cavities with invisalign?

[500dan]

I've been reading a blog where people are saying they got cavities while wearing invisalign, is this something people here have experienced?
I imagine people would only post if they do get cavities, which makes it look like everyone has them, so it would be good to hear if people have worn invisalign and not got cavities as well!

[sammywantstraightteeth]

After 6 months of invisalign my check up did not show up any cavities. It remains to be seen if by the end (total 11 months) this has changed, but so far so good

[DrJasonKTam]

You're right that the people who have cavities with Invisalign are the ones who will be reporting it. Invisalign does take a lot of discipline as even a day or two with food trapped in the aligners can lead to the start of decay.

We had a patient who is a dental hygienist. She had never had a cavity, but admittedly slacked off for a weekend for her bachelorette party. First cavities appeared after that .

However, the percentage of our patients who do get cavities with aligners is extremely low. One of the factors is that it is much easier to clean your teeth by taking out your aligners than to do so around braces/wires.

[pearlies]

[i]You're right that the people who have cavities with Invisalign are the ones who will be reporting it. Invisalign does take a lot of discipline as even a day or two with food trapped in the aligners can lead to the start of decay.[/i]


Thanks for sharing this info, Dr Tam.

Is it okay to floss just once a day as long as brushing always occurs, even if it means that some food may be hidden in the gums between the teeth while the aligners are on? I'm pretty good (I think) about brushing away surface stuff but food particles get in the gaps between the teeth so I've been flossing alot. But..I'm getting weary of all the flossing. I can handle brushing well after every meal and am hoping that I could restrict the flossing to end of the day. Maybe floss an extra time or two daily if something messy and fibrous like red meat is devoured.

Is this a sound plan for avoiding cavities?

I'm going to be in InvisAlign awhile so I want to do my best to prevent cavities, but also minimize what I need to be doing so I don't get worn out!

[DrJasonKTam]

You're right that the people who have cavities with Invisalign are the ones who will be reporting it. Invisalign does take a lot of discipline as even a day or two with food trapped in the aligners can lead to the start of decay.


Thanks for sharing this info, Dr Tam.

Is it okay to floss just once a day as long as brushing always occurs, even if it means that some food may be hidden in the gums between the teeth while the aligners are on? I'm pretty good (I think) about brushing away surface stuff but food particles get in the gaps between the teeth so I've been flossing alot. But..I'm getting weary of all the flossing. I can handle brushing well after every meal and am hoping that I could restrict the flossing to end of the day. Maybe floss an extra time or two daily if something messy and fibrous like red meat is devoured.

Is this a sound plan for avoiding cavities?

I'm going to be in InvisAlign awhile so I want to do my best to prevent cavities, but also minimize what I need to be doing so I don't get worn out!

Keep in mind that not flossing away food between the teeth may make the teeth contacts particularly tight, in turn making it harder for the aligners to move the teeth.

I'd say that it would be a good idea to floss anytime you feel anything tough like meat, but make sure your brushing is extremely thorough. Personally, I don't feel like my teeth are very clean without flossing, and didn't want to put my aligners back in without doing so.

Interestingly enough, I wrote a blog entry about this very topic at the beginning of this month! http://markhamortho.blogspot.ca/2012/03 ... o-how.html

[pearlies]

Excellent! Thanks Dr. Tam...your feedback is very helpful, especially since you are an InvisAlign wearer yourself....I'm going to read your blog now!