Home Tips - New Patient with Clear Aligners
Home Tips - New Patient with Clear Aligners
- Wear your aligners 22 hours per day, removing them only to eat and drink hot beverages.
- Brush your aligners with your toothbrush and toothpaste every time you brush your teeth. Avoid extreme heat or harsh cleansers.
- Wear your aligners a minimum of 1 week unless otherwise instructed.
- Do not move into the next tray if the current tray does not fit.
- A new aligner may not fit completely on the back teeth. Most of the time the aligner will seat itself in a few days.
- It is advisable to occasionally bite down and make contact with your top and bottom aligner, this will help to seat the aligner and improve tooth movement.
- Keep your past set of aligners and bring them in their respective bags to your next appointment since there are times when it is advisable to go back and wear a previous aligner if the teeth are not moving properly
- If an attachment comes off during treatment, please notify us at your next appointment. We will determine whether it is necessary to replace it.
- If an aligner cracks or is lost, move up to your next aligner. If it does not fit, move to the previous tray and notify the office that a replacement is necessary.
- If your aligner has a sharp edge, you can use an emery board to file down the rough area. The initial set of trays may feel uncomfortable even when filed down. The lips will adjust to them after a few days.
- In certain crowded cases it is necessary to open the contacts between teeth in order to allow for proper movement.
- Most cases will require additional aligners (refinement) at the end of the initial set of trays.
- In response to the pressure from the trays, your teeth MAY feel sore. Take pain relievers as you would for a mild headache when needed. Do not equate pain to progress as everyone reacts differently to the pressure.
- Your trays will be given to you in batches. Please bring your entire batch, used and unused with you to your appointments.
- After treatment you will be given a set of retainers to wear at night time for as long as you want the teeth to remain straight.
- Your retainers should be replaced at least every 5 years.
If you have any problems or questions, please give us a call at (703)356-8781
