I’ve really come to love mine not for its purported benefit of cutting down on tray time, but because it helps reduce pain. The product shown here - which I have not tried - is a less-expensive version that seems to work similarly to mine, based on its description.
#ALIGNER FOR FREE#
The one I have is the Propel Orthodontics VPro5, which I received for free from the company, and is typically only sold at dentists’ offices for as much as $600 (though some orthodontists might include the device in the price of their treatment). “The vibration stimulates wound healing, which is what’s happening when your teeth move,” explains Celenza.
The idea behind these vibrating wireless mouthpieces is that you bite down on one for five minutes a day while it oscillates like an electric toothbrush, which orthodontists say reduces the amount of time you have to wear each aligner tray (the gadget could theoretically cut each tray’s required two weeks of wear down to ten days or a week if you’re diligent). For about six bucks, I got three - or actually six, because I cut each in half as they fit better in my mouth at that size - which have lasted me six months and counting (I don’t use them each time I switch trays, only when one proves especially difficult to lock in). They come in multiple flavors, but I’ve only ever tried the mint, and to me the taste is secondary to the product’s effectiveness (and low cost). In an attempt to combat all of this, I asked one of my friends who also wore aligners for years what she did to get stubborn trays to snap in, and she suggested “chewies”- soft plastic tubes you’re meant to chew on for a few minutes after inserting a new tray, which really help work it onto your teeth. You’re supposed to press down in a chomping motion to get them to snap in, but sometimes that doesn’t really work, which adds frustration to the pain and discomfort. Invisalign and other aligner users like me know that when you put in a new tray (again, typically every two weeks), it can be a struggle to position it properly. But the fun toothpaste I discovered is definitely fun for anyone - aligners (or braces) or not.įor getting aligner trays to snap in place Worth noting: I happen to use ClearCorrect, but these products would also work with Invisalign, Smile Direct, or any other kind of clear aligners you might wear. The following six products have helped me with everything from massaging my sore teeth, to deodorizing my trays, to actually making the aligners a little better … aligned.
#ALIGNER TRIAL#
Taking more time to move from tray to tray has allowed me to hone several hacks for improving the overall experience, after a lot of research and just as much trial and error (I’m a beauty writer by trade, so I tend to be very particular about the products I keep in my bathroom cabinet).
Every time I force my teeth to conform to a new aligner tray’s shape, it feels like a bunch of little muscle cramps in my mouth.īut my extended wear hasn’t all been for naught. It’s recommended twice monthly, but I change them once every six weeks (or more), because, well, it hurts. I’m headed into overtime because I don’t change my trays as frequently as I should. That the aligners would hurt so much, for one, or that I’d be brushing my teeth nonstop, or that I would wear these things for two and a half years - and longer, as I’ve passed that mark and it looks like I have many more months ahead of me. When I decided to commit to straightening my teeth using clear aligner trays instead of braces, there was a lot I didn’t anticipate.