You may have heard that you may need dental wax with braces. But, what if you want to relieve pain or protect your gums and cheek from Invisalign trays. Can you use dental wax with Invisalign?
You can use dental wax with Invisalign or clear aligners when they hurt your gums or tongue and cause irritation and pain. The orthodontic wax is also safe to use with Invisalign. It doesn’t cause any damage to the aligners. If you use ADA approved wax, it’s safe for health as well because it’s made of natural wax such as beeswax or carnauba wax. So, you don’t need to be worried if you swallow a small portion of wax accidentally.
Invisalign is more comfortable than braces. But, in some situations, when Invisalign becomes uncomfortable, you can use orthodontic wax, especially when you feel pain or any surface of the tray rubs your gums or tongue.
But, the question is how can you use orthodontic wax for Invisalign or clear aligners?
Here, you will get a step by step guide to using it and answer some important queries asked by Invisalign wearers.
When do you need to use wax for Invisalign?
Mostly, you may need to use dental wax with aligners after getting a new set of trays. Here are the causes and situations when you can use wax for Invisalign.
Improper placement of trays
It could be if the trays don’t sit in on your teeth properly, especially for the first few days. This may rub your gums or tongue and cause irritation.
But, you don’t need to be worried about it. You can use Invisalign chewies to fix this issue quickly. At the same time, you can use wax to stop getting hurt.
But, sometimes, a set of trays can be overextended resulting in soft tissue irritation. So, if you don’t sit properly after a few days and keep hurting your mouth, consult with your dentist.
The sharp edge of trays
The margin of the tray may be responsible for your discomfort sometimes. The sharp edge of the trays may hurt the soft tissue of your mouth. Dental wax may be helpful to make the surface smooth and prevent the problem.
Lips and Tongue irritation
Sometimes, the bottom ridge of your aligners may irritate and cause discomfort when you move your tongue or lips. First, be sure if it’s normal. After getting the trays for the first time, you may need some time to get adjusted to it. But, if you feel it’s more than that, you can use dental wax.
Gums irritation
A new set of aligners may cause gum irritation as they need some time to seat on your teeth properly. If it’s too irritating, you may put some wax to cover the area of the trays.
Relief pain and make more comfortable
Wearing clear aligners is more comfortable and less painful compared to wearing braces. Using orthodontic wax makes the situation easier when you feel pain or discomfort.
Help with the lisp
Dental wax can also help you prevent a new lisp that you may develop while wearing the aligners. You can put some wax to cover the gap between trays and teeth. This will help make your pronunciation clearer. However, you should do that often because it will prevent you from getting used to aligners.
If you have elastic bands with your Invisalign, you may need the dental wax more than anyone. The orthodontist places plastic or metal buttons on your teeth for the elastic bands.
These buttons help attach the rubber bands that produce extra force and special tooth movement. But, the problem is the attachment or buttons may poke your cheek or lips sometimes.
In this case, orthodontic wax can help you a lot. Put a small piece of wax over the pokey area of the button to protect your cheek or lips.
However, you should consult with your orthodontist if it keeps hurting. He will fix the issue permanently.
In between visits
When you have a problem with Invisalign that needs you to visit the orthodontist to fix it permanently, dental wax can also help you.
In between those two visits you can apply wax on Invisalign and reduce pain and discomfort.
If you run out of dental wax, you can check out another article before you buy new dental wax to know which dental wax the best for aligners.
How to use dental wax for Invisalign or clear aligners
Here are the step by step guide to apply dental wax on Invisalign.
Step 1 – Preparation
Clean your teeth, mouth, and Invisalign trays.
Before applying the dental wax you have to clean your teeth and mouth properly. If it’s time it’s time to brush and floss your teeth do that before the procedure. You can also rinse your mouth if it’s not your teeth cleaning routine now.
Besides, you should also clean your Invisalign trays nicely. If you don’t clean your mouth and aligners, bacteria and plaque will be deposited under the wax or trays and damage your teeth and gums.
If you are out of wax, get the best wax available today.
Our recommended orthodontic wax:
Make sure your mouth and aligners are dry.
This is one of the most important steps before putting wax. Once your mouth and Invisalign trays are clean, dry them well. Many Invisalign wearers complain that the wax doesn’t stick well or fall off quickly. This happens when you put wax over the wet surface. So, ensure that your teeth, mouth, and aligners are dry when you apply the wax.
Wash your hand.
You put wax inside your mouth. So, you must wash your hand thoroughly with soap for 20 seconds before applying it. If you don’t do that, different germs may cause various problems.
Dry your hand.
Make sure your hand is not wet or wax won’t stick to the surface. After doing that you are ready to put wax for Invisalign.
Step 2 – Applying orthodontic wax on Invisalign clear aligners
Take a small piece of wax
Pinch a small piece of wax from the wax sheet. The amount of wax depends on the area you need to cover with it. Putting too much wax can cause discomfort. However, putting too little wax can’t cover the area nicely.
Roll the wax piece and make a small ball
Use your fingers to roll the piece of wax. Do it until it becomes soft, warm, and pliable. Create a small ball.
Put the wax on the affected area and press gently
Touch the wax to the top of the edges of a tray or the center of the affected area. After that, press it gently with your fingers. Spread it out so that it covers the whole area.
But, make sure that no other part of the tray comes out of it. When you apply wax over the edge of a tray, jam it on the top of the upper tray or bottom of the lower tray after you pop it in.
If a little piece of wax goes under the Invisalign tray, there is no problem, rather it could help the wax stick even better.
Make the wax surface smooth
After applying the wax, move your finger or tongue slowly over the wax surface to make it smooth. Don’t drink for a few minutes after putting on the wax.
How to remove dental wax for Invisalign
You can remove the orthodontic wax simply with your fingers or by brushing with a toothbrush. Wash your hand thoroughly and then use your finger to remove the wax from aligners or your teeth.
After that, brush your teeth thoroughly to remove the remaining portion of wax. Besides, you can use water or a simple Invisalign cleaner to remove the remaining wax from the trays.
It’s better to remove the wax using hands before brushing teeth or, the wax may get caught in the bristle.
Tips for using dental wax for Invisalign
Here are some tips you can follow to use orthodontic wax for clear aligners.
- Ensure that your mouth isn’t wet or the wax won’t get stuck to the surface.
- Invisalign trays must be dry before putting the wax. This is the common cause of the wax coming off as soon as it’s applied.
- You should apply the wax after your meal. In this way, you can use the wax for a longer duration.
- You must clean your teeth, mouth, and Invisalign trays before using the wax. Uncleaned mouth and aligner will accumulate germs and plaques and deteriorate your dental health.
- Don’t reuse the same piece of wax. Take a new piece of wax every time you apply it.
- Make the wax warm with your finger when you roll it. This helps to stick wax on the surface well.
- If the wax isn’t enough to relieve pain and discomfort, you can use other methods to relieve pain with clear aligners or braces.
- Consult with your orthodontist if the problem lasts longer. Keep in mind that wax may solve the problem temporarily in many cases. In those circumstances, the orthodontist can fix the problem with your clear aligners permanently. So, talk to him over the phone if you need another approach.
Takeaways
You can use dental wax with Invisalign trays without having any problems. It can help to relieve pain and protect the mouth from irritation caused by aligners. You must know how to apply it correctly to prevent the wax from falling out earlier than usual.
