Are you looking into your orthodontic options? Perhaps you’ve been told a dental misalignment is causing disruptive complications? Have you considered the role of clear aligners like Invisalign London, in providing treatment without the complications and disruption associated with traditional metal braces? This article explores the everyday practicality of clear aligners.
The feeling of wearing invisible aligners
There’s an awful lot available online explaining how invisible aligners work, but what does it actually feel like to use, both within design and day to day?
The good news is that everyday use of these aligners is pretty uneventful. You wake up wearing your aligner, and remove it for the morning tooth brushing and flossing ritual, giving it a brief rinse in lukewarm tap water before replacing it. Every time you eat, you take out your aligner and it is recommended that you briefly rinse it and that you use mouthwash before returning it. Once the aligner is in place, it stops the natural flow of saliva over your teeth. This creates a microenvironment for bacteria to multiply without a normal cleaning mechanism, making it particularly important for you to wash or brush before replacing your aligner.
On a side note, the aligners might be translucent and practically invisible to wear every day but any buildup of plaque inside them or food debris is not. Not only does this make your orthodontic tool less effective, but it is also far more noticeable.
Professional life Impact
Starting with the first priority (everyone has to work at the end of the day), clear aligners almost always go unnoticed, especially when it comes to online meetings. Even in 4K resolution, the subtlety of the aligner, its closeness to the teeth and its translucency help. When used properly, the aligners fit tightly to the teeth, causing no risk of them coming loose or any awkward facial movements associated with loose dentures that could give away your use of an orthodontic tool.
In meetings and presentations where there also seems to be very little chance of them getting noticed, it does occasionally come up in one-to-one conversations, usually in more quiet corners of the office or at the water cooler. The change in shininess of the surface of the teeth can give a hint, and prompt a few questions although usually far more out of curiosity than anything else.
Personal life impact
Concerning your interpersonal life, particularly in dating, it’s probably best to preempt any notice from your date or partner by explaining that you are undergoing orthodontic treatment and getting a polite shocked ‘I had no idea!’. Even in the most passionate of moments, clear aligners do not have these sharp edges or complicated wire brackets that can make kissing concerning. So they do not come with the awkwardness of fitted braces!
In photos, even rather close selfies with clear aligners, they will only come across as an increased shininess on your teeth, and are more likely to hide imperfections than seem like one themselves. In a similar fashion as getting lipstick on your teeth, lipstick on aligners will adhere well, so a little caution when applying is warranted.
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