Which Precautions Should Be Taken While Wearing Aligners?

Table of Contents

1. Wear Aligners As Much As You Can
2. What Happens If We Don’t Wear Them Enough?
3. Keep Your Aligners Clean
4. Protecting Your Aligners
5. Watch What You Eat and Drink
6. What About Drinking?
7. Be Gentle with Your Aligners
8. What If My Aligners Break?
9. Don’t Forget to Brush and Floss
10. Mouthwash For Clear Aligners
11. Avoid Hot Water
12. Warped Aligners
13. Don’t Eat or Drink with Your Aligners In
14. What Happens If We Eat with Aligners On?
15. Keep Track of Your Aligners
16. What If We Lose Our Aligners?
17. Regular Check-ups Are Important
18. Final Thoughts
19. FAQs

Wearing clear aligners is convenient because they help straighten our teeth without any inconvenience. But we can’t just ignore all the other stuff that comes with it, as there are some precautions we need to take to ensure that our clear aligners function properly. If we do not follow these steps correctly, our teeth may not move as intended, or it may take quite some time before we see these movements. So, let’s discuss what we have to avoid while using aligners.

Wear Aligners As Much As You Can

As per the general recommendations of the dentists, clear aligners need to be worn 20 to 22 hours daily for best results. And they can only be taken off when we are eating, drinking, or rinsing our teeth. If you do not wear them frequently enough, the teeth will shift as well. And then it would take much longer for the treatment to be complete.

At times it may feel uncomfortable wearing them, or maybe going to a special occasion, we may feel like removing them. But it's best to have them in as often as possible. Sometimes even missing a few hours can ruin the process. So, we should try hard to stick to the plan and wear clear aligners for the advised period for fast results, even when we don’t feel like it.

What Happens If We Don’t Wear Them Enough?

If we don’t wear clear aligners for the advised amount of time that the dentist recommends, then our teeth may not move as required. If your dental issues that need to be fixed, such as gaps or crooked spots, cannot be corrected in the same manner as they are supposed to be, then what’s the point of going for the treatment? Thus, to get the best possible outcome, it is important to follow the rules and wear those aligners as they should be worn.

Keep Your Aligners Clean

Clear aligners remain in our mouths for most of the day, so they have to be clean. If not, then they can get nasty and stink extremely bad or smell repulsive. And nobody wants that. Every time we use them, we should wash them with cold water. This helps in the removal of any food or spit trapped in them. We also need to wipe them gently with a toothbrush – don’t be rough; the items do not need to be cleaned thoroughly. No, not with toothpaste – some toothpaste is abrasive and can scratch the aligners.

Protecting Your Aligners

Clear aligners need to be stored properly in an aligner case, as they could get lost or get dirty along the way. The best thing to do is always keep them in their cases, their kit, or whatever they came with. That way, at least we do not have to continue assuming they are safe or clean only to find that they are not within a few weeks again.

Watch What You Eat and Drink

Finishing aligner treatment doesn’t mean that we can eat everything without some precautions. We are still in the process of finishing the alignment of the teeth, and we should avoid certain foods for the first few months. You should therefore imagine that these teeth have just recently shifted to a new house, and this takes some time.

What About Drinking?

Though these beverages sound pretty simple, they can cause a lot of harm to our teeth, especially since they are sugary products such as soda. These drinks contain sugar, and that means we get to have cavities, and we don’t want that after so much effort. But after all, water is the best thing for it – it just washes our mouth and keeps our teeth strong. In case we take a sugary drink, then perhaps we should just rinse our mouth with water, or preferably, clean our teeth where possible.

Even hot beverages such as coffee or tea can negatively affect the color of our teeth. Aligners may have prevented some stains from settling on our teeth up to a certain level, but right now our teeth are even more exposed. If we love our coffee, it’s important to rinse or brush so the stains don’t stick around.

Be Gentle with Your Aligners

Although aligners are quite sturdy, they can still break or bend. We need to be very careful with them to enable them to operate as expected. If we apply too much pressure, they can break, and if this happens, they do not fit into the teeth' shape and size. That is why whenever we are taking them out, we should always use our hands and be very careful when putting them off our teeth. Do not pull them or twist them because that may ruin their shape.

What If My Aligners Break?

If the clear aligners crack or break, one should contact their orthodontist immediately. Do not attempt to continue wearing these broken aligners because they cannot shift our teeth as they should. They may require a new set, or to fix the issue themselves, the orthodontist may need to order a new set. In this case, it will be preferable to correct it before our teeth shift into the wrong position, which would take ages.

Don’t Forget to Brush and Floss

Even though aligners are removable, that doesn’t mean we can skip brushing and flossing. It is more important than ever! When we wear aligners, we understand that any food or plaque left on our teeth ends up being captured between the trays. Otherwise, bacteria will grow on the teeth, leading to unpleasant odors, cavities, or inflammation of the gums. Clear aligner wearers should brush their teeth at least two times per day, in the morning and before going to sleep. Of course, brushing after meals is even better if we can.

Flossing is also very important. Consider when you eat some food and some of it gets stuck between your teeth; if you fail to floss, then that food will remain on your teeth the whole day. It just sorts of locks everything in so while using the aligners, flossing assists in keeping our teeth and gums healthy. Besides, it helps to freshen our breadth as well!! It is important not to have any nasty smells of the food we have taken linger on while using the aligners.

Mouthwash For Clear Aligners

We can use mouthwash for fresh breath, but we still should remove the aligners in order to do it. It should be noted that some mouthwashes have colors or strong chemicals that may stain or affect the aligners. Once the rinsing is complete, we can replace it back in position with the aligner in place. A good rinse helps in ensuring that our mouth stays healthy. But at the same time, we should not harm the aligners in the process.

Avoid Hot Water

One important thing that we can know about clear aligners is that we should not wash them with hot water. Hot water can make the plastic become soft, and then it changes shape, thus not fitting the aligners as initially. If they get bent or lose their shape, they cannot move their teeth like they are supposed to. There may be a temptation to assume that hard water might clean them better, but this is very wrong since hot water destroys them.

Warped Aligners

If your aligners are damaged by hot water or anything else, most likely your aligners will not fit your teeth properly again. This means they aren’t as effective, and our teeth may stop shifting as intended. That is why we can be just sure that if the aligners don’t fit well, we have to call the orthodontist. And they will probably have to provide us with a replacement so that we can be on the right track again with our treatment.

Don’t Eat or Drink with Your Aligners In

One of the major rules we have to follow is not to eat or drink while wearing our aligners. You’re likely not thinking too much of it to just pop a few bites or sips here and there, but this might harm. Sometimes when wearing an aligner, food gets trapped between the trays and the teeth, leading to bacterial formation, bad breath, or even tooth decay. Also, beverages apart from water can color the aligners or even make them. Especially for hot drinks, the plastic trays change their shape and become deformed.

What Happens If We Eat with Aligners On?

Food, therefore, gets stuck and brings about an accumulation of plaque if we eat while still wearing our aligners. It could also cause the aligners to become soiled and have an unpleasant odor. In addition, you cannot consume some types of food since they can badly affect the aligners by bending or even cracking them. But it is better to remove them before consuming any food item or snack or before drinking any liquid.

Keep Track of Your Aligners

Aligners being transparent can easily be misplaced. That’s why, when using them, we ought to be very careful of where we place them when taking them out. The problem is that it is very simple to lose orientation and mistakenly throw it away if it is placed in a napkin during the meal. Therefore, the best thing to do is always to put them in the case. The case protects them, and they remain clean so that they do not get lost at any given moment.

We also lose aligners sometimes, which means that we have to wait for a replacement and then continue with the treatment. Secondly, aligners are quite costly and thus safer to keep them away from harm in order to avoid having to buy a set again.

What If We Lose Our Aligners?

If we ever lose an aligner tray, we need to call our orthodontist at once. In case we lose one, they can bring in a new one, or we move to the next phase if we are approximately at the final stages of the current aligner. But to avoid this problem, it becomes good practice to always place them in the case whenever we remove them.

Regular Check-ups Are Important

Keep checking with your orthodontist for your follow-up appointments to make sure all is well. You have to make sure your progress is being monitored accurately, and any necessary recommendations can help. Make sure you follow their instructions and stick to them for the best outcome. Everyone has a unique case and list of dental questions, and it's best to follow the advice directly from your orthodontist instead of just googling stuff.

Final Thoughts

Wearing clear aligners is a great way to get a straighter smile, but it’s also important to follow these precautions. From wearing them the right amount of time to cleaning them properly, every step helps us get the results we want. If we take good care of our aligners and our teeth, we’ll see a big difference in our smile. Remember to keep track of your aligners, avoid eating or drinking with them in, and always go to your check-ups. By following these simple rules, our treatment will go smoothly, and we’ll have a beautiful smile in no time.

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