How to Travel with Invisalign

Remembering all the things you need to pack before a trip can quickly become overwhelming. If you also happen to be in the middle of orthodontic treatments such as Invisalign, figuring out exactly which dental care items to bring is vital for your comfort and compliance.

Your commitment to Invisalign should never prevent you from making plans to travel!

Traveling with Invisalign is perfectly possible as long as you’re willing to put in a bit of planning and preparation ahead of time. As someone who has been through this myself, I would love to share some tips and tricks to help make dealing with Invisalign more comfortable while you’re traveling away from home!

Disclaimer: This post does NOT contain official medical advice. This was written purely for entertainment purposes. The content shared within this article reflects my personal experience as a past Invisalign patient. For your own medical advice in relation to orthodontic treatment, please consult an orthodontist.

My 15-month treatment with Invisalign helped me learn a number of travel tips to assist with making Invisalign pleasant for someone who loves to be on the road. In this post, I’ll share those tips with you!

If you prefer to jump to the packing list, you can.

SCHEDULE A VISIT TO YOUR ORTHODONTIST BEFORE LEAVING

After beginning Invisalign, even though I had an initial order of 38 aligner trays, I was only given maybe the first 8 or so. I’d wear those trays, return to the office for a check-up, and if everything was tracking properly, they’d send me home with another 8 trays.

Since each tray needed to be worn for 10 days in my case, that meant I had a 2-3 month window before I’d return. Each patient’s schedule may vary a bit, but I share this information to give you an idea of what to expect in terms of the frequency of visits. Since your teeth movements happen at home when you switch aligners, you go to the orthodontist MUCH LESS FREQUENTLY than you would with traditional braces where every single adjustment happens in their office.

For this reason, I believe Invisalign is far superior to metal braces for travelers.

As long as you pre-schedule those appointments long enough in advance, you can try to plan your trips in between those appointments. That’s what I did and it was never an issue for me. If I was going to be away for more than 10 days, I made sure to take the next aligner tray with me.

Invisalign Tip: Pack extra aligners! I almost always took my next aligner on every trip even if it wasn’t time for it, just in case I broke or lost the current one! In case you stay longer than anticipated, you won’t have to worry.

IS SMILEDIRECTCLUB BETTER SINCE I WOULD NOT NEED ANY OFFICE APPOINTMENTS

Unlike some of the DIY aligner options such as SmileDirectClub, a great reason to get Invisalign specifically is that your orthodontist will be involved in the process! They can guide your treatment from start to finish! Some people prefer to fix their teeth themselves to save money which is understandable, but it’s important to remember that a specialized professional can make sure your teeth are aligned in a healthy manner.

When your Invisalign treatment is supervised by a trained professional, your smile is far more likely to turn out exactly the way you want it to.

In my opinion, the greatest reason of all to see an orthodontist is that in addition to straightening your teeth, an orthodontist can ensure you have a healthy and properly aligned bite. In fact, that was the primary reason I got Invisalign!

Unlike those DIY at-home aligner kits, orthodontists also have the ability to equip your teeth with rubber bands, bonded attachments, and other gadgets to achieve more complex movements!

Invisalign Tip: Mention your trip to your orthodontist! If your treatment is a rather simple one, it never hurts to ask if you could have more aligners all at once so you can travel longer in between appointments.

WHAT TO PACK AND CARRY FOR INVISALIGN WHILE TRAVELING

There are key items that made traveling with Invisalign significantly more comfortable.

In this section, I will share the best things I purchased that made traveling with aligners easier!

INVISALIGN TRAVEL PACKING LIST

COLGATE MAX FRESH WISP DISPOSABLE MINI TRAVEL TOOTHBRUSHES

By far, these were the greatest thing I ordered for traveling with Invisalign. They’re small enough that you can easily store 2-3 in a Ziploc bag and carry them in a pocket/purse.

They have a breath freshener, cleaning bristles, and the other end is a soft dental pick for those hard-to-clean areas.

These were the #1 best investment I made during my treatment. Amazon has a great deal right now for a 4 pack. Since they’re single-use, it’s a great value buy.

DENTEK COMFORT CLEAN SENSITIVE GUMS FLOSS PICKS

Made with soft, silky ribbon floss that stretches for a softer feel, these single-use flossers by DenTek are the most comfortable floss option I’ve found for sensitive gums during Invisalign treatment.

With a subtle Mouthwash blast flavoring and fluoride coating, these flossers ensure your mouth is feeling perfectly fresh after having any meal.

Even if your teeth may feel clean after brushing with a toothbrush, they aren’t fully clean without cleaning the spaces between your teeth where food and plaque tend to remain.

These also have a dental pick on the opposite end.

You can order a 3-pack discount set on Amazon.

GRIN TONGUE CLEANER

Target sells disposable tongue scrapers made from recycled plastic. Despite their small size, they’re very comfortable to use.

Prices are subject to change (especially with inflation…), but recently they were around $3.40 for a package containing 32 scrapers at Target.

And best of all, just like everything else on this list so far, the bottom half can be transformed into a dental pick! 😀

MOVEMINTS

One of the most fun things I discovered during Invisalign was Movemints: a special patented sugar-free mint that assists with seating aligners.

They’re an edible alternative to those rubber chewies your orthodontist will probably give you. Plus, they’re spearmint flavored so they make your breath smell nice!

TRAVEL TOOTHBRUSH

I found Colgate’s mini travel toothbrushes to be sufficient while out & about, but if you prefer to do a full brushing in a public setting, you can always carry a mini bottle of toothpaste, mouthwash, and a folding travel toothbrush.

EXTRA ALIGNERS & CASES

I mentioned this tip earlier, but it’s always a good idea to bring extra aligners (stored in a carrying case so they aren’t crushed) when you travel.

At a bare minimum, you should (of course) bring any aligners that you KNOW you will need according to your treatment schedule.

In general, I’d always pack my next (unneeded) aligner as well as the previously completed one, just in case. One time, I cracked an aligner by trying to remove it too quickly. It was the final day for that tray so it was okay, but I was glad I had backup.

I never wanted to find myself without a backup aligner in case something broke or was lost.

RETAINER BRITE

In my case, my treatment overlapped with the COVID19 pandemic: a time when mostly everyone was masked up while around one another. The truth is that even though I wanted Invisalign because of how discreet it is, people almost never saw my teeth regardless…

Now the world is improving and people get to finally see each other’s big smiles once again! Using Retainer Brite is smart because it cleans and brightens your aligners with safe, non-abrasive chemicals!

Retainer Brite kills 99% of common odor-causing bacteria and eliminates the cloudy film that can naturally appear on dental appliances.

Drop one Retainer Brite tablet into a cup of warm water, drop your Invisalign trays in, and let it soak for 15 minutes! You will love the results.

TRAVEL WATER BOTTLE

The final item on the packing list is a simple water bottle! While not ideal, when you’re really in a pinch, having some water available to rinse your mouth can be a lifesaver.

I have a Brita plastic water filter bottle that I received as a free gift from Brita.

This bottle reduces chlorine with each sip to ensure you enjoy the freshest tasting water. It can even help you save money by eliminating 1,800 single-use plastic water bottles each year on average.

The best part is that the rubberized straw feels just like an Invisalign chewie.

Affiliate Disclosure: This packing list includes affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you, should you decide to purchase something listed here.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR INVISALIGN TREATMENT

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this article helpful!

Feel free to let us all know which products worked best in your travel routine during your treatment. Furthermore, if you think I missed something from the list, please share your own ideas down in the comments!

Please remember to bookmark and share this resource. If you or someone you know is thinking about starting Invisalign but feeling a bit worried about not being able to balance the commitment with everyday life, maybe this post could help enable them to feel more confident.

Smile often,

Rocky

Disclaimer: This post does NOT contain official medical advice. This was written purely for entertainment purposes. The content shared within this article reflects my personal experience as a past Invisalign patient. For your own medical advice in relation to orthodontic treatment, please consult an orthodontist.