Teeth Straightening
Overview
Clear Aligner Brands
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Invisalign is a widely available brand of clear aligners. It offers an alternative to traditional braces, using the durable plastic of the aligners to gradually straighten your teeth.
Only licensed dentists and orthodontists can provide Invisalign. This means your orthodontic treatment will be supervised just like braces would be.
Every 1 to 2 weeks, you’ll replace one set of aligners with the next. Over a period of months to over a year, your teeth will move into their new intended positions.
Each set of aligners should have a close fit, putting accurate and consistent pressure on your teeth. To help with this, you can use chewies to set your aligners.
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Invisalign chewies are soft plastic cylinders that act as aligner seaters, setting your aligners in place over your teeth. By gently biting down on a chewie, you eliminate small pockets of air that might remain between your aligners and your teeth.
Seating your aligners is important for ensuring accurate tooth movement. For your aligners to work correctly, they need a snug fit.
Chewies should be a small but regular part of your daily routine with Invisalign. Use them a few times a day for 5 minutes at a time, especially when starting with a new set of aligners.
You can use the same chewie more than once. To reuse chewies, wash them with soap or toothpaste and rinse thoroughly afterward. Once a chewie begins to lose its shape, you should switch to a fresh one.
You’ll need to use aligner seaters when you:
For chewies to work well, you don’t have to use them for longer than a few minutes at a time. However, it’s essential to use them correctly.
Follow these steps for effective chewie use:
Your dentist might also provide specific instructions for when and how long to use chewies. For example, if a certain area doesn’t seem to fit well, you may need to use the chewie more in that spot.
You can tell when an aligner isn’t fitting well if there’s an obvious gap or air pocket between your teeth and the aligner. The aligner may also feel tight or uncomfortable in that area.
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Yes, chewies help make your Invisalign treatment as fast and efficient as possible. The proper fit of aligners is essential for successful treatment.
By contrast, aligners that don’t fit properly can delay your treatment results and lead to a need for refinements. These are additional aligners that correct discrepancies from the original treatment plan.
Because chewies allow you to get an optimal fit for your aligners, they can help reduce treatment time.
Aligners accomplish tooth movement by applying constant pressure. This can cause some pain or discomfort, especially if you’ve just started treatment or put in a new aligner set.
While this temporary discomfort is normal, chewies can contribute to it as well. This is because aligner seaters require a repeated chewing motion, which could make your jaw slightly sore.
As your mouth gets used to aligners and chewies, any soreness you feel will gradually subside. In the meantime, you can take over-the-counter pain medication to provide relief.
If you experience serious pain or aligner-related discomfort lasting more than a few days, talk to your dentist or orthodontist.
Your dentist or orthodontist will likely give you a supply of chewies when you begin Invisalign treatment. If so, you can ask them for more when you run out.
Alternatively, you can find chewies or similar products in the dental section of a grocery or drug store. A vast selection of chewies are also available on Amazon.
There are also a variety of alternatives to tube-shaped plastic chewies (see below).
ZocDoc can help you find a dentist in your area that:
Chewies are only one type of aligner seater. Others include:
These products are available online, along with many other aligner seaters of different shapes, sizes, and textures.
Another simple alternative is a clean paper towel. Simply roll the paper towel to the thickness of your pinky finger and chew it for several minutes. This should improve your aligner fit. Throw away the paper towel after use.
To be most effective, Invisalign clear aligners must fit well over your teeth. Any air pockets or gaps could make your treatment less efficient.
Invisalign chewies are soft plastic tubes that work as aligner seaters. By biting down on them for 5 minutes twice a day, you can give your aligners an optimal snug fit.
Your dentist or orthodontist will provide care instructions for your Invisalign, including how to use chewies. They may also provide you with a set of chewies.
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