If you have ClearCorrect aligners, you’re probably eager to see the results of your treatment. Unfortunately, however, sometimes treatment progresses slower than your dentist may have anticipated. While it’s understandable to be frustrated, don’t lose hope. Your treatment may be taking longer than you’re expecting for many reasons. Here are a few top causes this could be happening.
You’re Not Wearing Your Aligners Long Enough
In order to see progress, you need to wear your ClearCorrect aligners for a minimum of 22 hours each day. You should remove them each time you eat or drink something other than water, and you must brush your teeth before putting them back on. If you don’t wear them for the prescribed amount of time, this could slow the movement of your teeth and delay your treatment.
Your Teeth Are Stubborn
Sometimes despite your dentist’s best estimate, your teeth may not move at the speed in which their orthodontic tracking software has predicted. This is by no means anyone’s fault; it simply means that your teeth may take a bit longer than anticipated to budge. If this is the case, just be patient. Eventually, they will move; they may just take a bit longer than you’d like them to.
Your Teeth Are Colliding Into Each Other
Sometimes when the teeth are moved, they can cause somewhat of a collision that slows their progress. In these cases, your dentist will likely do an interproximal reduction, or IPR. This procedure will reshape your teeth to prevent this type of collision from occurring and ensure that they look nice and even when they’re in proper alignment.
You Aren’t Doing Your Chewing Exercises
If your dentist has assigned you chewing exercises to complete while wearing your aligners, don’t underestimate their importance. These movements help encourage your teeth to move in the right direction so that your treatment works faster and more accurately.
Remember, it’s understandable to want to see the results of your ClearCorrect treatment as soon as possible, but sometimes it takes longer to complete than anticipated. The good news is that with time and patience, you will experience big changes. Don’t be discouraged. Keep wearing your aligners and visiting your dentist on schedule, and your persistence will eventually pay off!
About Dr. Cabansag
Dr. Nancy Cabansag’s favorite things about dentistry are helping patients heal and helping them create a beautiful smile. She provides a wide range of services including general exams, cosmetic procedures, and orthodontic treatment with ClearCorrect aligners.
If you would like to learn more about ClearCorrect, please schedule an appointment with Encore Dentistry today by visiting our website or calling us at 817-508-9881.