Your Treatment

Treatment time and number of aligners varies with the difficulty of each case. Twenty to twenty-two hours of daily wear is imperative for the success of your final results.

Your aligners are changed at home, as instructed by the doctor, approximately every 7-14 days. Not all aligners are given to you at your first appointment, therefore regular appointments (usually every 2-3 months) are important to check your aligner fit and assess your progress. It is important for you to wear your aligners to each appointment. Additional aligners will be given to you at your appointments as long as progress is being made.

In some treatment cases, it is necessary to contour the enamel between certain teeth for a better finish. This painless procedure is done quickly without harming the teeth. As treatment continues, the teeth will be moved into a new position, and the contact between your teeth will be restored.

Sometimes, an attachment, which is a small bump of tooth colored material, is placed on the tooth. The attachments help the aligners “grab” and move the tooth more efficiently. Of course, these attachments do not harm the teeth, and are easily polished off at the end of treatment. If an attachment comes off, it is not an emergency. Please let us know at your next appointment.

When a new aligner is placed, it is typically tight for the first 24-48 hours. After this period, the aligners may seem loose. Changing to your next set of aligners at night can help alleviate initial tightness while you sleep.

Aligner Care

Toothpaste can be abrasive and scratch your aligners. We recommend using dish soap (Dawn) and a soft bristle toothbrush or denture cleaner to clean your aligners.

Once finished with a set of aligners, clean and dry them then keep them in a safe place just in case they are needed prior to completing your treatment. Store all used aligners out of the heat. Do not throw them away.

Eating/Drinking with Aligners

There is no personal sacrifice with aligners! You can still enjoy all of your favorite foods and drinks like soda, popcorn, fruit, bread, etc! However, while you are wearing our aligners, please ONLY drink plain water.

To enjoy your favorite foods or drinks, take out your aligners and place them in your case before eating/drinking. Once finished, brush your teeth or rinse your mouth with plain water before replacing the aligners in order to avoid trapping food on your teeth. If you accidentally drink another beverage while wearing your aligners, immediately rinse out your mouth and aligners.

ALWAYS place your aligners in the case when not in your mouth. The #1 way aligners are lost is by wrapping them in a napkin and having them accidentally thrown away. Also, please do not leave aligners in a hot car because they may distort and no longer fit properly. Pets love aligners as chew toys; keep them out of their reach.

Lost or Broken Aligners

Call immediately if you lose or break your aligners. When possible, you will be instructed to advance to the next set of aligners.  Our goal is to always move forward with treatment, but a replacement set may be needed. If the next aligner set doesn’t fit, then the previous aligner set will need to be worn so that replacement aligners can be ordered. There are additional fees if replacement aligners are needed.

Athletics

Aligners can be worn during practices and games. They actually help protect the teeth from impact.