Blog Post

Invisalign Myth Busting: Duxton Dental’s FAQs

Invisalign is a world renowned and celebrated dental treatment for realigning teeth without the brackets, wires and restrictions associated with traditional orthodontic braces. Duxton Dental is your local Invisalign Christchurch dentist providing tailored dental care for patients of all ages, which means if there is a question to be asked about Invisalign, we’ve been asked it.

To bust some myths and give a true account of living with Invisalign braces, here are the top five most frequently asked Invisalign questions at our dental clinics in Christchurch:

1. What will I look like after my Invisalign braces?

Duxton Dental uses the latest dental innovations for our patient’s dental care and treatment, and this includes the Invisalign Smileview simulator. Our Riccarton orthodontic team love this piece of technology just as much as our patients do; it is simply brilliant. You get to see how your smile will be transformed once your dental treatment is completed. The results are a great motivation for changing your smile.

2. Does Invisalign hurt?

Any dental treatment that causes teeth to move will most likely cause a level of discomfort at some point. However, and it’s a big however, the pain from Invisalign braces is mild (especially in comparison with metal braces) and short lived and can be treated with over-the-counter pain killers. The good news is the pain typically only lasts the first week of having invisible teeth aligners while your mouth adjusts to having them.

3. Can I swim with Invisalign aligners?

Yes! Invisalign clear aligners are made from moulds of your teeth, the fit is snug which means they will not go anywhere in a hurry. Made from a patented sturdy plastic, your Invisalign braces will not be compromised by pool chlorine or the salt from the ocean. You can confidently continue to swim.

TIP: always keep your previous pair of aligners to wear in case you lose your current pair. This way the progress you have made will not be impacted.

4. How hard is it remove Invisalign braces?

When you first wear your Invisalign, you’ll wonder how to take off Invisalign easily without slobbering. To begin with it feels very much all fingers and thumbs, and saliva, lots of saliva. Don’t worry, you’ll soon become an expert.

The best way to remove aligners is to start on one side of your mouth. Using your fingertips, gently pull and loosen the aligner from your molars. Do the same on the other side and once you have disengaged the aligners from the molars, you’ll be able to easily remove them.

5. Can you chew gum with Invisalign?

NO. Chewing gum is not good for Invisalign aligners – it can cause damage. If you really need to chew gum, remove your trays, but be mindful about how long you do so for. The longer the Invisalign braces are out of your mouth, the longer the dental treatment will take.

TIP: if you have chewed gum while wearing your Invisalign braces, pop them in the freezer for between 20 minutes and an hour. This will make the gum brittle and easier to remove.

If you are considering Invisalign aligners to straighten your teeth, come and see us at our Christchurch dental clinic. We’ll assess your teeth to make sure they really are the best teeth straightening treatment for your needs, show you how your future smile will look, and answer any questions you may have. Your smile is how we measure our success.