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When you begin using invisible aligners, you may find it a bit fiddly to place them over your teeth correctly.
If this becomes an issue as time progresses, it can hinder and slow down the treatment time. After all, an aligner that isn’t placed correctly can’t straighten teeth as it is designed to!
Luckily, there are ways to ensure that your treatment with invisible aligners goes off without a hitch, with the use of dental chewies.
When you come to the UK Dental Specialists for treatment with Invisalign St Albans, we will always aim to make sure that your treatment is comfortable and runs on schedule. We have helped thousands of patients straighten their teeth using these invisible aligners, and can attest to how well they can work if they are used and placed correctly by our patients.
Now, back to the main point, what exactly are dental chewies and how can they impact on your Invisalign St Albans treatment? Read on to find out!
What are chewies?
Well, the clue is in the title!
As the popularity of Invisalign St Albans increases, so has the use of chewies. They are small, silicone cones (not too visually dissimilar from earbuds), which you place in your mouth and chew on after you have put your invisible aligners in.
They are designed to close any air bubbles between the aligner and your teeth, allowing for a better fit and thus, improving how well your invisible aligners work. They are usually more effective after you switch between aligners, as the new aligner may feel tight and difficult to place correctly. As your teeth move with each aligner, you will typically need to use them less.
Can they speed up treatment?
Yes and no.
As they improve the fit of the aligner versus simply putting the aligner in your mouth, they can keep your treatment on schedule but it is unknown how much they can impact on speeding up the treatment time.
When used alongside good oral hygiene, regular check-ups with our team and good care for the aligners, they can certainly be a good aid in keeping your realignment progressing like clockwork!
Are they reusable?
Yes, they are.
You can chew them for around 5-10 minutes per day until they begin to warp.
Many patients find that the best time to use chewies is at night when they need their aligners to stay in contact with their teeth for the longest period.
As they typically come in set packs, if one of them gives out and loses its shape, simply switch to another one.
Are they edible?
As mentioned earlier, chewies are composed of silicone and rubber so no, they are not edible!
If you are looking for an edible alternative to chewies, you could try Movemints; as their name suggests, these are mints that are firm but also chewy and are effective when it comes to placing invisible aligners correctly.
Can I use something else instead of chewies?
As before, you can try Movemints as an alternative, or you can chew on your finger wrapped in a paper towel if necessary.
We do not recommend chewing on pencils or pens to better place your aligners.