If you’ve just started Invisalign, your treatment may be causing some aches. That’s only natural – your teeth need time to adjust to the aligning trays. Still, you don’t have to put up with the pain helplessly. Easing your new aligner discomfort is possible with the right habits and tricks. In fact, your local Naperville dentist is here to share a few of these practices. To that end, read on to learn four tips for reducing soreness from new Invisalign aligners.
Wear the Aligners Often
For effective treatment, you should already be wearing your trays 22 hours per day. Doing so speeds up the alignment process. However, another reason to maintain this wear time is reduced aligner pain. Many patients report taking the trays out less often leads to less discomfort.
You see, leaving the trays out for long periods forces your teeth to readjust to them. From there, your smile aches more since it has to get used to the aligners again. Given these facts, wearing the trays as much as possible reduces the readjustment pain.
Suck on Ice Cubes
While you can’t chew ice while wearing aligners, you can suck on it. The latter habit would reduce your aligner-related pain.
Remember, cold temperatures numb your senses. They cause your blood vessels to narrow, reducing sensations in the affected area. As such, sucking on ice would numb your teeth and gums. You’d then face less discomfort as the trays move your pearly whites. (Just don’t chew any ice cubes. If you do, you could damage the trays and cause extra pain.)
Follow a Soft-Food Diet
If your teeth hurt from aligners, eating hard foods would make things worse. Items like crackers and nuts are painful for an aching mouth to chew. Instead, you should stick to a soft-food diet. Meals with tender textures won’t worsen your discomfort.
Examples of soft foods are fairly straightforward. They include things like (non-hard) bread, soup, hard-boiled eggs, mashed potatoes, and more. Such products are easy to come by at your local supermarket.
Try Pain Relieving Medications
For teeth that frequently hurt when switching aligners, one solution is over-the-counter pain relievers. These medicines dull your aches without interfering with the treatment process.
Ideal pain medications are ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen. In fact, many pharmacies carry name-brand versions of these drugs. They’re thus easy to find and use, assuming you follow the usage instructions and suggested dosage.
Ultimately, easing your new aligner discomfort isn’t that hard. That being the case, use the tips listed to make your Invisalign journey smooth!
About the Practice
G&G Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics is based in Naperville, IL. Led by Drs. Cory and Nicole, our practice is a top-quality dental provider for child patients. To that end, we offer preventive, restorative, and even emergency dental work for your kids’ smiles. Our team is also a certified provider of orthodontics like Invisalign clear aligners and traditional braces. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (630)-778-9500.
