How many hours a day should clear aligners be worn?
Clear aligners should be worn 20–22 hours a day. This means taking them out only while eating, drinking anything other than water and brushing your teeth; the total time out should not exceed 2–4 hours a day. Tooth movement depends on the aligner applying continuous, gentle force to the teeth. When the aligner is not in your mouth, the teeth do not move; what's more, even during a break of a few hours, a tooth can slip slightly back toward its previous position. That is why insufficient wear is the most common reason aligners stop fitting and treatment takes longer. We explain its effect on treatment time on our how long does clear aligner treatment take page.
If your orthodontist has set a different wear time for your case, follow their instructions. Aligners stay in while you sleep; wearing them at night is the easiest part of the daily total to accumulate.
How do you put in clear aligners?
- Wash your hands; hold the aligner clean and dry.
- Do not mix up the upper and lower aligners. Aligners are usually numbered with the letters U (upper) and L (lower).
- Place the aligner gently over the front teeth first, then press it toward the molars on both sides with your fingertips. Do not try to seat it by biting down; this can crack the aligner.
- When the aligner is fully seated, there is no gap between the teeth and the aligner, and its edges follow the gumline.
- If you use a chewie (a soft silicone roll that helps seat the aligner), bite gently on it for about a minute each on the right side, left side and front.
What is a chewie and how is it used?
A chewie is a soft silicone roll about the thickness of a finger. Biting on it helps the aligner seat fully on the teeth; it is especially useful in the first days after switching to a new aligner and when the aligner stays slightly lifted in one area. Most orthodontists recommend using it for 2–3 minutes every time you put the aligners in and several times a day. It is washable and reusable; replace it when it wears out. If the aligner does not fit and a chewie does not fix it, follow the steps on our clear aligner problems page.
How do you take out clear aligners?
Taking them out can feel difficult in the first days, especially if you have attachments; it takes a few days to get used to.
- Place the fingernail of your index finger on the edge of the aligner on the inner (tongue) side of the back molar.
- Gently lift the aligner off the tooth, downward for the upper jaw or upward for the lower jaw. Do the same on the other side.
- Once both back areas are loose, hold the aligner at the front teeth and slowly remove it.
- Do not pull starting from the front teeth; this deforms the aligner and can cause attachments to come off.
- If you are having difficulty, you can hold it with a paper towel to keep it from slipping or use an aligner removal hook.
What can you eat and drink with clear aligners?
- Food: Do not eat while wearing aligners. Chewing force cracks the aligner, food gets trapped between the tooth and the aligner, and the risk of cavities increases.
- Water: You can drink cold or room-temperature water while wearing aligners.
- Hot drinks: Tea, coffee and hot water can warp and stain the aligner; take it out.
- Sugary, acidic and colored drinks: Do not drink fruit juice, carbonated drinks or colored drinks with aligners in. Sugar stays in contact with the teeth under the aligner and sets the stage for cavities.
- Gum: Do not chew gum while wearing aligners.
- Smoking: It yellows the aligner and makes it smell; it also harms gum health.
After eating, you need to brush your teeth and put the aligners back in. If you cannot brush, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water, put the aligners in and brush at the first opportunity. Keeping meal breaks short is the most important way to reach 20–22 hours a day.
How often are aligners changed?
Your orthodontist decides the change interval; it is usually 7, 10 or 14 days. Wear each aligner for the planned time and do not switch early. Moving to the next aligner before the previous one fits the teeth fully causes the teeth to fall behind the plan. Switching to a new aligner just before going to bed is often recommended: the tight feeling of the first hours passes while you sleep, and the aligner stays seated without interruption throughout the night. Saving your change days as phone reminders makes things easier.
Do not throw away the previous aligner when you switch to a new one. If the new one gets lost or broken, you can wear the previous one as a backup and call the clinic.
How should aligners be stored when taken out?
- Every time you take your aligners out, even briefly, put them in their case. Aligners wrapped in a napkin are the ones most often lost.
- Do not leave aligners loose in a pocket, bag or on a table; they get dirty or broken and attract pets.
- Wash the case every day with soap and water.
- Do not leave aligners in the sun, in a car or anywhere hot; heat warps them.
- Always carry your case, a small toothbrush and a chewie with you.
Cleaning the aligners is a separate topic; for a daily routine and what not to use, see our how to clean clear aligners page.
What should you pay attention to in the first days?
- Feeling of pressure: Tenderness lasting 2–3 days after putting in a new aligner is normal and shows that force is being transmitted to the teeth. If the discomfort persists, consult your orthodontist.
- Speech: A slight lisp and extra saliva may occur in the first days. Reading aloud helps you adapt faster; most people get used to it within a week.
- Aligner edges: If a sharp edge bothers your tongue or gums, it can be smoothed very slightly with a nail file or shown to the clinic.
- Attachments: Your tongue will notice the attachments as something foreign in the first days; this feeling passes quickly.
We describe what happens week by week on our clear aligner wearers page.
A suggested daily routine
- Morning: Take out your aligners, brush your teeth, brush the aligners with cold water, have breakfast, brush again and put the aligners back in.
- During the day: If you are going to eat or drink anything other than water, put your aligners in their case; when you are done, rinse your mouth and put them back in. Brush if possible.
- Evening: Brush after dinner, floss, clean the aligners and put them in.
- Night: Sleep with your aligners in. If it is a change day, switch to the new aligner before going to bed and use a chewie.
These rules are general principles of use; if your orthodontist has given you different instructions for your case, follow them. You can find the whole process on our how clear aligner treatment works page.