been used for decades to help patients retain the same and alignment of their teeth. Patients who used metal braces are also required to wear retainers after completing their treatment.
Wearing the retainer will ensure the teeth do not shift to a different position. Patients often wear their retainers full time for the first couple of weeks after their Invisalign treatment. Gradually they can choose to only wear the device at night until finally the retainer is only needed for a couple of nights a week.
How long you wear and how often you wear the retainer will depend on your dentist’s suggestion. As long as you follow their treatment plan, your smile will remain just as beautiful as the day you took off the last alignment tray.
Part 2: Retainer Care And Cleaning
Keeping the retainer clean and free of harmful bacteria is a major responsibility for all patients after Invisalign treatment. Never use toothpaste to clean the retainer as this causes more damage than help. Instead, warm soapy water, a toothbrush, and a little elbow grease is more than enough to keep the retainer clean and safe for wearing.
Dirty retainers can lead to cavities and other dental problems that can undo all your progress. So always keep your retainers as clean as possible!
Part 3: Regular Dental Visits
Of course, it is always recommended for patients to continue seeing their Reston dentist. Regular cleaning and dental checks will ensure your mouth not only looks beautiful when you smile, but also healthy.
Always keep your dental appointments or reschedule them as soon as possible if you cannot make your regular schedule. All the effort you make in caring for your teeth today will make managing them easier in your later years.
For Invisalign Reston, locals only trust the team of dentists at Stang Family Orthodontics. Want your perfect smile back? Contact us today!
