Review: These Removable, Clear Aligners Straighten Teeth in as Little as 7 Months
A short while ago, we brought you the news about clear aligners blowing up on the South African dental scene. An easy method for adults who want straight teeth and to achieve the perfect bite, clear aligners mean that patients no longer have to settle for braces as their only solution for teeth realignment. Comfortable, removable, and nearly invisible, it’s easy to see why the market for clear aligners is progressively expanding in South Africa and abroad.
But, while big-name players in the game are charging the earth (and a bit) for the treatment, one company is making it easier and more cost-efficient than ever before for South Africans to access treatment with clear aligners. With a lab based in South Africa, Active Aligners offers South Africans seeking orthodontic treatment with clear aligners a more affordable, locally-made option that they can smile about.
If you’ve been tempted by clear aligners in the past but were unsure exactly what the treatment involved, the results you could expect, or how much it would cost you, then read on. I visited Active Aligners provider and go-to dentist to Capetonians in the know, Dr. Marc Sher, at Enamel Clinic to start my Active Aligners journey and have been documenting the process every step of the way. You can read all about the start of my journey here — including the initial scan, fitting process, and first few weeks wearing Active Aligners.
Now that I am past the halfway mark, I wanted to share an update on my progress with Active Aligners as well as share my day-to-day experience wearing clear aligners along with a few tips to make the process easier.
Clear aligners: what to expect
I initially went to Dr. Sher to fix a crowding issue with my bottom front teeth, but my consultation scan revealed that the best course of treatment would be to treat both my top and bottom jaw. Dr. Sher recommended I follow a treatment plan that required me to wear 20 Active Aligners on the lower jaw and 10 Active Aligners on the upper jaw. Each set of aligners was to be worn for 2 weeks at 22 hours per day, removing them only for eating and drinking.
After 5 months of wearing Active Aligners, I was finally ready to ditch my upper aligner trays and finish up my course of treatment for the prescribed 10 aligner trays on my upper jaw. My final week for my upper jaw saw me having to wear my tenth tray for an additional 5 weeks (6 weeks total) to allow my teeth time to fully settle into their new position.
I paid a visit to Dr. Sher at Enamel in my 20th week of treatment for him to remove the resin attachments on my upper teeth. A quick check-up revealed that my treatment plan had yielded beautiful results, and he was happy with how my teeth had repositioned themselves. At this point, I was supposed to switch to my night retainers, but Dr. Sher explained that he would prefer me to keep wearing my final week’s trays during the day and night while I finished up my last 10 weeks of treatment on my bottom jaw. He explained that the force of my bite could cause challenges for my final results should I drop my top trays at this stage.
This wasn’t much of an issue for me since I was already wearing the bottom trays regardless, and I wanted to ensure I got the best results possible from the treatment. Plus, at this stage, I felt like I had the whole daily routine waxed. Wearing your Active Aligners daily couldn’t be simpler. So, while it may seem like it would be heartbreaking to hear that I couldn’t say sayonara to the top trays for another 10 weeks, wearing the trays was such a non-event that I had no issue with this change in plan.
After 5 months, I was very comfortable with the process of removing the trays for meals and cleaning them at night. I also had read every hack in the book to make the treatment feel as seamless as possible. It was these hacks and tips that got me through the treatment process without a hitch.
Best hacks and tips for wearing clear aligners:
- Consistency is key: Compliance and discipline are super important in order to get the best results from your treatment plan. Active Aligners must be worn 22 hours daily. So, while removing them for a work meeting or social function may be tempting, the sporadic wearing of the trays can diminish the treatment’s effectiveness.
- Practice good oral hygiene: If wearing Active Aligners has taught me anything, it’s the importance of rinsing your mouth after meals. Wearing Active Aligners is relatively low maintenance. But, it’s wild to see how your trays stain if you don’t rinse your mouth after eating and drinking and how quickly plaque build-up can occur when you’re not being diligent about rinsing. The great news is, developing this habit will serve you well to keep your teeth healthy long after your Active Aligners treatment plan has finished.
- Clean your aligners while you eat: Make sure you clean the aligners a few times daily (you can lightly brush them or soak them in mouthwash) to prevent plaque and bacteria build-up. Since you will be removing the aligners when you eat, why not use that time to clean them? While you enjoy your dinner, soak the aligner trays in diluted mouthwash or a denture-cleaning solution. Doing this twice a week can help ensure your aligners stay clean and fresh for a long time.
- Don’t be a hero: Wearing Active Aligners should not hurt (as long as the trays fit correctly). You may experience discomfort during the first few days of starting a new set. But, the pain is typically mild. Clear aligners treatment results in significantly less discomfort and irritation than braces, but while less painful, aligners can still cause pressure. These feelings will pass as your teeth adjust, but you may need to take an over-the-counter pain medicine to treat discomfort for the first day. If you’re feeling pain, don’t be afraid to contact your dentist and check to see if everything is as it should be.
- Travel with backups: If you’re travelling, even just for an overnight stay, then make sure you pack your last and next set of trays as a backup should your current trays get lost or crack. You don’t want to get caught without your aligner trays, as this can derail your treatment plan. Contact your dentist to let them know what happened and ask what they suggest you do. Depending on where you are in the process of your current trays, they may order a replacement tray or tell you to continue wearing your next set for a longer period.
- Switch aligners at night: When it’s time to wear a new set of aligners, it is best to make the switch at night, before going to bed. New aligners can cause some discomfort until your teeth are able to adjust to them. When you change to new aligners at night, you will be giving your teeth enough time through the night to do some adjustments. This will also help address some of the pain that usually happens when you initially change aligner trays.
- Always keep a case with you: If you are not careful, you could easily misplace your aligners or damage them when out and about. To avoid leaving them behind, crushing, or dropping them, always keep an aligners case with you and never take your aligners out unless you’ve got a case to safely store them in. Fortunately, Active Aligners supplies each patient with a handy case to use for this exact reason.
- Use a straw: While it is ideal to remove your aligners when drinking cold liquids, you can also use a straw to avoid coloured drinks from staining your aligners. This will enable you to keep them in for longer and give you the freedom to drink a soft drink at the movies or enjoy a few drinks when socialising with friends. If you’re overly concerned with the drinks staining your aligner trays, then just remember to pop to the bathroom for a quick rinse after every couple of drinks. Another great tip is to stick to drinking sparkling water and other clear, sugar-free drinks when wearing your aligner trays.
Active Aligners results after 5 months
The first 5 months of my treatment plan were much easier than I had anticipated. I was incredibly nervous before getting my attachments and aligners fitted, but after a few weeks, the daily process of wearing the aligner trays became second nature. The 5-month period went by very quickly, and going in to see Doctor Sher for a check-up was very exciting indeed.
I was able to see before and after pictures of my upper jaw treatment and was blown away seeing the comparison. I had no idea how far back my teeth were set before, and seeing how my top jaw ‘filled out’ over the 5-month period was astonishing. This little check-up really invigorated me and got me all sorts of excited to see the final results of my bottom jaw in the months to come!
Another exciting change I noted after 5 months of treatment was just how much easier it was to take care of my teeth. Before the start of my treatment, I found dental hygiene a bit of a chore. My teeth were so tightly packed on my upper and lower jaw that flossing was incredibly difficult. Floss would get stuck in between my back teeth, taking my fillings with them when I eventually managed to yank it out. My gums were always inflamed and would bleed from flossing, thanks to plaque build-up (also exasperated by the difficulty I had flossing).
But now, brushing and flossing was a breeze and I could buy any floss available on the pharmacy shelf. Before my Active Aligners treatment, I was spending a small fortune on a special ultra-thin satin floss that didn’t get stuck in between my teeth. I was also spending a fair bit on professional cleaning sessions every 3 months because plaque build-up was so rapid on my bottom teeth.
But, as my treatment plan progressed, my dental hygienist was thrilled that she could give me the go-ahead to push my cleaning appointments out to every 6 months (the norm for most people). Because the teeth on my bottom jaw had already shifted so dramatically in the first half of my treatment plan, plaque build-up on my bottom teeth wasn’t so rapid and I could smile with more confidence.
If you’re interested to read the rest of my journey then click here to read all about Active Aligners and here for my first review of the fitting process as well as pricing details, etc.
Interested in Active Aligners?
If you’re interested in Active Aligners, then book a consultation with Active Aligners expert Dr Marc Sher at Enamel Clinic Cape Town to find out if you’re a candidate for this innovative dental solution.
The holy grail of dentistry, Enamel Clinic, isn’t your average dentist’s office. The unique practice is home to dental experts specialising in dentistry care across the spectrum; from specialist hygienists to general dentists; aesthetic dentists; periodontists and more. At Enamel, knowledge, skill and experience are the credentials that set the team apart from the rest. Not all dentistry is equal – when you visit the Enamel Clinic, your dentistry will be bespoke!
Dr Marc Sher is a General Dentist and a partner at Enamel Clinic. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Dental Science – B.Ch.D (UWC 2007), has achieved accreditation for Myobrace and is a Key Opinion Leader for Active Aligners South Africa. Book a consultation with Dr Sher at Enamel Clinic now!
For patients outside of Cape Town, Active Aligners has qualified providers located across South Africa. Visit the Active Aligners website for a full list of providers in South Africa.
For more information, follow Active Aligners on Facebook and Instagram. Follow Enamel Clinic on Facebook and Instagram.
