Happy Friyay! I believe it’s actually been a little over a year from my last Invisalign post. There I discussed Three Things I wished I knew BEFORE Invisalign. Click here if you would like to check it out!
Now, I am one year after my treatment. I am still very pleased with Invisalign and would recommend it based off how easy it is and less painful then the old style braces.
Here is what I have learned AFTER my treatment:
- Clean your retainer!
Retainers get pretty gross. I normally rinse mine out after each night of wear, but super gross – they kind of get a smell. I even sometimes would rinse them in Listerine, which I believe you are technically not suppose to do. But I did it just for a few seconds.
Finally, I found some cleaning pods you put in a warm cup of water and let your retainers soak for 15 minutes. It is similar to denture cleaner. I will link them here on Amazon. They work well and I try to do that at least every 3-5 days.
I did notice that there still seemed to be grime in my retainer, no matter how much I rinsed them. I thought I was going to have to go ahead and order a new retainer. I couldn’t stand seeing how gross it looked and putting it into my mouth every night.
I called my orthodontist and explained the situation. They suggested I come in and have them clean it before I consider ordering another pair.
Due to such a quick appointment, I took my toddler with me. Thankfully, he was pretty good.
They took my retainer and cleaned it while the orthodontist checked my teeth.
When they gave me my retainers back the retainers looked MUCH better, NOT brand new, but better than I could clean them on my own.
2. Ordering a new Retainer
I remember when I first got my retainer, they offered a plan that I could get I believe two other retainers for around 500 dollars. These could be my back -up retainers.
I was only ever given one retainer the first time I got braces, so I turned down their offer.
When my retainers got so gross, I kind of wished I had accepted their offer.
However, my orthodontist explained she rarely suggests ordering a new retainer unless you are getting holes in your current retainers. She explained just to bring the retainer to them to clean or my dentist.
I did not have holes in my retainer, so I just needed a good clean and not a new set.
3. My Retainer Schedule
I pretty religiously have worn my retainers every night up to a year after I was first given them.
Then, due to the grossness, I decided to do every other night. I believe I had read somewhere that wearing them every other night was okay once you had finished your years worth of every night wear.
It actually works well for my teeth. When I alternate nights, my retainer still slides in great and my teeth do not feel pressure from the night I missed.
Now, I continue this habit in hopes it will add length to how long this retainer will last.
If you want to read more about my Invisalign journey – Click here – Invisalign – Braces for the Second Time.
I hope my one year after thoughts can be helpful if you are on an Invisalign journey. It is a very slow progressing journey but I am very happy with my own results. If you have any questions, please leave them below.
Happy Friyay!
~Gracefully Fashionable Britt