dos and don’ts of clear aligners

you finally got your clear aligners at home. * does a happy dance *
now that you have them in your hand, a ton of questions might run through your mind. Lots of hows, whys, whens, and ifs. are we right? if so, don’t worry. we got your back.

here is a list of dos and don’ts that you need to know about having clear aligners. follow this strictly and your smile transformation journey will be great.

that’s the mantra you need to follow while using invisible aligners. eat whatever you want, smile as much as possible but after that rinse the mouth. this will help in removing saliva, plaque, food particles and prevent bacteria colonization.

is ‘foodie’ the one word you would use to describe yourself? then, the good news is that you can eat whatever you want with clear aligners. but, ensure you take them off before eating or drinking, especially fruits, hard foods, coloured beverages.

aligners are the most effective when you wear them for at least 20 – 22 hours per day. so, if you want to get the results you want, which is a beautiful smile, you have to wear it for the required time. be strict with yourself - your smile will thank you later.

after you eat and before you put your aligners, clean them thoroughly. Follow the instructions and clean them so that you avoid oral hygiene concerns. Wash your hands before you start cleaning the aligners.

handle one aligner at a time. they are delicate and if you try to handle both or get rough, you will damage the aligners.

aligners let you smile without ever making you feel conscious, unlike metal braces. smile so big that people think that perfect smile is photoshopped.

when you are not using the aligners, store them properly in their case. do not just keep it on a table, paper, napkins, etc. always use the box.

do not pinch or touch the aligners without any reason. if you do, you risk damaging the shape of the aligners.

if the aligners are hurting you or irritating you in any manner, do not trim or modify them on your own. contact your orthodontist if it is hurting you or if it doesn’t fit properly.

when you wash the aligners with soapy water, make sure you don’t use coloured soaps. these will leave the colour behind on the aligner and affect their transparency, so, instead of having an invisible smile, you may probably have a flaming blue smile

anything hot needs to be kept away from the aligners. never drink hot beverages or eat piping hot food with the aligners on. it will warp the aligners and damage them. take the aligners out every single time you eat or drink, even cold stuff.

many say ‘don’t skip the leg day’ but we would say don’t skip the aligner day. you need to wear the aligners every single day of the treatment. if you don’t wear the aligners as per the smile makeover plan, you risk increasing the overall duration of the treatment.

nobody likes a sticky mess but that’s what you will find yourself in if you chew gum with the aligners on. the gum may stick to the aligners and foster a medium for bacteria and food particles to stick onto.

avoid smoking also when you have aligners.

clean the aligners regularly, especially when you eat pigmented food. if you leave them dirty, you will be prone to oral diseases plus the aligners may become visible due to residual pigmentation.

as long as you follow the dos and don’ts properly, you can be sure of having clear aligners, completing the treatment on time and ending up with a great smile.