Clear Aligner FAQ: The Questions I Get Asked Most

This is probably the most common of all aligner questions. Everyone’s pain threshold is different, but here’s my experience: yes, sometimes they hurt. Mostly for the first day or two after switching to a new aligner – while wearing it, when taking it out or putting it in, and when biting into something harder. Some aligners were looser and didn’t hurt at all, others were tighter. Overall, it was never unbearable for me – I never needed painkillers and it never kept me awake. If the pain is strong or doesn’t go away, tell your orthodontist.

Yes, really! After 2–3 weeks that strange feeling of having something foreign in your mouth disappears and you stop noticing them. By the end, it felt weirder to me when they weren’t in. 😄

Yes, both are normal at the start. It settles down within 2–3 weeks. The same goes for a slight lisp in the first few days.

The official answer: with your aligners in, drink only water. Anything else can get trapped between your teeth and the plastic for hours, and hot drinks can warp the aligners. My personal experience (not a recommendation!): I did drink coffee and warm – not hot – tea with my aligners in and didn’t notice any staining over the 7–10 days I wore each aligner. Same with rosé. 🍷 If you do it anyway, skip the sugar and at least rinse your mouth with water afterwards. More in wearing clear aligners.

Around 20–22 hours a day, or whatever your orthodontist has prescribed. It sounds impossible, but you get used to it and it’s far more doable than it sounds. As Winnie-the-Pooh might say: the more, the better.

You always eat with your aligners out, so in principle you can eat anything. But watch out for turmeric (and curry)! If you don’t brush properly afterwards and put your aligners back in, they turn neon yellow and nothing gets them clean again. Speaking from experience. 😅

Not quite. If you have attachments – and you probably will – your aligners are a bit more visible. But even then, hardly anyone notices. I had two attachments on each of my upper front teeth and almost nobody realised I was wearing aligners. More about attachments.

You can very gently smooth the rough edge with a nail file so it stops scratching. Orthodontic wax on the sore spot helps too. If the edge is sharp or cracked, ask your orthodontist.

This is one of those aligner questions where guessing isn’t worth it. Call them when an aligner doesn’t fit, cracks or breaks, when an attachment or button falls off, or when pain doesn’t settle down.

Interproximal reduction (IPR) means polishing away a tiny amount of enamel between teeth to create space. I had it done several times, both with a strip and with a small disc. It didn’t hurt and I never had increased sensitivity or other problems. More in interproximal reduction.

Don’t worry! Your orthodontist can fill the empty space in the aligner with tooth-coloured material (a so-called pontic), so nobody can tell a tooth is missing. The gap closes gradually during treatment, and that takes months – exactly how long depends on your plan.

Call your orthodontist. They’ll usually tell you whether to go back to your previous aligner or move on to the next one. More in wearing clear aligners.

With lukewarm water, a soft brush and no toothpaste. I used cleaning tablets and an ultrasonic cleaner – everything, with prices and a comparison, is in how to clean aligners.

It depends a lot on the country, the system and how complex your case is. I’ve compared prices across Europe in clear aligner cost in Europe.

Retainers – most likely for life. I wear Vivera. More in retainers after aligners.