A Few Questions

[Bonnie]

Ive had Invisalign for 3 weeks now, and so far I dont have any major problems but I do have a few questions.

First off...the edges are scratchy for the first couple days of the new trays, which I expected, but its tearing up my tongue pretty badly. Ive heard that you can file them with a nail file, but will that damage the plastic? ...and should it be a metal file or a cardboard file?

Also, has anyone found a way to stop bad breath without taking them out and brushing? I eat 3 to 4 times a day, and always brush after each meal, but sometimes between the meals my breath gets stale. I use the peppermint infused lip gloss from bath and body works that is supposed to freshen breath, but it only last for a short while. Im afraid to get close to my husband, or kiss him a lot of times...I dont want to gross him out. lol I drink tons of water which is also supposed to help, but it dosnt last for long either. Any suggestions?

[Zoso]

I'd suggest the fine-grain side of a emory board (disposable nail file) for the trays.

As to the bad breath, if you're keeping the trays, your teeth, and your tongue clean (using a tongue scraper, and trying to say "ahhhh" whilst you gargle mouthwash can help here), then it's time to look for other possible causes. In the mouth it could be tooth decay, mouth ulcers (canker sores), bad gingivitis or periodontal disease, or even tonsillitis (assuming you've not had your tonsils extracted). Sinusitis is another possibility, as is oral candidiasis - a yeast infection. It could also be due to chronic dry mouth (despite your efforts to stay hydrated), which could be caused by any of several medications, so if you are on any regular meds, you may want to consult with your physician to see if they may be the cause. Beyond that, some folks have halitosis due to systemic medical issues - if you rule out all else, then once again it may be time to consult with your doctor.

Good luck.

[Punkin]

I'd suggest the fine-grain side of a emory board (disposable nail file) for the trays.

As to the bad breath, if you're keeping the trays, your teeth, and your tongue clean (using a tongue scraper, and trying to say "ahhhh" whilst you gargle mouthwash can help here), then it's time to look for other possible causes. In the mouth it could be tooth decay, mouth ulcers (canker sores), bad gingivitis or periodontal disease, or even tonsillitis (assuming you've not had your tonsils extracted). Sinusitis is another possibility, as is oral candidiasis - a yeast infection. It could also be due to chronic dry mouth (despite your efforts to stay hydrated), which could be caused by any of several medications, so if you are on any regular meds, you may want to consult with your physician to see if they may be the cause. Beyond that, some folks have halitosis due to systemic medical issues - if you rule out all else, then once again it may be time to consult with your doctor.

Good luck.

I find, that despite all my efforts, my mouth gets very dry when I have these in for more than a few hours. I drink lots of water, but it still gets "stale".

I don't have any answers for the problem; I do soak my aligners in Listerine once a day, and that helps for a while.

I guess you could pop them out, rinse your mouth with mouthwash, and pop them back in, after rinsing them off of course.

~shrug~

My ortho told me to use the emery type nail file to file away the sharp edges. I haven't had this problem, yet, but I anticipate I will at some point. She also said I could go in and she'd show me how to do it if necessary.

Good luck

[Bonnie]

Reading the first reply Im thinking I should have explained things a little better. The bad breath is only when I have the Inisalign in...Ive never had problems with it before. Nobody else seems to notice, so it could be that Im used to having gum in my mouth all day long and just miss the minty taste.

I will try rinsing with mouthwash between brushing times. I've always been the one to worry about bad breath, so this probably dosnt help. lol

[katesmom]

Maybe your trays have bacteria on them causing the bad breath. I use a product called RetainerFresh to clean my invisilign trays. Seems to keep them fresh.