See Also: Tracking Issues , Attachments Fall Off

When patients wear OrthoSnap clear aligners 22 hours a day for 2-3 weeks, you can expect some wear and tear. In fact, if your patient arrives at your office and you notice aligners that look new, you should suspect noncompliance. 

In this article, we will discuss:

Let’s face it—a lot goes on in the human mouth. No one can expect something that stays there for 22 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 2 or 3 weeks, to not experience changes in appearance and condition. Normal wear and tear should not impede treatment. 

Some common examples of normal aligner wear and tear include:

Aligner Wear and Tear That Should Not Occur 

While you should expect some wear and tear with aligners, it should not be excessive. Some activities cause problems that can be avoided. If you notice excessive wear and tear, you may want to have a discussion with your patient. 

For instance, sometimes things just happen that can cause an aligner to break. But if this is a common occurrence, your patient may be eating or chewing gum while wearing them. Or, they may be drinking sugary drinks while wearing them, which can damage aligners and cause them to crack and break. With either of these, patient education may be all that is needed to eliminate the problem.

If your patient has excessive wear and tear from bruxism, and this is causing them to break aligners or go off track, they may need a custom mouthguard that fits over the aligners to wear at night. 

Sometimes, however, you may have to think outside the box or dig deeper. For instance, if your patient suffers from bulimia and has frequent episodes of emesis while wearing them, this could be the culprit.  

Obviously, if your patient breaks, damages, or loses an aligner, you will need to order a replacement. 

Another scenario, however, is if you need to backtrack or extend a wear schedule. In these situations, you may want to order fresh replacement aligners due to the softening and loss of elasticity that occurs with wearing aligners for a couple of weeks. 

Educating your patients on proper care for their aligners can greatly reduce wear and tear. 

Here are 6 tips you can give your patients for keeping aligners in the best condition possible:

Instruct your patients to remove aligners before placing anything other than cool water in their mouth. The most important thing is not to eat or chew gum while wearing aligners. However, many liquids can also cause problems. For instance, hot liquids can distort them, sugary liquids can cause them to crack, and colored liquids discolor them. 

Rinse aligners with cool water after removal. This helps remove dried saliva, which can cause the formation of bacteria that damages aligners and can lead to tooth decay.

Avoid hot water when cleaning aligners. Especially avoid placing them in the dishwasher (more than one patient has learned this lesson!). The heat can damage or even melt aligners, which would require replacement. 

Brush and floss after eating, before putting aligners back in the mouth. Neglecting this can cause food particles to get trapped between the teeth and aligners, which can cause dental decay and gum disease. Encourage your patients to keep a toothbrush and toothpaste handy, so they don’t have to go extended periods of time without their aligners. 

Keep aligners clean with antibacterial soap or a nonabrasive toothpaste and a soft toothbrush. Most toothpastes include an abrasive that helps keep teeth clean. While fine for teeth, the abrasive can scratch aligners, which makes them more obvious. And if patients don’t clean aligners often enough, buildup occurs that makes them look dirty. Help your patients understand the importance of keeping their orthodontics discreet and invisible by avoiding scratches and keeping them clean. 

Avoid soaking aligners in anything colored. Instruct patients to use a clear denture or retainer cleaner to keep them from taking on the blue or green color of mouthwash. 

If you have any further questions or need additional help, a member of our support team is always available. Contact them at support@orthosnap.com. 

Related Topics and Information:

Click to learn more about patient Tracking Issues and what happens if the Attachments Fall Off. 

If you have questions or need to speak with someone at Orthosnap, please reach out to us at support@orthosnap.com.