The 6 Things I Use To Make (Years of) Wearing Teeth Aligners More Tolerable

Invisalign and other aligner users like me know that when you put in a new tray (again, typically every two weeks), it can be a struggle to position it properly. You’re supposed to press down in a chomping motion to get them to snap in, but sometimes that doesn’t really work, which adds frustration to the pain and discomfort. In an attempt to combat all of this, I asked one of my friends who also wore aligners for years what she did to get stubborn trays to snap in, and she suggested “chewies”— soft plastic tubes you’re meant to chew on for a few minutes after inserting a new tray, which really help work it onto your teeth. They come in multiple flavors, but I’ve only ever tried the mint, and to me the taste is secondary to the product’s effectiveness (and low cost). For about six bucks, I got three — or actually six, because I cut each in half as they fit better in my mouth at that size — which have lasted me six months and counting (I don’t use them each time I switch trays, only when one proves especially difficult to lock in).

To keep my aligner trays clean, I turn to this plant-based dish soap. There are all types of foams and tablets specifically designed to clean clear aligner trays, but they just seem like an unnecessary expense. The fact is, this dish soap works, and when I asked New York–based orthodontist Dr. Frank Celenza (who isn’t treating me) about it, he said that if I find it effective, it would be okay to use. Plus, I just need a teeny drop for each cleaning, so it’s going to last me forever — or at least through my extended stint of braces-wearing. I clean whatever tray I’m wearing three times a day using this, a habit that keeps them fresh and never yellow-looking (even when I wear them longer than recommended). Just be sure to rinse your tray thoroughly to avoid any lingering dish-soap taste.

When I’m out at dinner and remove an aligner tray before eating, I’ll store it in one of these pouches instead of the plastic storage container that came with my trays. I like the mesh because it gives the tray some air; I’ve found they don’t really dry when stored in a sealed plastic container, and that they can get stinky (like anything that’s wet and stored in an enclosed space). Celenza told me storage shouldn’t matter much because your trays should never be out of your mouth for more than 30 minutes at a time (even when you eat). Sadly, I’ve always had a hard time complying with that time limit (and suspect many others do too), which is why I sought out a better storage system.

Keeping your teeth as clean as possible is of utmost importance while wearing aligners or braces. “You must control inflammation of the gums, so that the tissues remodel properly,” explains Celenza. “When you move teeth through the bone, if there’s inflammation — because the hygiene is bad — that remodeling doesn’t occur as well.” It’s for this reason that I brush up to five times a day. I can’t say if these bamboo toothbrushes function any better than similar disposable versions, but when you’re burning through a toothbrush every couple weeks like I am, you might prefer to use ones like these that are more environmentally friendly. They’re also cute to look at, which is a small but not unimportant thing for something you use five times a day. And although my dentist might say it’s a bad habit, I happen to like to gnaw on the bamboo handles while wearing my aligners. It just feels so good, like scratching an itch.

I love that these tubes stand up. That seems like a small thing, but it’s not. Just think about how annoying that amorphous squishy toothpaste tube is: Where do I store it? It takes up so much space! Now picture having to engage with that annoying tube a half dozen times a day. In addition to sitting neatly on your counter, Hello Oral Care’s toothpaste comes in this watermelon flavor that actually tastes quite good. I asked Celenza if using a kid-specific toothpaste is a bad idea. (Are my teeth still getting clean? Do they really need fluoride? What about whitening?). His response: “The best toothpaste is the one on sale.”

The idea behind these vibrating wireless mouthpieces is that you bite down on one for five minutes a day while it oscillates like an electric toothbrush, which orthodontists say reduces the amount of time you have to wear each aligner tray (the gadget could theoretically cut each tray’s required two weeks of wear down to ten days or a week if you’re diligent). “The vibration stimulates wound healing, which is what’s happening when your teeth move,” explains Celenza. The one I have is the Propel Orthodontics VPro5, which I received for free from the company, and is typically only sold at dentists’ offices for as much as $600 (though some orthodontists might include the device in the price of their treatment). The product shown here — which I have not tried — is a less-expensive version that seems to work similarly to mine, based on its description. I’ve really come to love mine not for its purported benefit of cutting down on tray time, but because it helps reduce pain. Its sensation is like a massage that reaches the roots of my teeth, and the vibration also helps me get tighter trays in place. Even the less-expensive model may seem a lot to pay on top of how costly aligners can be, but this product is my favorite thing on this list.