Tips For Getting The Best Results From Invisalign

Invisalign teeth braces have swept through Perth orthodontics and become a popular alternative to traditional metal braces thanks to their versatility and subtlety - but there are still a few tricks that you’ll need to know before you get them to avoid any mishaps.

Check out these handy Invisalign tips to keep your Invisalign braces in great condition and providing optimum results!

Wear Your Invisalign For 20 Hours

Invisalign recommends that you wear your aligners for at least 20 hours, if not 22. That means you get four Invisalign-free hours a day which you can use as you please - but that might not be as much time as you think. Once you consider snacking, meal times, brushing teeth, and other daily events, those four hours will dry up quickly, so use them well and pay attention to how much time you spend without your Invisalign. By wearing your Invisalign for less than the recommended time, you may adversely affect your treatment.

Always Keep Your Invisalign Aligners In Their Case

Your aligners will come with a special protective case, and if they're not in your mouth, then they should be in this. Your aligners are designed to be as imperceptible as possible so you could easily end up misplacing them, and their lightweight design leaves them fragile and susceptible to breakages or damage. The protective case will ensure that they’re always safe from harm and ready for you to pop back in your mouth!

Always Keep A Toothbrush With You

After every meal, you’ll want to give your teeth a quick brush to ensure that there are no pieces of food stuck in your teeth before your aligners go back on. This can be difficult - whether it’s at school or work, or you’re out and about, sometimes brushing your teeth will be a problem. However, your smile will love you for it. If there is any food stuck in your teeth, it will become trapped under the aligner and will cause decay, staining, or bad breath. A pack of sugar-free chewing gum or a travel-sizes mouthwash can act as an emergency substitute, but we recommend brushing to get the best possible results.

Only Drink Water When You’re Wearing Invisalign

If you’re wearing your Invisalign aligners, only water is appropriate to drink. You can thank us; it will keep you healthy and hydrated!

Many beverages, like soft drink, tea, and coffee, can all stain your aligners to make your teeth look discoloured - which undermines one of the greatest attractions to Invisalign. As we mentioned above, any foods that get stuck in your teeth will become trapped in the aligner, and the same should be considered for soft drinks. Small amounts of soft drinks could seep into you aligner and soak into your teeth, damaging your teeth far worse than if you’d drank it normally.

Clean Your Aligners Carefully

Cleaning your aligner is important, but hot water is not the way to do it! The heat will morph them out of their shape, leaving them completely useless. Toothpaste can also damage your aligners, as some brands can be abrasive and will dull the aligners, leaving it with a matte look and much more conspicuous. Try using cold water and a mild detergent.

Carefully Remove Your Aligners

Your orthodontist or dentist should explain to you the best way to remove your aligner, because being too forceful or using incorrect technique can damage or twist them. Start at the back of your teeth and loosen the aligners gently, working your way around the mouth to pry them away from the teeth until they easily lift out.

Root Canal Treatment Explained

If you have a root canal coming up and you’re not sure what a root canal treatment in Perth actually involves, then you might be feeling concerned. After all, root canals and brussel sprouts are two surprisingly bearable parts of life that television shows seem to constantly fear! But root canals aren’t anything to be afraid of - even the cost might be better than you thought. Read on below to find out more.

What is a Root Canal?

A root canal is a treatment used to repair a tooth so that it can continue to function normally. This tooth has usually suffered severe decay or infection, which has damaged the tissue in the tooth, also known as the pulp. During a root canal treatment, the pulp and nerve are removed and the inside of the tooth is thoroughly cleaned and sealed, to get rid of any harmful bacteria and prevent any more from forming. The ‘root canal’ is actually the term for the natural cavity in the centre of the tooth, which is the ‘canal’ where the pulp, or root, connects to the tooth, as well as the tooths nerves.

The nerves in your teeth aren’t important to your tooth’s health and function once the tooth has erupted through your gums. The nerves will tell you whether the food you're eating is hot or cold, but that is its only purpose and is hardly necessary.

What Happens During a Root Canal?

A root canal will usually require multiple visits to your dental clinic and can be performed by a dentist or endodontist. Simply put, an endodontist is a dentist who has specialised in the diagnosis, prevention, causes, and treatment of injuries and diseases to the delicate human dental pulp, or the nerve of the tooth in the root canal. Depending on the difficulty of your procedure and how comfortable your dentist is in his capabilities to perform it, you may be referred to an endodontist. A simple consultation with your dentist could settle the matter easily, where he or she will evaluate your particular condition and make a decision.

The first step to your root canal treatment procedure is to take an x-ray, where the dentist can identify the shape of the root canals and determine if there are any signs of illness or infection in the surrounding bone. Your endodontist or dentist will use a local anaesthesia to numb the area, although often this is unnecessary as the nerve is already dead. However, this often helps to keep the patient at ease and many patients will even request Sleep Dentistry for a root canal procedure.

A hole will be drilled into the tooth so that the canal can be accessed for the pulp, harmful bacteria, and decaying nerve tissue can be removed from the tooth, and the canal is thoroughly scrubbed and flushed to ensure that any residing debris is removed.

Once the tooth is cleaned, the dentist will seal it. Your dentist might choose to wait a week before sealing the tooth, such as in cases where an infection may require medication prior to sealing. In these situations your dentist would use a temporary filling to keep any more contaminants from getting in, like saliva and food. Otherwise, your dentist may seal it up then and there, so you can continue eating, smiling, and laughing with your smile restored to its full function.

Everything You Need To Know About Caring For Dental Implants

Dental implant services are gaining in popularity across Perth, but it’s important to know how to prepare your mouth for them and how to care for them afterwards.

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are metal posts that are surgically positioned into the jawbone beneath your gums if your natural tooth has been extracted or is missing. Once these are safely in place, your dentist can use them to act as anchors for replacement teeth to restore the functionality and appearance of your smile.

Dental implants provide stable support for the new replacement teeth, because they fuse to the bone and act similarly to natural teeth. If you have dentures or bridges mounted to implants then you get peace of mind knowing that they won't move in your mouth or slip out suddenly, which could be a problem for some people when eating or speaking. This means that your replacement tooth will feel more natural than other bridges or dentures, and often are much more comfortable too.

How To Prepare For Dental Implants:

By maintaining a good standard of oral hygiene, your mouth will be a much more stable environment for your new dental implant. Your personal circumstances will help your dentist identify which choice of anaesthetic will work best for you, and this will affect what you may be able to eat and drink leading up to your procedure. You will be able to learn more about this from your dentist during the initial consultations or appointments before your dental implants treatment.

There are some circumstances where a dental implant may not be right for you. The implant requires enough bone to support the new tooth, but tooth loss can lead to the loss of bone in the jaw over time. To go ahead with the dental implants, your dentist would need for you to receive a bone graft. This may be your own bone, or the bone from a cadaver or a cow, among other options available.

How To Care For Dental Implants:

If you already maintain a good level of oral health then you shouldn’t have much to worry about - dental implants require much the same care of natural teeth. Cleaning is especially important after meals, and this can be easily accomplished by gently brushing with special attention paid to all sides of the implant.

Oral hygiene aids may include:

Small, soft, manual toothbrush or an electric brush
Dental floss

Low-abrasive, tartar-control toothpaste

If you wish to know more about dental implants or you would like to see if they’re the right choice for you, arrange a consultation with your dentist. Your dentist can assess your unique situation and determine what the best course of treatment would be, and can explain to you all of your other possible choices to make sure that you’re making an educated decision. Dental implants are a great solution for many people across Perth, and most dental clinics are able to offer them to their patients among a range of dental and oral services.

Ask Your Perth Orthodontist These Questions About Invisalign

Orthodontic services are becoming more inconspicuous than ever, and offer even less interruption to your lifestyle.If you’re considering an orthodontics treatment like Invisalign to straighten your teeth, you might want to find the answers to some of these questions first.

Most of us would love to have straight, white teeth, but many people struggle to achieve this. Whether it’s from your genetics or your lifestyle factors, there are many factors that could influence the alignment and wellbeing of your teeth. Signs and symptoms such as underbite or overbite, crowded or protruding teeth, jaw pain, or uneven spaces between teeth can all lead back to improper alignment, and while poor alignment alone is not a health risk, the associated symptoms can lead to serious health concerns.

Invisalign is an effective method to correct your dental alignment, with clear aligners designed to fit your teeth and manoeuvre them into position.

1 What Kind Of Orthodontic Issues Can Invisalign Correct?

One of the great attractions to Invisalign is its ability to correct many of the same issues that traditional braces can, although the extent of the correction will need to be considered before choosing between the two. For more severe cases, your orthodontist may choose to use traditional wires and brackets to move teeth and align your jaw, but many realignments can be successfully completed with Invisalign aligners.

2 How Long Does Invisalign Treatment Last?

On average, the length of treatment for Invisalign is similar to that of traditional braces, but there are many factors that can play a part. This might be your age, how much correction you need to achieve the desired alignment, and the general treatment time span that your issue can usually be corrected. Both Invisalign and traditional braces require odd visits to your orthodontist - braces require regular adjustments to tighten the wires and Invisalign users receive new aligners to adjust their teeth further. Attending these appointments is crucial to your treatment - orthodontic alignment is a gradual process, and every step counts towards the end goal.

3 Is Invisalign Right For Adult/Older Smiles?

Many of us have experienced orthodontic treatments in our younger/teenage years, but for some these problems may go unnoticed or unaddressed until adult life. By then some people may experience some hesitation towards getting traditional braces - making Invisalign the perfect alternative. Invisalign is nearly invisible and can be removed for eating and drinking, helping wearers to avoid any embarrassing incidents.

4 Why Is The Up-front Cost Of Traditional Braces Less Than Invisalign?

Traditional braces are a tried-and-true method that have been available for many years, so the materials and treatments have become readily accessible in the market and haven’t progressed rapidly enough to drive demand. Invisalign offers all the benefits of traditional braces without the drawbacks that are usually associated with them, and the aligners are tailored to your unique bite. This makes the process more intensive and efficacious, and can contribute to the overall cost.

Ask your orthodontist if Invisalign is right for you!