Clear Aligners: A Relatively Simple Way to Straighten Your Teeth At Home

Teeth straightening, a cosmetic procedure not only enhances self-esteem and appearance but also improves overall oral health. It makes teeth cleaning easier and avoids oral health problems such as cavities and gum disease. Also, it makes eating and speaking easier. In simple words, everything is perfect if teeth are aligned properly.

There are different reasons for teeth misalignment; some are minor and some are major. And based on the condition, the treatment is defined.

If your teeth have major gaps, severe overcrowding, or pronounced overbites or underbites along with severe dental problems, such as gum disease and active tooth decay, you should receive treatment from a qualified orthodontist. On the other hand, if you have minor misalignment issues such as mild to moderate overcrowding or minor spacing issues, you can treat them at home using clear aligners.

Clear aligners 

It’s a dental product that works by moving your teeth in small increments to their desired location. Aligners put pressure on your teeth which forces the jaw bone to respond. And with that, the teeth move slowly to the right place over time.

How to straighten your teeth using clear aligners at home?

First, you should make a good impression 

Clear aligners are not pre-manufactured; they are prepared based on an individual’s oral structure. So you should make a dental impression at home and send it to a clear aligner company. With the help of the impression, the company will know how your teeth look currently and begin designing.

Second, you should let the experts work

After receiving the dental impression from you, the experts in the clear aligner company will begin crafting your perfect personalized treatment plan. The treatment plan will define how you should use the clear aligners. And for how long you should use it. Usually, teeth straightening experts recommend wearing aligners for 20-22 hours daily for 6 to 12 months.

Third, you should wear the aligners as instructed

The teeth straightening treatment using clear aligners is lengthy. The company will send you series of clear aligners for 6 to 12 months because you will need to wear each for two weeks and move onto a new aligner. In this process, your teeth will gradually shift to their new position. Except during eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing, you should keep wearing clear aligners. After the stipulated time, the teeth straightening experts will stop the treatment.

Are clear aligners safe to use at-home for teeth straightening?

People were fearful to switch over clear aligners from conventional braces. They were not ready for teeth straightening at home using clear aligners and preferred braces under the guidance of the dentists. But until now, no problem has been recorded related to clear aligners and at-home teeth straightening treatment. Other than safety, clear aligners provide the following benefits:

• Made up of smooth plastic, clear aligners are comfortable to wear, unlike braces which lead to scratch due to sharp metal wiring.
• Clear aligners are invisible so they do not draw more attention unlike pair of adult braces.
• Clear aligners are easy to wear, remove, and clean, unlike braces which require high-maintenance. With aligners, your trips to the dentist will be reduced to half.

If you wish to straighten your teeth at home, then nothing can be better than clear aligners. You just need to consult your dentist before beginning the treatment to know if you are an ideal candidate.