✨ Coming soon: an AI assistant for aligners →
Everything about clear aligners. In one place.
The portal for people wearing clear aligners. Honest answers from a patient, conversations with orthodontists and practical advice for every stage of treatment.
30+ articles · 4 orthodontists answer · since 2022
Wear time20–22 hrs a day
Experts4 orthodontists
Attachments ✦ IPR ✦ Elastics ✦ Chewies ✦ Retainers ✦ Invisalign First ✦ Mini-implants ✦ Bite ramps ✦ Orthodontic wax ✦ Cleaning ✦ Attachments ✦ IPR ✦ Elastics ✦ Chewies ✦ Retainers ✦ Invisalign First ✦ Mini-implants ✦ Bite ramps ✦ Orthodontic wax ✦ Cleaning ✦
Start here
New to clear aligners? You’re in the right place.
Six articles, in the order you’ll actually need them. Swipe sideways →
01
Aligners or braces?
Aligners vs braces? Comparison by: looks, pain, food, cost, discipline – and the myth that aligners can’t fix your bite.
02
How to choose an orthodontist?
How to choose an orthodontist for clear aligners: check their specialty, what Invisalign levels really mean, questions to ask at your consultation and red flags to avoid.
03
What do aligners cost?
Clear aligner costs in 18 European countries, in euros: what's included, insurance, and the refinements most people need – €400–900 a round. I needed five.
04
How treatment works
What clear aligner treatment is really like, step by step – the first consultation, 3D scan, treatment plan, first aligners, check-ups, refinements and retainers.
05
The essentials
Wearing clear aligners for the first time? How many hours, how to take them out, what to drink, and what to do if you lose or break one – from 3.5 years of experience.
06
What are attachments?
Everything about aligner attachments from personal experience: what they are, how they go on, whether people see them, what if one falls off, staining and removal.
Poll of the month
Where are you on your aligner journey?
Anonymous · a new poll every month
My story
3.5 years, 6 plans and one new smile
My whole Invisalign experience, from the first consultation to the last aligner. Elastics, rescans, mini-implants, one very stubborn tooth and before-and-after photos. No sugar-coating.
3 yrs 7 mthsof treatment6plans1stubborn tooth 😤
Glossary
The words you’ll hear in the chair
Coming soon
An AI assistant for aligners
Ask at any hour: what to do if an aligner doesn’t fit, whether you can drink this, whether it’s normal for it to hurt. The assistant will answer from the content on this site and the conversations with orthodontists.
In development
The assistant will help with information, but it will not replace your orthodontist.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
The short answers are here. For the detail, follow the link in each answer.
How many hours a day do you wear aligners?
Usually 20–22 hours, but the exact routine is the one your orthodontist gave you. You take them out only to eat, to drink anything other than water, and to brush your teeth. Read more →
Do aligners hurt?
Yes — the first three days or so with a new aligner are sore while the teeth move. After that it fades and only a mild tightness remains. If the pain is severe, unusual or doesn’t settle, contact your orthodontist. Read more →
Can I drink coffee with my aligners in?
The official advice is to drink only water with your aligners in. I did drink my coffee with them, but coffee stains the plastic and sugar sits on your teeth underneath. The safest thing is to take them out. Read more →
I’ve lost an aligner. What now?
Message your orthodontist first. If you have only just changed aligner, you normally go back to the previous one. If the next change is close, you sometimes move forward instead — but only once your orthodontist confirms it. This is why it pays to keep your last few old aligners. Read more →
Does stripping (IPR) hurt?
It doesn’t hurt. It’s more a mildly unpleasant feeling of pressure that passes within minutes. Between 0.2 and 0.5 mm is filed from the tooth, which is safe when a qualified orthodontist does it. Read more →
Do attachments stay on after treatment?
No. They go on at the start and stay until the end of treatment or the next rescan, then your orthodontist removes them. They are tooth-coloured, barely visible, and putting them on doesn’t hurt. Read more →
The experts
Conversations with orthodontists
I asked the specialists what we all ask in the group. The answers are in their own words.
Library
More to read
For parents
Fresh
New and updated
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My Invisalign Experience: 3.5 Years, 6 Plans and a Brand-New Smile
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3 Clear Aligner Cases by Dr Neli Djurkova: Before and After
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Invisalign Palatal Expander: A Clear, Screw-Free Expander for Kids
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Myofunctional Therapy: What Actually Works and What’s Just Marketing
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Clear aligner costs in Europe 2026: prices and refinements
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When to Call Your Orthodontist: Urgent or Not?
Community
You’re not alone in this.
In the Facebook group, people with aligners share photos, questions and small wins. Join in, ask away and tell us how your treatment is going.