You're On Your Way
Welcome to the start of your journey towards a brighter smile! With your first set of Clear Choice Aligners® now in hand, you're moving closer every day to the bright smile you've always wanted.
Maintaining Your Smile’s Progress
Keeping your smile on track with your Clear Choice Aligners has a few steps you need to follow. Wear your Clear Choice Aligners for at least 22 hours daily to make your treatment effective. Not wearing your trays for this long can disrupt your treatment.
To properly put on your aligner tray, use your fingers to slide them gently onto your teeth. Don't bite down on your aligners to put them on, as this can damage them.
Once on, they still might need a little adjusting. Use a soft item, such as a dental roll, to bite down on to seat your aligners. Move the item from one side of your mouth to the other. Make sure to apply pressure to each tooth.
Repeat this process every time you remove your aligners, like after you eat or clean your teeth and aligners.
Your Aligners, Your Routine
Your Clear Choice Aligners work hand-in-hand with your teeth to bring your dream smile to life. To help keep your dream going, you need to have a routine to take care of your aligner trays.
While you need to wear your aligners for 22 hours a day, you’ll enjoy the freedom to remove them during meals and cleaning routines. However, while you’re able to remove them, this can be an opportunity for nasty debris to build up around your teeth and in your aligners.
Always take off your aligners before meals. After you eat, remember to brush and clean your teeth so your aligners can’t trap any food particles and cause tooth decay.
Before bed, take time to not only brush your teeth but also brush your aligners. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and soap to scrub your trays gently clean.
Don't use excessively hot water to clean them! Hot water can warp and damage your aligners.
Important Warning
Remember when we talked about removing your aligners before meals? If you’re a fan of sugary and fizzy drinks like sodas or hot drinks such as tea or coffee, these can be harmful to your aligners.
Sugary drinks are acidic and can become a hotspot for tooth decay when trapped in your aligners. Going long periods of time without cleaning your aligners can cause cavities, gum inflammation, and spots on your smile.
Hot drinks bring the same issues as using hot water to clean your aligners. Hot liquids can warp your aligners and even stain your teeth if trapped in your trays.
Remember, having a cleaning routine can be the difference between a perfect smile and a ruined smile.
Final Reminders
We’ve hoped to have covered any questions you may have about taking care of your Clear Choice Aligners, but we’ve got a few more tips just in case.
Your Clear Choice Aligners come with a case to store them. Keeping your aligners in their case when not in use can help you not lose them. Your case has your contact information on it, so if you misplace your case, someone can help return it.
If you set your aligners in a napkin at dinner time, they may be accidentally thrown away, costing you extra for a replacement.
If you have a habit of chewing on hard objects, these can damage your aligners. If you do have an issue with your aligners, contact us right away rather than waiting for your next visit.
When wearing your aligners, you may make a habit of using your tongue to adjust or remove your aligners. This can lead to damage to your aligners or make them unable to fit.
If the edges of your aligners feel sharp, use a nail file to smooth them out and continue wearing your aligners as directed.