Tips for Maintaining & Wearing Clear Aligners

Categories: Cosmetics

Clear aligners, such as the SureSmile® system, allow you to change the appearance of your smile without metal braces. They are highly sought after by patients because they are convenient, discrete, and simple to use.

At Smart Dental Care, we provide SureSmile® for adults with mild to moderate orthodontic needs. We also want to support you in using the aligners to ensure they are effective and comfortable. So, we’ve put together this guide of tips on maintaining and wearing clear aligners.

How to Properly Wear and Use Your Clear Aligners

While clear aligners are fairly straightforward to wear, you still want to be aware of how often you need to wear them and how to care for them. Here are a couple of tips:

Wear Them Consistently

You should wear your clear aligners around 20–22 hours per day, depending on what we specifically suggest for you. If you don’t wear them enough, you won’t see the results you want, which can lead to a longer process.

Before receiving clear aligners, it’s important to commit to wearing them for most of the day and night. Otherwise, the process can be much longer than you want it to be!

Remove Them When You Eat

While you want to wear your aligners as much as possible, you should take them out when eating or drinking anything other than water. This way, you won’t stain the aligners or get food stuck under them.

How to Care for Your Clear Aligners

It’s also fairly simple to care for your aligners and keep them in good shape. But, remembering a few easy tips can prevent concerns and ensure your mouth is clean.

Keep Them Clean

Cleaning your aligners helps keep your mouth and teeth clean. Also, dirty aligners will look more noticeable and not as clear.

To clean the aligner trays, use a soft-bristled toothbrush and a gentle liquid soap to brush gently. Toothpaste can scratch the aligners. After brushing, rinse them under lukewarm water.

Maintain Good Dental Hygiene

You also want to maintain great dental health habits while using clear aligners. Luckily, you can easily remove the aligners to brush and floss. Make sure to brush and floss after each meal before putting your aligners back in. This way, bacteria won’t get trapped against your teeth.

It’s also important to avoid food and drinks that can stain your teeth. If you do consume these items, make sure to take your aligners out and then brush and floss thoroughly. Finally, remember to be careful when eating anything too sticky or tough.

Attend Regular Checkups

You’ll need to visit our office periodically to get new aligners, as this is how the treatment slowly shifts your teeth. But, don’t forget to see us for regular cleanings, too!

Routine dental visits are also easy with clear aligners. We don’t have to clean around brackets and wires. Instead, you can just remove the trays during your appointment, and we can thoroughly clean and examine your mouth and smile.

Call Today for a Consultation!

SureSmile® clear aligners can transform your smile without the need for metal brackets and wires. While not everyone is a candidate for his orthodontic treatment, many people can benefit from these simple-to-use, natural-looking braces.

With SureSmile®, you can have the uniform smile you’ve always wanted without the downsides of traditional braces.

Call Smart Dental Carea today to request a consultation!