Wear Time

• Wear aligners 20–22 hours per day.  If you haven’t been able to make 22 hours per day in the instructed time, you can extend wearing the aligner a day or two longer.

• Remove only to eat, drink (except water), brush, and floss

• Change aligners as directed by your Kind Orthodontist (typically 7 days or 14 days per stage)

• Chewies should be used daily. This will help to fully seat aligners for maximum effectiveness.

• Please wear your current aligner to each appointment.  If you are having fit issues, please bring your previous and next aligner (if available) with you to your appointment.

• Last aligner: Once you reach your final aligner, continue wearing it until your next appointment. You may require a “Refinement,” which means new aligners will be made to complete your treatment. Continue wearing your last aligner to prevent unwanted tooth movement until the new aligners arrive.

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Eating & Drinking

• Always remove aligners before eating or drinking anything except water

• Avoid hot drinks while wearing aligners

• For sugary, acidic, or staining drinks (such as sparkling water, coffee, or wine), remove aligners occasionally and rinse your teeth and aligners with plain water.

• Brush or rinse before putting aligners back in

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Oral Hygiene

• Brush at least twice daily and floss once daily

• Clean aligners every day with lukewarm or cold water (do NOT use hot water)  and a soft toothbrush

• As needed, you can use a diluted white vinegar to clean aligners (mix 1 part distilled white vinegar with 3 parts lukewarm water, soak for 15-30 minutes to remove buildup, then gently brush and rinse)

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Discomfort

• Mild pressure and teeth discomfort with new aligners is normal (1–3 days)

• Switching to a new aligner at night may help

• Over-the-counter pain relievers may be used if needed

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Attachments

• Attachments help move teeth and may feel rough at first

• If an attachment comes off, notify our office—this is not urgent. Continue wearing your aligners.

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Tips & Troubleshooting

• Rough edges: If your aligner has a rough spot, you may gently smooth it with an emery board or nail file. If it persists, contact our office and we’ll smooth it for you.

• Broken aligners:  If your aligner breaks during normal wear:

  • Try the next aligner. If it fits comfortably, wear it for the full two weeks.

  • If it does not fit, return to the previous aligner and contact our office to schedule an appointment. Bring your next aligner with you.

• Lost or old aligners: Keep at least your previous aligner before your current one. This can be worn temporarily if your current aligner is lost, helping prevent unwanted tooth movement.

• Elastics: If you’ve been instructed to wear elastics, wear them as prescribed. Not wearing them consistently can prolong treatment and affect your final results.

• Aligner edge irritation: IIf your aligner has a rough spot, you may gently smooth it with an emery board or nail file. If it persists, contact our office and we’ll smooth it for you.

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✅ DO

✔ Wear aligners 20–22 hours per day
✔ Store aligners in their case when not in use
✔ Clean aligners daily
✔ Brush and floss before reinserting aligners
✔ Bring current aligners to every appointment

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❌ DON’T

✘ Eat or drink (except water) with aligners in
✘ Use hot water or hot drinks with aligners
✘ Clean aligners with toothpaste
✘ Wrap aligners in napkins (they get thrown away!)
✘ Leave aligners where pets can reach them

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If you are a Kind Orthodontics Patient and  having an orthodontic emergency, need advice, have an urgent question, or need immediate assistance outside of normal office hours, you can text or call the Doctors (please leave a message) at our After-Hours Emergency Phone Number: (510) 736-0067. This phone number is for Kind Orthodontic Patients only.

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Your cooperation keeps treatment on track and helps you achieve the best results!