Caring For Your Clear Aligners
Welcome to your clear aligner treatment! Your aligners gently and gradually move your teeth into place, and your results depend almost entirely on one thing: wearing them enough each day. Here is how to get a great result and care for your aligners.
Wear Them 22 Hours A Day
- This is the whole game. Wear them 20 to 22 hours a day, taking them out only to eat and clean your teeth.
- Less wear means slower or stalled progress and aligners that no longer fit.
- New aligners feel tight for a day or two. That is them working.
Switching Trays
- Change to the next set on the schedule we gave you, usually weekly.
- Chewies (the little cushions) help seat each new tray fully. Bite on them as directed.
- Keep your previous set in case one is lost or cracks.
Eating & Cleaning
- Take them out to eat and to drink anything but water. Hot drinks warp them, colored drinks stain them.
- Brush before putting them back in, so food and sugar are not trapped against your teeth.
- Clean the aligners with cool water and a soft brush. No hot water, which warps them.
- Mild soreness with a new tray is normal. An over-the-counter pain reliever helps.
Call Us If
- An aligner is lost, cracked, or does not fit. Call us before switching trays.
- A tooth feels very loose or a bracket or attachment comes off.
- Sharp edges are cutting your cheek or tongue.
- Your teeth are not tracking with the aligner (gaps showing at the edge).
How To Get The Smile You Are Working Toward
Clear aligners only work when they are in your mouth. The single biggest factor in finishing on time with a great result is simply wearing them enough.
- Wear them 22 hours a day, every day. This is the one habit that determines your result.
- Keep your teeth and aligners clean so you do not trap sugar against your teeth and get cavities.
- Wear your retainer when you finish. Teeth drift back without one, so retention is how you keep the result for good.
Wear them faithfully and you will love the smile you end up with!
Questions about your aligners or treatment? Call the office anytime. We are here for you!
