How Often Will an Orthodontist Switch Out My Clear Aligners?

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If you’re thinking about getting clear aligners, it helps to know how often you’ll need to switch them out. Here, we’ll look at how Invisalign in North Overland Park, KS works, and when you’ll need to see the orthodontist.

Switching Out the Trays

There are two reasons you’ll switch out your clear aligner trays:

  • They’ve reached the end of their cycle. Clear aligner trays will only last for a week or two, so you’ll need to change them out accordingly. If you’re changing them out at home, you’ll typically replace them with a carbon copy of the previous tray.
  • Your orthodontist is changing out the set. As your teeth and jaw align, an orthodontist in North Overland Park, KS will update your set.

How Many Times Will I See My Orthodontist?

Usually, you’ll see the orthodontist once every six to eight weeks for as long as the treatment lasts. (Treatments can last anywhere from six months to two years.) Overall, these appointments are straightforward sessions that shouldn’t take too much time out of a busy schedule.

How Long Should I Wear the Trays?

For best results, you should wear the trays as many hours per day as possible, removing them only while you’re actively eating. This can help you shorten your treatment time, so you can get your new smile that much faster.

If you have questions about how precisely long your trays will last, how many times you’ll see an orthodontist, and how many months you can expect the treatment to take, the only way to get the answers is to get a custom evaluation. At Bulleigh Orthodontics, our team can help you learn more about straightening your teeth and jaw, so you can get started.

How to Adjust Your Diet for Clear Aligners

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Clear aligners aren’t like traditional braces, in that you don’t have to worry about popcorn kernels getting stuck in the brackets or the wires becoming a resting bed for sauces and stains.

However, just because your teeth aren’t permanently covered in metal, that doesn’t mean you won’t have to make some concessions to the new appliances. Here, we’ll look at how you need to change your diet when you wear Invisalign aligners in Shawnee, KS to avoid aggravating your oral health.

Eating with Aligners

You’re not supposed to eat with your aligners in, so you may assume that this means you don’t need to worry about what you eat. The truth is a little stickier, though, because your teeth are not only adjusting to the aligners, they’re also adjusting as you wear aligners. If you’re constantly eating crunchy or hard foods, it can delay your progress.

Also, there’s a chance that foods like nuts, popcorn, and chewy candies can get stuck in your aligners after you put them back in. If your teeth are more cavity-prone, you may increase your odds of tooth decay if you’re unable to clean your aligners after you eat.

The Ideal Diet

Your ideal diet with clear aligners is similar to that of a standard ideal diet: eat nutritious foods, preferably soft foods, like soups, yogurts, fruits, veggies, and lean protein. You certainly don’t need to blend everything up, but an orthodontist in Shawnee will tell you to up your intake of foods that are both easy to chew and are less likely to stick to your teeth.

If you have questions about clear aligners, whether it’s how long you need to wear them or what you can expect over the course of treatment, Bulleigh Orthodontics is here to help you get all your questions answered!