Do Your Invisalign Aligners Not Fit? Here’s What You Can Do

Sometimes you might put in a new Invisalign aligner only to realize that it doesn’t seem to fit as well as it should. When this happens, it can be easy to panic and assume that you’re going to need to get new aligners. Fortunately, however, this isn’t always necessary; in many cases, you may be able to resolve the issue by taking a few simple steps. Here’s a brief look at what you can do about an Invisalign aligner that doesn’t fit correctly.

Use Invisalign Chewies

Oftentimes, the dentist who gave you your Invisalign aligners may also provide you with Invisalign chewies. These are small cylinders made from soft material. If you bite down on the chewies, they put a small amount of pressure on your aligners, pushing them into the proper position on your teeth. You should typically only need to bite on the chewies for about 5 to 10 minutes to get the desired results.

Wear Your Aligners for the Required Amount of Time

Ill-fitting aligners may be a consequence of not wearing the previous set as much as you should have. Ideally, your aligners should stay in your mouth for at least 20 to 22 hours every day. If you take them out too often, then your teeth likely won’t reach their intended positions by the time you’re scheduled to switch to the next set in the series.

To minimize your chances of having to deal with poorly-fitting aligners in the future, you need to be extra diligent about wearing your current set as much as possible. Generally speaking, you should only ever take your aligners out for meals or your oral hygiene routine. Try to avoid snacking too frequently, as doing so could cause you to take your aligners out of your mouth far more often than necessary.

Ask Your Dentist About Backtracking

Sometimes the source of the problem is that your teeth just aren’t where they need to be for the current set of aligners. As such, it might be a good idea to ask your dentist about backtracking. This simply means wearing a previous set of aligners until your teeth are in the proper positions for the next stage of the treatment.

See About Having Your Treatment Plan Adjusted

Sometimes the root cause of an ill-fitting aligner is something that you can’t fix on your own. For example, it could be that your teeth aren’t moving as quickly as originally expected. If you follow the steps listed above and still can’t get your aligners to fit, you may need to see your dentist so that they can make any necessary revisions to your treatment plan.

Remember, an ill-fitting aligner is not the end of the world. As long as you act quickly to address the problem, you can often avoid unnecessary delays in your treatment and stay on track to achieving the straighter smile of your dreams.

About the Author

Dr. Steve W. Cobb has more than 45 years of experience in the field of dentistry. He is a graduate of Baylor School of Dentistry, and he makes a point of implementing the latest smile-improving strategies whenever he can. At his practice in Odessa, he offers Invisalign as a way for his patients to straighten their smiles without braces. If you are bothered by misaligned teeth and are interested in pursuing Invisalign, you can schedule an appointment with Dr. Cobb by visiting his website or calling (432) 367-4774.