Lorion11 wrote:I've done a lot of research (A LOT...like an obsessed person
) And I'm trying to figure out what I should buy ahead of time and what I should wait for.
I'm thinking of purchasing one of the sonic cleaners and back-up Chewies. However, I'm going to a 1% Provider so I'm thinking they might give me Chewies anyhow.
Most providers will give you chewies. You can always buy extra if you want the scented ones (yes, there are scented ones) or just want to have extras on hand.
You get two cases from Invisalign - I'd recommend getting an extra cheap retainer case or two and store them somewhere you might also take out your aligners just so you don't deal with a lost aligner problem.
Your ortho might give you a travel kit - mine did. However, you might want to put together your own. I found that the kit I put together in a small cosmetic bag was more portable and discreet than what I got from my ortho. In any case, whether you get something or not you'll eventually need another travel toothbrush, travel size toothpaste and floss
Get a sonic cleaner - you can get the little one designed for jewelry. They're like $5 online and help avoid the stinky aligner problem. What you soak your aligners in is up to you - I've heard everything from the official crystals to retainer brite to dish soap to mouth wash to peroxide. You should really soak them in SOMETHING once a day (or aim to) just to avoid the stank smell and kill any germs.
If you don't yet have a electric toothbrush - get one. Even if it's a battery operated one from the drug store it'll do a better job on attachments than a manual. You should also consider at least a base level sonic care. I found it worth the money and better than the battery one I was using. I just have the base model - I don't think you need anything fancier unless you want it. A water pik also comes in handy.
Straws! Straws are a must with Invisalign! Most colored beverages (but not any hot ones) can be safely done through a straw with aligners in if you brush after in a reasonable period of time. Buy straws in bulk.
Another thing is refillable water bottles - especially if you can buy one with a filter built in. You'll likely get dry mouth and start drinking a LOT of water. It's nice to have one with a filter that you can fill anywhere. For dry mouth you can also suck on sugar free mints or use biotene mouth spray with no issues.
I've never needed wax or an outie tool personally. If you don't have any type of nail or really have a problem getting the aligners out, you might need a tool to help you. Generally, I have enough of a nail to make this not an issue. I know some people put wax on attachments when they take their trays out because of scraping but I've never gotten a sore or anything from mine so I've never bothered with it (I have it, just haven't used it.) I do recommend you have at least one emory board on hand in case you run into a dreaded sharp edge that's bothering your tongue, lip, etc A few swipes of the board over the edge should smooth it down but take it back to your ortho if that's not enough because they have tools that can smooth it further.
