Keep your aligners on track.

Gently push the aligner over your front teeth, then apply equal pressure in the molar areas, using your fingertips as shown below, to push the aligner into place.

Use the provided chewies to ensure proper seating before biting down on the trays, especially during the first few days with each new set.

Use your fingertips to pull down on the inside of your right and left molars and gently pull the aligner from them. Then grab the right and left back ends and slowly work forward, gently prying the aligner away from your front teeth.

• Loosen both molar areas before removing the aligner.
• Be especially careful around the canines.
• Use the pull tool as a hook to gently unseat aligners in the back, then move forward.

Placing and removing your aligners gets easier with experience and as your teeth move into a better position.

Clean trays using a toothbrush and clear mouthwash. Toothpaste or denture cleaner may also be used, but they may make trays cloudy. Colored mouthwash can stain trays.

Favorite cleaning methods include soaking in hydrogen peroxide or a cleaning tablet during one mealtime each day.

Keep your teeth as clean as possible. Food stuck between teeth can inhibit fit, so flossing is just as important as brushing.

Your teeth will only straighten if the aligners are worn.

Ideally, the aligner is only removed for 15 minutes at a time when eating or cleaning your teeth.

Your name and aligner number will be printed on each aligner bag. The aligner number is also located on the back biting surface of each aligner. U or L indicates upper or lower followed by the aligner number. In the example below, L14N stands for lower aligner #14.

Attachments are made of composite, or white filling material, and bonded to your teeth. Each attachment is a precise geometrical shape designed by Invisalign to help move teeth into their end position.

Attachments can sometimes pop off, but this is rare. If this occurs, call the office and we can replace the attachment.

Tracking means your teeth are fitting perfectly into your aligners. Do not change your aligners until all teeth are tracking perfectly. There should be zero “air space” between the edges of your teeth and the aligner.

If there is air space, wear the previous aligner longer until the new aligner fits properly. Focus the chewy on that area. If air space remains after 2 weeks of wear, call the office.

• Chewies are critical for proper fit and efficient tooth movement.
• Better aligner fit means more predictable movement.
• Use chewies every time aligners are inserted, especially during the first 48 hours of each set.

Wear each aligner set for 1 week unless instructed by Dr. Rice to change at a different frequency. If you can see air space between the aligner and even one tooth, wear your current set until the air space has been eliminated, up to a total of 2 weeks.

If the next aligner does not fit properly, wear the previous aligner for an additional week and then try the new aligner again.

The only liquid you can consume while wearing aligners is water. Food and beverages can become trapped under aligners and cause tooth damage or staining.

After eating or drinking, brush your teeth and tongue before replacing aligners. If you do not have time or access to a brush, rinse vigorously with water, then brush when you get home.

A Go Bag contains everything you need to take proper care of your teeth and aligners throughout the day. Take it with you wherever you go.

Keep your case, pull tool, chewies, wax, toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste in your Go Bag. Do not keep the box of aligners in your Go Bag.

Take only the aligners you will need while you are out, usually the aligners you are currently wearing.

Ideally, move forward to your next aligner set and wear it like you skipped the one you lost. If the next set does not fit, wear your previous aligner and give us a call.

If you do not have future aligners, go back to wearing your most recent aligner set and call the office. If you did not save your most recent set, contact the office immediately because teeth can shift quickly.

Tylenol is best. Studies indicate NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, can slow the rate of tooth movement, so it is best to take Tylenol and avoid Ibuprofen/Advil.

Ortho wax: Apply to rough areas rubbing the inside of your lips. This is especially helpful at the beginning of treatment.

Nail file: If the tray edge is sharp to your mouth, lightly use a nail file to soften the area.

Attachments can impair the whitening process, so we recommend waiting until the end of treatment to whiten. The retainer can be used as a whitening tray.

If some teeth are triangular in shape, proper alignment can sometimes result in a small black triangle. This is normal in orthodontic treatment. Small gaps can help dental health because brushing and flossing may be easier.

If a black triangle is large enough to be unaesthetic, we will correct it using interproximal reduction and refinement aligners.

In most cases, the first phase of treatment is used to “unravel the knot,” and a second set of aligners helps finish the smile as close to perfect as possible.

If refinements are necessary, we will scan your teeth at the end of your last aligner and have a new set made. The first refinement set is included. There is a charge of $399 for the third and each subsequent set.

Now that your teeth are aligned, we want to make sure they stay that way.

• Wear retainers 22 hours a day for the first 3 months after active treatment.
• Wear retainers every night after treatment for the same amount of time that aligners were worn.
• After that period, wear retainers every night if possible, with a minimum of 4 nights per week for life.

Even 25 years after orthodontic treatment, if you stop wearing retainers, teeth can relapse and move back toward their original position.