Patient Hints & Tips
Some snippets of info for our patients…
Clear positioners are designed for your teeth specifically. They are, however, not supposed to fit perfectly – if they did, they wouldn’t be able to move your teeth! This means that they will feel very tight for the first day or two, until your teeth begin to move. But don’t worry, after a few days the positioners will become looser and easier to take out and put back in, which means they’re working nicely!
We supply the clear positioners in stages. Each stage consists of 8 steps on coded models of your teeth. The positioners must be worn in sequence, with each positioner worn for approximately 2 weeks, or once they have become loose. Each positioner will provide gradual movement, bringing your teeth closer to that perfect smile!
The positioners are removed for eating, and must also be taken out when drinking hot and fizzy drinks. Make sure you keep your positioners nice and clean with luke warm water and a soft bristle toothbrush. Please don’t use toothpaste as this may scratch and subsequently stain the positioner. Try to clean your teeth before putting them back in too. We suggest you soak your positioners in Retainer Brite or something similar, which will ensure that any nasty odours are taken care of.
Other invisible orthodontic methods must be looked after and cleaned carefully. Removable braces should be cleaned with luke warm water with a soft bristle toothbrush as well as soaked in Retainer Brite or something similar.
Extra care must be taken with fixed orthodontics, as they cannot be removed for eating and cleaning. Very hard and sticky foods should be avoided, as should food and drinks with a high sugar or acid content. A fixed brace should be cleaned with an orthodontic and an inter-dental toothbrush. For more information, ask your Clearstep practitioner.