For best results, your aligners must be worn 22 hours per day – all the time except eating and brushing!

 

Wear each aligner for the length of time that Dr. Kessel or Dr. Bouwens recommends – usually one or two weeks.

 

Do NOT move to the next aligner if the current one isn’t fitting properly. Be sure that the aligners are fully seated on your teeth. The aligners should fit snugly so that no space is visible between the edge of the tooth and the aligner.

 

Please keep your previous set of aligners – don’t immediately throw them away when you switch to a new set. The doctors may need you to go back to your previous set if the current aligners are not tracking as anticipated or if you lose your current set.

 

Clean your aligners thoroughly each day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Never use hot water.

 

Brush (or at the very least, rinse) after each meal before putting your aligners back in to keep them clean. Even though brushing is easier with aligners than it is with braces, poor oral hygiene can still result in cavities or white spots with aligners.

 

Never eat or drink anything except water with your aligners in.

 

When your aligners aren’t in your mouth, keep them in the case so that you don’t lose them!

 

When you start wearing a new set of aligners, you may feel a little extra pressure or discomfort for the first few days, which is totally normal. Use ibuprofen or Tylenol as needed to alleviate soreness.