Easier Cleaning with Invisalign Braces

Looking after the health of your teeth whilst wearing dental braces.

Dental braces have been proven to be a successful method to re-align a patient’s crooked or uneven teeth. For many years, this has been done using the traditional metal braces that many of us probably know from our younger years.

Whilst this type of brace performed its function well however, it did come with two distinct disadvantages. The best known is, literally, plain to see in that the braces were highly visible and unattractive, causing some people to withdraw from their social lives to some degree when wearing them.

A less widely known issue with traditional braces though, is the fact that maintaining a good oral health regime can be quite tricky and may even result in dental decay and halitosis if appropriate care is not taken.

Cleaning difficulties

Whilst a simple teeth cleaning and brushing regime is essential to good oral health, along with regular visits to our dental practice which is just a short distance from Birmingham; this is easier said than done when wearing traditional braces.

By their very nature, they are likely to trap tiny pieces of food between the wires and the teeth and, whilst these may be so small as to be invisible to the naked eye, they are still quite capable of decaying and causing damage to the patient’s teeth over time. Although the use of a mouthwash and precise cleaning may help, it may not totally eradicate the problem.

A side effect of this problem is that as foodstuffs that have become trapped begin to decay, they start to smell and could cause halitosis. On top of the less-than-pleasing appearance of traditional braces, a patient wearing them could also start to suffer oral hygiene problems too.

Invisalign

At Arthur House Dental Care, we offer an excellent alternative to old style dental braces in the form of Invisalign braces. These are designed especially for adults and are not only made to be discreet, but also aid the patient in the ability to maintain a good oral health regime.

Because the braces are actually transparent trays which fit over the teeth, they are hardly noticeable at all unless carefully looked for. It is for this reason that many people opt for Invisalign.

Although it may not be something that most patients consider when choosing Invisalign, from a health perspective, this new type of adult brace also makes it significantly easier to clean and floss the teeth.

Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign braces are designed to be removed whilst eating and also when cleaning the teeth and flossing. This means that as the ‘brace’ is not worn when eating, there is much less risk of food becoming trapped. Overall this means that maintaining good oral health is quite a lot easier than with traditional style braces.

Where possible, the Invisalign braces should not be replaced after eating until the teeth have been cleaned as this could trap food. Sometimes though, this may not be possible and we would suggest that, at the very least, you swill water around the mouth to remove any excessive food debris before replacing them. Both the teeth and the Invisalign brace should then be cleaned as soon as is practical.

With Invisalign braces, you can have your teeth straightened effectively but also make it easier to maintain good oral health too!

For more information, please call our Sutton Coldfield dental practice on 0121 323 4492.