Ok so I don’t really have tricks, perse but I couldn’t think of a better title.

I finally started treatment with my dentist to get my teeth straightened. They weren’t terribly crooked, but with aligners running $5,000 or more (after insurance pays their part), I wasn’t terribly in a rush to get them straightened. However, in October 2017, many of their key patents expired, and more will expire every year, opening the market up for other companies to make more affordable (and equally effective) alternatives.

Though it’s only been 6 weeks at the time of this post, I wanted to share some information, as well as some tips I’ve adopted to make my new life as easy as possible.

How it Works

Assuming you’re a candidate for clear aligners, your dentist will take a mold of your mouth (which was really the most uncomfortable process thus far) and send it off to the aligner company to have them create trays for you. Once your dentist receives your trays, they’ll have you come in and get your teeth fitted for the trays (more on that later). Then, you will swap out your trays every 2 weeks for the duration of your treatment. You’ll likely have more frequent visits with your dentist (mine is every 6 weeks) so they can monitor your progress. You have to keep all your trays in case you have to go back one.

You must leave your aligners on at all times with the exception of eating/drinking. You must have them on for 22+ hours per day to stay on your timeline. You don’t necessarily have to brush after every meal, but rinsing with water is highly encouraged. I’m paranoid about covering my post-meal dirty teeth for hours and potentially getting cavities, so I personally brush after every single meal.

How long do I have to wear them?

The number of trays and the length of treatment varies from person-to-person. For me, they came up with 17 trays that I have to move through every 2 weeks, equaling out to about 8.5 months. My dentist gives me 3 trays at a time so it’s less stuff I have to keep track of, and I swap them out for the next trays at my 6-week visit.

Now here comes the really good stuff:

Things no one told me…

They cement mounts to your teeth. When I went into my dentist to pick up my trays, I hadn’t realized that they have to cement a certain number of mounts on to your teeth to help clip in the plastic aligners (again, the number of mounts depends by person… I got five; 3 on top and 2 on the bottom). Getting this hardware installed wasn’t painless at all, but they still kind annoy me because my teeth never really feel clean since there’s literally something stuck to my teeth.

How sexy it is to take your aligners out. That was sarcasm, if you didn’t catch it. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a healthy saliva flow. Think about that saliva sitting in those trays; there’s gonna be a little bit of slobber happening when you take them out… Which means trips to the bathroom to take out your aligners before every meal. Especially if you’re eating out!

You’ll have whiter teeth and healthier gums. If you’re as paranoid as I am about cavities, you’ll brush your teeth 3-5 times every day (after every meal). As a result, you’re going to end up with whiter teeth and healthier gums. I noticed a difference literally within a week.

You might lose some weight! Because you’re brushing your teeth after every meal, it may become a hassle not worth doing just for a snack. Since you’re not snacking anymore, you might end up losing a little weight! 

Some of my most useful tips.

Create a little dental pouch to keep with you. I use one of my old makeup bags I got from ipsy. In it, I carry:

• A travel toothbrush
• Travel toothpaste
• Retainer case
• Floss
• Mouth Wash
• Retainer Bright (more on that later)

I don’t use all of these products after every meal but the floss and mouthwash are certainly handy if you end up needing it! How annoying would it be to have a piece of food stuck in your teeth and not be able to fuss with it because you have your aligners in? Leave this pouch in your purse or however you carry your belongings and you won’t have to take your bag into the bathroom with you when you go take your aligners out/brush your teeth. The only downside is when people see me walk into a bathroom carrying a small bag, I’m assuming that they’re assuming I’m on my period. Every day. Of every week. Of every month. 

Leave retainer cases EVERYWHERE. Buy a bunch of retainer cases (I got a pack of five on amazon here). I have one in my aforementioned dental pouch, but I also leave one at my boyfriend’s place, at home, in my lunch box, and at my desk at work (I also have more toothpaste and another toothbrush at work and at my boyfriend’s). This has been a life-saver a couple times. If you don’t do this and you forget your dental pouch somewhere, you’re left to carrying around your aligners wrapped up in some paper towels.

“Deep clean” your aligners once a week. My aligners start to smell kind of little funny after a week or so, and I’m afraid my breath smells like that too. So once a week, I soak my aligners in some retainer cleaner while I eat one of my meals. I got this pack of 120 tabs on amazon (https://bit.ly/2PgvpxF). With 120 packs and cleaning them once a week, I’ll have plenty (and left-overs) for the 34 weeks I’m expected to be wearing these aligners. These are safe to use daily but I haven’t found that to be necessary. To use, you basically fill a glass up with enough water to cover your aligners with WARM (not hot!) water, throw in a tab and your aligners and let ‘em soak for 15ish minutes. Rinse and put them back after you brush.

As with most things, clear aligners and maintaining them becomes routine, but these are some of the biggest take-aways and helpful tips I’ve found and discovered. If you find yourself considering aligners, I hope this post is helpful! Feel free to share any other tips you come up with that I might have missed!