I don't like them either. I bought some chewies on Amazon and use them when I put in a new set of aligners. Here's what I got.
I use these Cleaning Tablets from Amazon and then I also bought the smile spa from smile direct. I’m sure you could find a cheaper version from Amazon too but it works well.
It will get better! I highly recommend buying an electric nail drill to trim your aligners.
I bought this one
It made a huge difference. A nail file is only good for smoothing the sharp edges AFTER trimming the Aligners.
Hey you may not want to spend money but I bought these and they are excellent. Chewies and removers in one device. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082DLST8V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ohhh, so the finish at the aligner margins, not the distance beyond the gingival margin lol. Yeah, that’s still just a matter of going over the margins with a dremel and polishing wheel. They probably weren’t doing that previously because, while it doesn’t take long, it requires a level of finesse that’s difficult to automate. Would be pretty cool if they HAVE found a way to automate that step though.
Here purchase dental wax you can ball it up and flatten up at the spots that bother you it helps believe me cause I have a wide big tongue and it hits the side of the aligners so I had to purchase this wax and it’s a soft barrier and it’s clear they do have a minted one but that’s your choice
GUM - 10070942007235 Orthodontic Wax with Vitamin E and Aloe Vera (Pack of 6) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KQ9XZZ5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_98J4VE04597MNCKQERDM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Go to a pharmacy (or Amazon) and get a heat-set mouthguard. (Something like this ). They're usually targeted at either people playing sports or people who grind their teeth. Use hot water per it's instructions and mold it to your bottom teeth. Wear it as much as possible (the full 22 hours won't be realistic because it'll be uncomfortable, but at a very minimum wear it at night)
Welcome to the club!!
I’m on my first pair of aligners and this is what I’ve learned so far.
1)Your Dashboard will change once it has been delivered. Dashboard is pretty cool you can enter when you first put in your aligners and it’ll tell you when you need to change them.
2) I’m glad you have a file. It will be your best friend, it’ll file away anything on the aligners that is giving you discomfort.
3) in your box you should get some tablets to clean your aligners. I cleaned mine every morning. They only give you 4 though. You could order more through them or if you’re on a budget this worked great for me. Amazon has a butt load of other alternatives. If that route is a no go this video shows some cool other ways to clean them.
4) They will hurt. You may feel like your teeth are gonna fall out the first couple of days you take your aligners out to eat. Give it a few minutes and that feeling will go away. I had to drink smoothies my first day haha
Hope you have a great experience. Hope this helps :)
You've got your answer. On another note, I highly recommend getting one of these. You absolutely need to get to a dentist in the meantime for a cleaning and overall checkup. If you're willing to drop a few thousand on straight teeth, drop a few hundred on clean teeth. I say this from experience, and with all due respect.
Evidence that these things actually work has been spotty, and many of the favorable studies have been funded by manufacturers. There are cheaper ways to take advantage of placebo effect.
im looking for reviews as well, but i wouldnt trust this review. if u look at his comment/post history its all alignerco. which means its probably not real. here is a site i found with the most reviews: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/alignerco.com
Oh goodness no it doesn't matter what cleaner you use. At our office, I've used about 10 different brands of aligner material and had no issues using generic cleaner. This is what we give out to our patients and haven't heard of any issues
And yeah even just brushing your aligners is pretty much fine since they are only temporary. When you get your permanent retainers, that's when you want to not brush them
You do if you do’em yourself! Throw something epoxy resin build-ups on the screwheads, and your mouth won’t know the difference.
P.S. Don’t do this.
Hiii, you should buy some chewies. They've been great for meeeeee
These are the ones I use! But you can probably use any brand and I’m sure they’ll work fine, just make sure to read reviews! I like these ones because they are on a stick so they are easier to use
Every morning when I wake up, I cover the trays with the foam cleaner (inside and out) and let that sit for 5 minutes. Then I take my toothbrush and gently brush them w/ the foam still on and then rinse with cold water. They look brand new even after two weeks, and I've never had problems with smell!
Tip: Amazon sells the foam cleaner for way cheaper than on Byte's website (it's called EverSmile instead of Brightbyte, but it's exactly the same product).
Chewies are little rubber cylinders you chew on after inserting your aligners, they help them get seated firmly. When they’re new, it can be a challenge to get them seated properly without chewies as you’re not supposed to mash the top and bottoms together to achieve this. They really help so much. These are the ones I got from Amazon, but you probably don’t need such a huge pack. I only use them on Sundays when I start a new set.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083Z8GDDX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The mints are called Movemints and they are designed for the same purpose. You put this specially shaped mint between the aligners and clamp down to achieve seating. I find they break when I try to do this and don’t recommend them but they are good as a mint option for fresh breath since they are aligner safe.
I highly recommend getting a ring pull tool for aligner removal, the SDC one is terrible. I like these from amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089C1NY3S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Good luck and stay hyper vigilant once you start!!! I’m almost done and so happy with my teeth. I had minor crowding on top and it’s like almost perfect now. One more month to go.
I've been vaping with mine, I haven't seen any difference. I also brush my teeth 3-4 times a day, when I brush I also brush my aligners with cool water and a super soft tooth brush like the one linked below also whiten my teeth with the blue light system every day.
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I use this to file away the parts over gums
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BYRFH8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_7ta4FbXRF5227?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
If there are still any sharp parts I put dental wax over them
PREACH!! I’m on tray two, same issues. I bought a dremel off Amazon to smooth them down and ortho wax to add to the tough spots (InnoLife Nail Art Drill... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q970V5W?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) and (GUM - 10070942007242 Orthodontic... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KQ9FF1J?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) they have been life savers
I have mild gum recession. And the doctor told my not to use electric toothbrush any more. Instead, better to use soft manual toothbrush which is easier for myself to control the force while brushing. And I found a super soft toothbrush on amazon saying good for sensitive gums and featured with 10000 bristles! It does make me more comfortable when toothbrushing. Might work for you :https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JP7R599
I'm only a week in, so hopefully I'm doing well...but I'm simply rinsing them most of the time, and once per day, I soak them in retainer cleaner (I've been using this stuff from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075WWYBJ7/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). So far, I have no issue with odor or staining, and I'm avoiding using a toothbrush on them per the instructions provided.
Personally, I keep a travel toothbrush/paste and floss and a retainer case (cheap on Amazon in my car, another set in my gym bag, another in my office, and yet another in my husband's car. (I only ever need the chewies the first one or two times on a new tray.)
Travel size stuff is pretty cheap, and this way I don't have to worry about whether I have some with me or not. My purse is full enough.
I use this product I found on Amazon Retainer Cleaning Tablets 120 Tablets Value Pack -4 Months Supply, Remove Stains and Bad Odor, Prevent Brace Discoloration, Invisalign Cleaner Tablets, Mouth Guard Cleaner, Mint Flavor cleaner
Fancymay retainer cleaner. It works so good. I smoke in my aligners everyday and I drink crystal light sweet tea (no sugar) which is brown and my aligners are still crystal clear. I am new to SDC and just finished my first week but when I took out W2 they were the same color as my W1!!! Best product I have used.
Not sure if the link above will work. I am also nee to Reddit so not sure how all this works lol.
Foods that are quick to eat so you can get the aligners back in your mouth and get the most hourly wear possible!
There are vitamins on the market that claim to help with dental health. I took these during my aligner journey https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KD5FSX3 I don't know whether they actually help with ortho movements, but they shouldn't hurt it.
The one big thing that can hinder progress is ibuprofen. Stick to tylenol/paracetamol for your pain relief. Ibuprofen can interfere with the body's healing process and there are academic research papers showing this slows down ortho progress.
I had to call them and tell them they forgot my chewies. They did send them but it took like a week to get.
Get these ones in the meantime. They work great
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081N5C4V3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use some that are meant for fingernails, and others that are typically associated with jewelry-making. (I do all kinds of crazy stuff in my job, so have all kinds of tools on hand.)
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000F7T60S/ref=cm\_sw\_em\_r\_mt\_dp\_HzNzFbYYC2RXJ for example.
Something like this. There are many different shapes and sizes, even flavors! They're like mini pool noodles that you chew on to help the aligners get seated. I imagine they'd work the same with your retainer and act as a qay to apply pressure on those front teeth to encourage them to move.
Ugh it's ridiculous that they're replacing chewies with those they're just overpriced mints they contain sugar alcohol and they're hard it makes no sense... Anyway there are some on Amazon and they're easy to clean I think they're $8 and they have mint and unflavored I'll link them I'm 5 months in and I haven't needed to get more but when I lose them I use a towel or a wash cloth just get 2 or 3 layers of it and it seats them pretty well
I found an outie tool on amazon that works so much better than the one they sent. It’s sort of shaped like a key. Here’s the link
Sure. In the US, you can find them in the oral care section of pharmacies/supermarkets, and the generic brands work just as well. Get the smaller box, the mega pack from Amazon below is way too many!
Polident Denture Cleaning Tablets, 3 minute triple mint antibacterial, 84 count (Pack of 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GCU1BO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Q8vdEbB7G9AMF