Crooked teeth can form early in our lives, but you can straighten alignment concerns in your smile with help from your dentist. Aligning your teeth is easy with Invisalign, a treatment involving clear plastic aligners that gradually shift your teeth into your desired straight position.
You can see oral health benefits as well as aesthetic enhancement in your smile with this cosmetic dental solution. But if you are not careful, your teeth can grow crooked again after you complete your treatment. Dentists refer to this regression as orthodontic relapse.
Follow aftercare guidelines to maintain your newly aligned smile. You can also read on to find three tips from your dentist that can help you keep your smile straight after Invisalign treatment.
How to Prevent Orthodontic Relapse
Wear Your Retainer
When you finish teeth-straightening treatment with Invisalign, your dentist will give you a retainer to wear. Like your Invisalign, you should keep your retainer in your mouth as often as you can, at least 22 hours a day. You can start to use the retainer less frequently as time passes, but consult with your dentist before changing this routine.
A retainer holds your teeth in place. Otherwise, teeth can start to shift to their former crooked position. This is because the teeth take time to fuse their new place in the jaw. Retainers allow this process to occur without issue.
If you remove your retainer for a few days, you might notice that the fit feels tight. This is normal and suggests that the teeth have begun to move. The uncomfortable feeling should fade as the teeth get pushed back into their straight position.
Treat Chronic Teeth Grinding Habits
A major reason many people develop crooked teeth is a chronic habit of grinding or clenching their teeth. This behavior, known as bruxism, puts pressure on the teeth as they grate against one another. This then encourages the teeth to misalign, and it can occur post-Invisalign treatment if you do not stop this habit.
Your dentist can help you resolve bruxism so that you can preserve your newly straightened smile. They start by diagnosing the cause of a teeth-grinding habit, which is often stress or tension, and then they provide appropriate treatment. For instance, a dentist can give you a night guard to wear to stop bruxism that occurs in your sleep from hurting your smile.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
Good oral hygiene removes plaque and other harmful residues that can cause cavities, gum disease, and other dental problems. Not only could these issues hurt your teeth. But they could make the teeth shift out of place, disrupting your cosmetic treatment. Gum disease will recede gum tissue, making the teeth loose. And tooth decay will alter your tooth shape and inherently your bite.
So you should continue your proper oral hygiene regimen to preserve your new, straight smile. This will entail brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing daily, and attending routine teeth cleanings at your dentist’s office. Learn more preventative dental care advice when you call your dentist today.