How to Hit your 20-22 Hour Quota with Clear Aligners

One of the things that distinguishes clear aligners from other methods of orthodontics is the fact that the clear trays used for the treatment are completely removable. This allows you considerable freedom when compared to other methods of straightening your teeth.

However, it also means that you’ll have to put a little bit of thought into how long you’ll have to wear your aligners each day. Most dentists recommend that you wear your trays as much as possible; realistically, this means keeping them on 20-22 hours a day. Here’s how you can make sure that you’re meeting that quota.

Cut Back on Snacking

The benefit of clear aligners being removable is that you can take them off before meals, allowing you to enjoy a much more varied diet than what you’d be able to with traditional wire and bracket braces. So long as you remove your trays beforehand, there’s absolutely no risk of you dealing damage to them with what you eat.

However, this also means that you don’t have your trays on while you’re snacking, which presents a serious risk of falling off track if you’re grazing throughout the day. If this is a bit of a habit for you, it’s smart to eat large meals so that you aren’t tempted to snack frequently.

Wear Your Aligners to Bed

You might have guessed this from the 20-22 hour a day quota, it’s important that you wear your aligners to bed. If you don’t, there’s virtually no chance of you reaching that metric.

Some patients worry that if they grind their teeth at night, this could put their aligners at risk. Fortunately, this isn’t a concern; your trays should be strong enough to stand up to this pressure for the few weeks that you’re wearing any set of them.

Get a Carrying Case

The worst thing for the progress of your clear aligner treatment is if you lose them. This means that you’ll have to wait for them to be replaced before you can continue straightening your teeth.

It’s all-to-easy to lose your trays if you’re just wrapping them in napkins or leaving them on tables. By getting them a specific carrying case, you can have a place you’ll always know to put them, radically decreasing your odds of losing them.

About Our Practice

At Arlington Heights Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry, we know that your particular oral health needs are as unique as you are. For that reason, we work hard to constantly expand our expertise and what we’re capable of as a practice, allowing us to provide you with whatever kind of dental care you could need to feel your best. When you come to us for Invisalign treatment, we promise you a truly personalized approach that will suit you, specifically.

If you have any questions about Invisalign treatment, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (847) 255-3020.