Whether you’re busy preparing to go out of town or you’re hosting your friends and family this year, you might be feeling (like many others) that the holiday season is also the busiest season. To prevent your Invisalign treatment from taking a back seat during the hustle and bustle of this time of year, it’s important that you commit to good habits (and avoid bad ones). With this in mind, keep reading to learn four helpful tips for navigating the holiday season with Invisalign!
1. Drink Lots of Water
When the temperature plummets, chapped lips and dry mouth aren’t far behind. That’s why it’s crucial that you drink lots of water. This sugar-free beverage will help prevent issues like these, keep you hydrated, and remove food particles and other debris from your teeth. Plus, you don’t have to remove your aligners, which makes wearing your aligners for 20+ hours a day significantly easier!
2. Only Take Your Aligners Off When Absolutely Necessary
Speaking of the 20+ hour-a-day wear-time, you should only remove your aligners when absolutely necessary. In other words, don’t take them off for holiday parties, pictures with Santa, and other festive occasions unless you can put them back on shortly after. Remember, if you don’t wear your aligners for the vast majority of the day, your teeth won’t move, and you’ll experience treatment plan delays!
3. Keep Added Sugar to a Minimum
Has your dental team mentioned time and time again the importance of keeping added sugar to a minimum? That’s because it’s one of the leading causes of tooth decay. So, even during a sugar-filled season like the holidays, it’s important that you don’t over-indulge. That way, your teeth stay decay-free, and you stay on-track with your treatment plan!
4. Brush After Each Meal
Whether you’re on the road, on a plane, or at home, you need to brush your teeth after each meal. If you don’t, then the particles from your food and residue from what you drank will get trapped in place by your aligners. Not only will this lead to significant stains, but it will also dramatically increase your risk of tooth decay. So, keep some travel-sized oral hygiene essentials with you at all times, like a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste.
About the Practice
For our top-rated dental team in Burlington, the goal is to help each patient achieve their dream smile and enjoy the journey along the way. If you are interested in Invisalign, then you’ll be happy to hear that we’re a preferred provider, we offer convenient appointment times, and we welcome affordable financial solutions as well. So, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with us via our website or by phone at (781) 272-5890.