What should you keep in mind when wearing clear aligners while traveling?
When you travel, clear aligners are still worn 20–22 hours a day, and the aligner change schedule continues without interruption. A good start is to confirm with the clinic before you leave which aligners you will take with you, always carry the aligners in their case in your carry-on, and keep your previous aligner with you as a backup. It is not the journey itself so much as small hiccups that cause problems: shifting mealtimes, time differences and aligners wrapped in a napkin and forgotten. On this page, you will find a pre-travel checklist and the steps to take if an aligner is lost or broken.
What should be in your travel bag?
- The aligner you are wearing and its case: Whenever the aligner is not in your mouth, it should be in its case. A brightly colored or easy-to-spot case makes it less likely you will leave it on a table.
- Your previous aligner: In a separate case, to wear temporarily if an aligner is lost or broken.
- Your next aligners: The aligners you need to switch to during the trip, only as many as your orthodontist has agreed to give you, in their own packaging.
- Chewies: If you will be switching to a new aligner on the road, they help the aligner seat properly.
- A folding toothbrush, small toothpaste and dental floss: So you can put your aligner back on clean teeth after eating.
- A water bottle: To rinse your mouth and the aligner when you cannot brush.
- The clinic's contact details: Save the phone and WhatsApp numbers in your phone.
Do not pack your aligners in your checked bag. Luggage can be delayed or lost; also, in the summer months, the aircraft hold and car trunk can get hot enough to warp the aligner. Aligners and their cases are no problem in carry-on luggage.
What should you discuss with the clinic before you leave?
A short weekend trip usually needs no extra preparation; the aligner you are wearing and its case are enough. If the trip includes an aligner change day or lasts several weeks, talking things through in advance makes it easier. You can ask the following questions at your appointment or by message:
- How many aligners will I use during the trip, and can I take them with me?
- If my check-up falls during the trip, can it be moved earlier or later?
- If an aligner is lost or broken on the road, which aligner should I wear?
- If an attachment (a small, tooth-colored bump bonded to a tooth) comes off, can I keep wearing the aligner?
- If I have a problem, can I send photos and get advice?
Whether you are given extra aligners to take with you is your orthodontist's decision. At some stages, the orthodontist may not want you to move on to the next aligners without seeing your progress first; in that case, your check-up appointment is arranged around your travel plans. To plan your change days in advance, see our aligner change schedule page.
How do you wear aligners on a plane, on a bus and on the road?
You can keep your aligners in throughout the journey. You do not need to take them out to drink water; you take them out for drinks other than water and for food. If you have taken your aligner out for an in-flight or on-bus meal, put it straight into its case. Wrapping the aligner in a napkin, leaving it on the tray or putting it in a pocket are among the most common reasons aligners get lost.
If you cannot brush after eating, rinse your mouth well with water, put the aligner back in and brush your teeth at the first opportunity. Frequent snacking while traveling leads to the aligner spending long stretches out of your mouth; grouping your meals into a few main times makes it easier to keep up your daily wear time. You can go through airport security with your aligners in; aligners contain no metal.
On business trips, working lunches and dinners and long receptions are what cut into daily wear time the most. When you sit down to eat, putting the aligner in its case and keeping the case in front of you rather than in your bag keeps you from forgetting it when you get up. On long car journeys, make a habit of stopping by the restroom after eating at rest stops before putting your aligner back in.
How do you count wear time when there is a time difference?
When you change time zones, think of the daily 20–22 hours not by calendar day but as consecutive 24-hour periods. On long flights and on the first day after arrival, your routine may slip; what matters is that the total time the aligner spends out of your mouth does not exceed 2–4 hours a day.
Treat your aligner change day the same way: a difference of a few hours does not matter. Simply make the switch on the first convenient evening at your destination and note it in your schedule. If the trip is long and you do not want to spend the first days of a new aligner on a busy schedule, you can discuss the timing of the switch with your orthodontist in advance.
How should you handle eating, drinking and daily care on vacation?
- Drink tea, coffee, juice, fizzy drinks and alcohol with your aligners out; rinse your mouth afterward.
- Drinks you sip for a long time mean the aligner stays out for hours; finishing a drink in one go protects your wear time.
- You can keep your aligners in when swimming in the sea or a pool. If you need to take them out, do not leave them exposed on the beach; put them in their case.
- Do not leave the aligner in the sun, in a car's glove compartment or on a hot surface; heat can warp it.
- Clean your aligner in the hotel sink with lukewarm or cold water; do not use hot water.
You can find detailed steps for daily cleaning on our page on how to clean clear aligners.
What should you do if an aligner is lost while traveling?
- Do not go without an aligner: Put in the previous aligner you have with you. Going without an aligner for a long time can let the teeth shift back.
- Contact the clinic: Tell them which aligner you are on and when you switched to it. The orthodontist may recommend continuing with the previous aligner or, if you have it with you, moving on to the next one.
- Do not skip ahead on your own: Moving to the next aligner may not be the right step in every case; make this decision together with your orthodontist.
- If a new aligner is needed, allow for the time: Making a replacement aligner and getting it to you takes time; discuss this together with your travel plans.
What should you do if an aligner breaks or cracks?
A small crack or a broken edge can change the way the aligner applies force, and a sharp edge can irritate your tongue or cheek. Do not try to glue the aligner or trim it yourself. Keep the broken aligner in its case, take a photo and share it with the clinic, and in the meantime wear the previous or next aligner as your orthodontist advises. The situation is similar if an attachment comes off: ask whether you can keep wearing the aligner; the attachment is rebonded at the clinic. We explain what attachments do in our article what are attachments. For other aligner hiccups, take a look at our page on clear aligner problems.
What should you check when you get back from a trip?
A few minutes of checking when you get home helps you catch small problems you may not have noticed on the road:
- Does the aligner you are wearing fit your teeth fully, or are there noticeable gaps at the edges?
- Are all the attachments in place?
- Is there any cracking, discoloration or warping in the aligner?
- Is your schedule up to date; did you note the switches you made on the road and their dates?
- Did all the unused aligners you took with you come back?
If you wore your aligner less than expected during the trip, if the aligner does not fit fully or if you ran into a problem, let the clinic know before switching to the next aligner. If needed, your check-up appointment can be moved earlier.
What if you will be away from the city or abroad for a long time?
If you are planning a few months abroad, a summer vacation or a move to another city, tell your orthodontist before treatment starts or at the earliest possible stage. Getting advice remotely by photo can help answer some questions, but it does not replace an exam, replacing attachments or small procedures between the teeth. Check-up intervals can be rearranged around your time away; we explain the limits of remote follow-up on our out-of-town patients page. If you are moving permanently, continuing treatment with another orthodontist may come up; you can read about this process in our article on transferring clear aligner treatment.