Invisalign^® Instructions

Congratulations on your decision to begin Invisalign treatment. It is critical to wear your aligners as instructions to ensure a desired outcome. Please follow these instructions for wear and care of your aligners.

• Before placing your aligners, always make sure you brush and floss your teeth.
• Aligners must be worn 20–22 hours a day to achieve a successful result; only remove them to eat and to brush.
• Brush your aligners two times a day to help keep them clean.
• We recommend that you start every new set of aligners before bed. Most of the initial movement occurs in the first few hours, and it is best to wear them without interruption during this time.
• Prior to starting a new set of aligners, we recommend you take Advil^® or Tylenol^®. Each new set of aligners is incrementally moving your teeth and may cause some initial discomfort.
• It is important to use chewies every time you start a new set of aligners. This will ensure the best fit and tooth movement.
• Do not drink anything other than water with aligners in unless you plan on rinsing immediately afterward.
• Aligners should be worn for a minimum of 1 week before changing to the next set, unless otherwise instructed by the doctor. This depends on the type of tooth movement the doctor has preserved for you.
• Your aligners cannot handle much heat! Be careful not to leave your aligners in the sun or car on a hot day, and never place your aligners in hot or boiling water to clean or sterilize them.
• Keep aligners away from dogs; they love chewing on aligners.
• Note that not every aligner is cut exactly the same. There may be a rough patch on the edge of an aligner or an area where the aligners put too much pressure on your gum tissue. Please let us know so we can help you achieve a comfortable fit. A nail file may help remove a rough spot.
• Save all of your aligners. Please do not discard used aligners. We may need them if at some point aligners are not tracking well. Save them at home.
• Bring all your used and new aligners to your appointment if aligners are not fitting well.