Clear orthodontic aligners, such as CandidPro and similar systems, should fit snugly on your teeth. They may be slightly uncomfortable at first, but as you adapt to them, they should be easy to slide onto and off of your teeth. But what if your clear aligners just do not seem to fit? Continue reading this blog post to learn what the problem might be and what you can do to get your treatment back on track.
Possible Reasons for a Poor Fit
If your clear aligners do not fit correctly, several factors may be responsible.:
- Your teeth may not have shifted as expected. Sometimes, teeth move more slowly than planned, causing successive aligners to feel tight or possibly not fit at all.
- You are not consistently meeting your aligner wear time. If you failed to wear an aligner for 20 – 22 hours each day, your teeth may not have moved adequately. Therefore, your next aligner may not fit.
- There could be an issue with the manufacturing of the aligner itself. Rarely, aligners may be warped or have imperfections that prevent them from fitting properly.
- You accidentally damaged your aligner. If you cleaned it with hot water or unintentionally crushed it, it may be warped or damaged to the point where it no longer fits.
- Food particles or debris might be stuck to your teeth or inside the aligner, creating a barrier that affects its fit.
Try These Solutions
If one of your aligners does not fit, these tips might help get things back on track:
- Make sure your teeth and the aligner are clean. Brush and floss your teeth thoroughly, and rinse the aligner before placing it on your teeth.
- Try gently seating the aligner by pressing it onto your teeth using your fingers. If it still does not fit, avoid forcing it, as this may damage the aligner or your teeth.
- Use chewies, which are small cylindrical tools designed to help aligners fit snugly. Bite down on a chewie for several minutes to help the aligner settle.
- If the aligner continues to feel uncomfortable or does not fit, contact your dentist right away. They can check your progress, ensure your aligners are made correctly, and recommend the best course of action. For example, they might advise you to go back to a previous aligner for a while to give your teeth more time to shift properly before you move forward with additional aligners.
Poorly fitting clear aligners could slow down your treatment’s progress! Try to figure out the cause of the problem so you can take appropriate action to get things moving in the right direction again.
Meet the Practice
At Spring Creek Dentistry in Spring, TX, our highly skilled team is proud to offer the innovative CandidPro clear aligner system. We use advanced digital impressions in order to design aligners that fit well and work effectively. To learn more about us or to schedule an orthodontic consultation, contact our office at 281-407-8333.