Carinn x Invisalign: How to Put On / Take-Off Your Aligners?

Weekends are so precious to me now. I know it seems like I've disappeared all week again but yea, it's been a pretty crazy week at work. It's 3am on a Sunday morning and I'm taking a break from doing work to answer a very important question that a lot of people have been asking me..... How to wear my aligners?

It's actually so simple and straightforward that I can do it in a pictorial for you guys! Hehe. For people who have worn or are wearing retainers, this should look fairly familiar to you! In case you didn't know how aligners look like, they're clear plastic trays for your teeth. You'll need to differentiate between the top & bottom aligners. For me, it's easy because the buck tooth part makes the upper aligner easy to identify (lol) but fret not, there is a reaaaallyy tiny print on each aligner to indicate U (for Upper) or L (for Lower).

I usually start off with the UPPER aligner first. Fit it against your upper row of teeth to make sure that it fits first before pushing/ pressing it upwards & inwards with your thumb or pointer finger. I'll normally use both hands to push the back part first and slowly move towards the front teeth so that the pressure is evenly distributed. It can a little difficult to put in at first because of the attachments, but I've gotten used to it. Don't worry, the attachments hold on to the teeth pretty strongly so with just enough force, the aligner slides right in.

Next is the LOWER aligner. The lower one is somehow easier for me to put on, maybe because my lower row of teeth have already become straighter (see proof here!) and also because I haven't had my bottom attachments fixed yet. Fit it against the bottom teeth then repeat the pushing down pressure as the top aligner and move from the back, slowly to the front teeth as well.

PS: You can't even see that I've put on the top aligner already right? That's how it should be, fitted snugly with minimal gaps between your teeth and the aligner!

Last but not least, bite on the CHEWIE! Some might say that this is an optional step but I personally find it quite useful, especially when changing a new pair of aligners. The chewie is a cotton piece that you bite on to ensure that both aligners are fitted snugly and tightly for maximum results. The name so cute right!! Again, I'll bite from the back, then slowly move to the front, ensuring each teeth is well-fitted (you will know wan when the aligners feel tighter).

Aaaannnddd.. That's it! It only took me 2 minutes or less to put on my 'braces'. I'm so used to it now that I don't have to use a mirror to wear my aligners anymore hahaha. WAY faster and easier than putting on actual braces, don't you think? No installation needed, just put on the plastic aligners and I'm done! I can remove it anytime I want to, but the recommended hours to wear them is 22 hours, so by right you're only supposed to remove them when you eat. The only troublesome part is brushing your teeth after eating before wearing back the aligners every time.. Oh yea, and did I mention that you are not supposed to eat or drink flavoured drinks when the aligners are on?

To remove the aligners is even simpler. For me, I just sort of pick at the edges of the aligners with both hands, pull down slowly from the back to the front and it's out. After that I'll remove the bottom one by pushing the edges upwards, from the back to the front. Then, give them a good wash with clean water before putting it back nicely into the aligner tray. Only thing is to be careful when removing near the attachments because they might fall off if you pull too fast (it happened to me once). Sometimes my teeth feel so loose after removing the aligners that they feel like they are shaky & going to fall off, but also feels so freeing at the same time!

Just to recap, all you need is 4 simple steps to wear your aligners. Hope this has given you an insight to how my Invisalign treatment works because a lot of people are curious. Because I only put on or remove my aligners in the washroom, this is the only time that you will see me wear it 'live' like this ok? Teehee ok bye!

Quote my name 'CARINN10' to get 10% OFF Invisalign services by Dr Matthew Hong at Q&M Dental Surgery, Taman Molek, from now until 31st December 2015!

Disclaimer: [Sponsored] I have received complimentary Invisalign treatment from Align Technology, Inc & Q&M Dental Surgery JB (Molek) after winning a contest organised by Invisalign & Nuffnang. In exchange for that, I have agreed to promote and write about my Invisalign story. The review is written based on my honest views and personal experiences on the treatment.

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