How to wear Invisalign

Aim for 20hrs of aligner wear DAILY or as prescribed by our Drs.

First 48 hours are the most crucial when wearing new aligners, as your aligners are stiffest and hardest, ‘fresh’ from the pack!

The timing for changing to a new set of aligners is called an ‘Aligner Cycle‘. Your Dr will guide you on your aligner cycle.

The best time to change to a new set of aligners is after dinner (remember to clean your teeth first).

This allows new aligners to sit undisturbed, moving your teeth from after dinnertime all the way to the next morning.

When you upgrade to your next set of aligners, expect some tightness/soreness, but since you will be sleeping, you will not feel it as much. If you are on Dental Monitoring (DM), wait for the DM app Notification before you ‘GO’ to the next aligner.

Eat and drink what you want, just not with your aligners on.

Remove aligners for meals to avoid aligner discolouration. Coffee, tea, curry, carrot juice, red wine etc. will stain aligners. 

Avoid drinking super-hot water while wearing aligners to prevent them from softening. 

Gargle with water thoroughly (or even better, brush your teeth) before wearing aligners after meals or snacks to avoid food getting trapped under them.

Drinking acidic, sweet, and carbonated drinks while wearing an aligner encourages tooth decay.

It is a good habit to keep the old aligner aside BEFORE opening a new pack of aligners. This is to avoid mixing them up. 

Center your aligners over your front teeth, then slowly press them down onto the biting surface of your teeth, moving towards your back teeth.

It is also okay to start with aligners on the back teeth; use your left hand, or wear the upper/lower first. Do what comes naturally to you. 

Tips on wearing aligners:

1. 1. Start with the side of your mouth that has the more difficult or crooked teeth first.
   2. You may need to roll the aligners on from the tongue side onto the cheek side in areas with very crooked back teeth. 
   3. Be careful of your inner cheek when wearing aligners on your back molars. Gently nudge your inner cheek away to prevent accidental catching of your inner cheek on the aligners.
   4. You may hear a ‘click’ sound as the aligner seats in. It is not critical to hear the ‘click’.
   5. It is important that there be NO GAP between your teeth and the aligner. Check in the mirror.

Chewies are great for helping aligners sit well and move your teeth! Aim for no gaps between your teeth and aligners. Bite down and hold the Chewies for 2-3 seconds each time and ‘walk the chewies’ from Left to Right, Right to Left side of your mouth to ensure the aligners are properly seated.

Feel for the tongue-side inner corner of your last tooth. 

Place your fingernail at this spot under the aligner and to pull it off towards your cheek in a letter ‘C’ motion.

Some patients may need additional help removing aligners, and we have the OrthoKey to assist you. 

OrthoKey is a tool made from food-grade plastic, designed to remove clear aligners without damaging fingernails or manicures or requiring you to use your fingers. 

It’s compact, with design features including a hook and finger ring, and fits into standard cases for easy, portable use.

Do not skip aligners.

Please follow the treatment sequence, even if the new aligners do not feel tight when you wear them. 

Check that you are FULLY SEATING your aligners onto your teeth. Use Chewies to help you with this. 

Aligners that are not worn correctly can feel ‘loose’.

It is normal to feel tightness, some soreness, and pressure at the start of each new aligner. 

Teeth may feel sore, sensitive, or a little shakier than usual, which is also okay, as teeth respond to the movement forces. 

Following a softer diet, taking mild painkillers, and wearing new aligners at night can help ease you into the new sets. 

At the start of Invisalign treatment, the aligner is new to you, and your body will react by producing lots more saliva temporarily. 

Speech will be different at first, but it will improve with time and practice. 

Teeth may feel shakier than usual, and you may experience a change in your bite. This is normal and transient.

It is essential to keep good oral hygiene AND aligner hygiene throughout treatment.

Brush the aligner gently over ALL surfaces with a soft-bristle toothbrush and a small amount of toothpaste. Rinse with lukewarm water to avoid aligner distortions. 

The aim is to wear the aligners as often as possible. It is unnecessary to soak the aligners overnight.

DO NOT USE HOT WATER to rinse, wash, or soak the aligners. 

DO NOT USE hair-dryers to dry the aligners. Use a soft cloth or tissue instead. 

Aligner-cleaning tablets can help improve aligner hygiene, but do not replace physical brushing of the aligners. 

Small ultrasonic vibrator machines help improve aligner hygiene after brushing, but remember to brush aligners clean first and do not use warm water. 

Do not throw away all of your used aligners. Just keep 3-5 PREVIOUS sets of aligners on hand as a backup, in case your dentist instructs you to move backward during aligner treatment.

eg: if you are wearing aligner10, keep aligner sets 5-9 and throw the older ones. 

Wash, dry, and keep used aligners in their original packaging with the correct numbering.

Bring All aligners (unused, current one, and previous 3-5 sets) to your appointment with our Drs. 

Look at the biting surface of the aligners:

• You will see the flower logo of invisalign.
• On the other side of the flower logo, there are small numbers printed on the aligner.
• Example: ‘U16’ means Upper aligner, set 16. If you see ‘L22’, it is the Lower aligner, set 22.

Always remember to open only 1 bag of Invisalign at a time to avoid mixing up aligners.  

If you lose an aligner set, quickly jump to the NEXT set (forwards) and wear it for twice as long as your regular aligner change to compensate for the missing set. Please alert us via WhatsApp or Dental Monitoring as soon as possible.

DO NOT force the next set of aligner if it is too tight/uncomfortable.

Instead, revert to the last best-fitting aligner and notify us immediately for assistance.

Put aligners back into the Invisalign box whenever you are not wearing them to prevent losing them.

No wrapping of aligners in tissue paper! You will LOSE/ chuck them accidentally if you wrap aligners in tissue paper. 

If you have lost an aligner attachment, do not panic. If the aligner still clicks snugly over your teeth, you have time to call the clinic to schedule an appointment with our doctors for assistance. 

If you accidentally swallow an attachment, it’s okay. You will poo-poo it out the next time you go to the toilet. 

Losing a baby tooth is normal and can occur during Invisalign treatment. 

Please continue to wear your aligners as instructed. 

If the new adult tooth emerges in a way that prevents your aligner from fully seating, please call the Clinic for an earlier appointment.