During a course of Invisalign, depending on the changes needed, patients may need to rely on more than just trays to achieve the desired results. Invisalign trays can also be fitted with attachments, buttons and elastics. In regards to attachments, these little bumps are used to rotate, intrude and extrude teeth.
However, once placed, some patients may at first experience a period of soreness as their mouths adjust to the adult braces. This is a normal occurrence and within a week or so should pass. In the meantime, use the following tips to reduce the discomfort you experience while wearing your attachments.
Purchase Some Dental Wax
At first, your new attachments will irritate the skin of your lips and cheeks when you are not wearing your aligners. If you are wearing your aligners for the prescribed 20-22 hours a day, the discomfort you experience should mostly be confined to meal times and those times when you clean your teeth.
In time, your mouth will get used to them. Until it does, you can rub some dental wax on them before you eat and just after you clean your teeth to reduce the discomfort.
Eat Soup for a Day or Two
You may experience substantial discomfort while chewing food. In this case, you could stick to soups for the first 2-3 days, until your attachments have softened.
Take the Trays Out From Time to Time
The more you remove and replace your trays, the softer the attachments will become due to the friction. When you remove your trays at meal times then, you could help to soften them by placing them and removing them several times. As it is normal for attachments to soften over time, this will help speed up the process.
Wear the Trays as Much as Possible
It goes without saying but the more you wear your trays, the less irritation you will feel from the attachments. Wearing them for the suggested 22 hours a day then will help to reduce the irritation while helping you achieve your desired results.
Have Your Orthodontist Smooth Them Down
If your discomfort continues for over a week then you should ask your dentist to smooth them down. Your skin may be more sensitive than most people's or your attachments might be sharper than they should be so they may need to be smoothed down.
Irritation is normal where attachments are concerned and should dissipate within a few days. However, don't hesitate to see your dentist if the pain continues longer than a week.
