Invisalign and 3M Clarity Clear Aligners Patient Instructions
The first 2-3 weeks you have Invisalign and Clarity clear aligners will typically be the most challenging as you and your mouth adjust. Any initial issues are temporary and normal and will get better quickly! Please watch the below video and see the below instructions for more information:
Wearing Your Invisalign and 3M Clarity Clear Aligners
Always remember to wear your aligners full time which means ~22 hours per day. The only time you should remove it is when you eat, drink, brush, and floss.
If you do not wear your clear aligners regularly, the orthodontic treatment will not work! Anytime you are not wearing your clear aligners, your teeth will be moving back to their original, crooked locations resulting in delayed treatment.
How to Insert Your Invisalign and 3M Clarity Clear Aligners
1. Make sure to using the correct clear aligner
• Upper clear aligner for your upper teeth
• Lower clear aligner for your lower teeth
• Either may be inserted first
2. When inserting the clear aligner:
• Gently push the clear aligner over your front teeth
• Next, gently push the aligner on your back teeth with your fingertips until the aligner snaps into place
3. Do NOT bite your clear aligners into position since it may result in breakage or distortion of your clear aligners decreasing their efficacy.
How to Use Chewies
Chewies help seat the aligner and ensure proper tracking of the aligner. We recommend using chewies at least 10 minutes per day, often split up into a few minutes after each time you place your clear aligners into your mouth. Each time you use the chewies, bite down and hold in each spot for 10-15 seconds and walk the chewie along your arch.
Monitoring Your Tooth Movement
Sometimes your teeth will start lagging behind the movement of the clear aligner, causing your teeth to stop “tracking.”
If you notice air gaps starting to form between your teeth and aligner, then slow down your 3M Clarity and Invisalign clear aligner wear by a few days. For example, if our orthodontists instructed you to change clear aligners every 7 days, switch to every 10 days.
If the clear aligner is completely not fitting anymore, then go back to the last clear aligner that fit well. Also, increase your chewies usage. It’s better to go slow and steady than to go too fast and lose tracking. If you have any questions, please contact our office, and our orthodontists will see you as soon as possible.
How to Remove Your Invisalign and 3M Clarity Clear Aligners
1. On your right side, use your left index fingertip to pull on the inside of your right side back molar to gently pull the aligner off of your back right teeth.
2. On your left side, repeat this process but with your right index fingertip to pull the clear aligner off of the back left teeth.
3. Once the clear aligner is disengaged from your back teeth on both sides of your mouth, you should now be able to slowly work your way forward gently pulling the aligner away from your front teeth with your fingertips.
Daily Care and Maintenance of Your Clear Aligners
1. Clean your aligners every time before you insert the aligners. Use a soft bristle toothbrush with water.
• You may find it easier to clean the outside of the aligners by brushing them while they are still on your teeth, then remove your aligners to clean the inside surfaces.
• Be sure to rinse each aligner thoroughly with water after each time you clean it.
• Note: Do NOT use denture cleaners to clean the aligners, and do NOT soak them in mouthwash. These products can damage the surface of the aligner causing them to become discolored and less effective.
Oral Hygiene
1. Remove your aligners for eating and drinking
• Note: You do not need to remove your aligners if drinking water
2. Brush and floss your teeth after eating or drinking prior to insertion of your aligners.
• If you don’t have time to brush and floss, you can chew sugar-free gum (i.e. Trident) for a few minutes and rinse your mouth thoroughly which will help cleanse your mouth temporarily. Make sure to brush and floss as soon as you are able to.
3. Make sure to continue seeing your general dentist for regular cleanings and checkups.
What should I do if the edges of the Invisalign and 3M Clarity clear aligners are scratching me?
Take a nail file/emery board and use it to smooth the edge that is scratching your gums. If that does not work, please make an appointment to see our orthodontist to adjust your clear aligner.
What should I do if I lose or break my Invisalign and 3M Clarity clear aligners?
In the event that a clear aligner is lost or broken, please schedule an appointment with our office as soon as possible, and we will evaluate whether we need to order a replacement clear aligner.
While waiting for your next appointment with us, try in the next aligner. If you can get it to fully seat, continue wearing the next aligner. If the next aligner does not fully seat, go back to your previous aligner, and we will order you a replacement clear aligner.
Make sure to keep all your clear aligners for this reason. Sometimes, if teeth are not moving as they should, our orthodontists may request for you to move back to a previous clear aligner.
What should I do if I lose or break and attachment?
In the even that an attachment is lost or broken, please schedule an appointment with our office as soon as possible. Attachments are vital for the tooth movement to occur predictably, so we will need to replace it as soon as possible.
Will the treatment be painful?
Most patients feel some tooth soreness for the first few days when starting clear aligner treatment. This is normal. The soreness should gradually go away after a few days. Over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen or Tylenol® can be used as needed following the medication’s instructions.
