Living with aligners: Dealing with 10 Common Dental Discomforts

The day is finally here. You have received your invisible aligners and it is time for you to pop them in. They fit you like a glove and you couldn’t be more excited to get a smile makeOver. While the aligners will be comfortable, you may have the question in your mind, do teeth aligners hurt?

To answer your question, the first few days may be tricky as you may begin to adjust to the teeth aligner pain which is going to be temporary. We assure you that it is normal to experience the common discomforts of clear aligners at the beginning of your treatment. Here, we will look at 10 ‘normal’ things that will happen during the first few days of wearing the aligners.

10 Discomforts Associated with Aligners

1. Your teeth might feel loose

This is completely normal so don’t freak out. Since clear aligners work by gradually moving the teeth in the right position. This is an unusual feeling for first-timers and may make them feel as though their teeth have become loose. However, it is important to note that this is natural and your teeth won’t fall out.

2. Mild Discomfort During Tray Transfers

One of the mild discomforts of clear aligners is getting adjusted with a new set of clear aligner trays every week or two. With clear aligners, you get a set of aligner trays made from high-grade plastic that you have to change every week or two. At the beginning of your treatment, you may feel mild discomfort every time you change your aligner tray as every new set of the tray will put more pressure on your teeth than before.

3. Slight Rough Edges

When you talk with your clear braces on, for the first few days, you might feel a slight roughness in the edges. You can lightly file the edges to gain a smooth edge that feels comfortable.

4. Pressure During Transitions

Traditional braces put gradual pressure on your teeth with the use of brackets and archwire. Similarly, clear aligners will put gradual pressure on your teeth with each set of the tray as your treatment moves forward. When your teeth start gradually moving into the desired position, you may feel temporary pain from aligners.

5. Brief Difficulty with Speech

One of the discomforts of using aligners can be a slurry speech at the beginning of your treatment. Some people may take time in the initial stages to get adjusted to the clear aligner trays on their teeth. Once your tongue gets adjusted to the position of the clear aligners, you will be able to resume your speech as before.

6. Occasional Eating Challenges

Although aligners offer you the freedom to eat a variety of food products, you have to remove the trays before eating and also make sure that food particles aren’t stuck in your teeth post your meal. Before wearing your aligners, you will have to make sure that your teeth are clean and ready for the tray to be put back.

7. Minor Lifestyle Changes

One of the few temporary discomforts of using aligners is the minor lifestyle changes that you will have to experience. You have to wear your clear aligners for more than 22 hours a day without fail.

• While travelling or stepping out of your house, you will have to carry your aligner essentials with you.
• You have to clean your teeth after every meal before putting your clear aligner back on your teeth.
• You have to make sure you follow your treatment plan with every set of aligner trays used as required.

8. Soreness of Soft Tissues

Imagine you have been a couch potato all your life and suddenly you decide to run 10 kilometres for charity. While you may feel awesome on completing the run, the next day you will definitely be sore.

The same thing applies to your teeth. The aligners will move the gums and mouth muscles which have been dormant until now. Due to this, your mouth will feel slightly sore but there is nothing to worry about. This is extremely normal, and the temporary aligners' pain would subside in a few days.

9. Dryness of the Mouth and Teeth

A dry mouth is one of the minor discomforts of using aligners when you start your treatment. It is caused due to a lack of saliva. When you first wear aligners, the saliva is unable to wash over your teeth like it normally would. Since the mouth would initially consider the aligners to be a foreign object, it would react accordingly and there will be a decrease in saliva production.

10. You May Have a Lisp

Before you get all worried and think, ‘do teeth aligners hurt till the end?’, remember this will last for 2-3 days only and it doesn’t happen to everyone. Since your mouth is still adjusting to the aligners, your speech may be altered a bit. And yes, it is completely normal.

This happens because your tongue is no longer hitting the back of your teeth when you speak. Instead, it is contacting the aligner. This may create unintended speech patterns but you will get used to it and you will start speaking normally.

Conclusion

If you are a first-time user of clear aligners then makeO toothsi offers a range of products that can make your journey even more comfortable and smooth. You can try out our range of chewies that will ensure that your clear aligners sit perfectly on your teeth. They also come in exciting flavours that will refresh your mood instantly. Also check out our range of aligner care essentials like foamy aligner cleaning foam, cheek retractor, aligner retriever and aligner care box.

Getting perfectly used to your clear aligners is just a matter of time. The minor aligner pain that you experience, in the beginning, will fade away by the end of the second week of your treatment. Continue with your treatment and follow your treatment plan as recommended and you will experience a smooth correction of your teeth in the end.

FAQs

Are aligners uncomfortable at first?

Yes, Aligners can be slightly uncomfortable at first but you can easily get used to them in a few days or weeks.

How many days do new aligners hurt?

If you are switching to a new set of aligners, the aligner’s pain can last up to a few days or weeks before it stops feeling uncomfortable.

Is it normal for new aligners to hurt?

Aligners are designed to apply slight pressure on your teeth to shift them into the desired position. This pressure can sometimes cause pain. However, this pain is usually easily managed.

Are aligners supposed to be uncomfortable?

Aligners are designed to exert pressure on your teeth, which can be uncomfortable, but this is part of the realignment process.