My Invisalign Trays Aren’t Tracking! What Should I Do?


Have you noticed that your Oak Park Invisalign trays don’t seem to be fitting properly onto your teeth? Do you see gaps between your aligner and your teeth? That may mean that your aligners aren’t “tracking” properly, which could have a negative effect on your treatment. 

What does this mean, and what can you do to make sure your aligners fit onto your teeth properly?

1. Use Chewies to Seat Your Aligners Properly on Your Teeth

Chewies are made of a soft, durable material and are shaped like a cotton roll. They are usually provided to you as part of your Invisalign treatment. You’re supposed to chew them whenever you put your aligners into your mouth.
By chewing one of your chewies for 3-5 minutes, you can push your aligners onto your teeth and make sure they’re in the proper position. This is particularly important to do right after you switch to a new set of aligners since the fit will likely be quite tight over your teeth. 

Chewies also help relieve some of the discomfort of switching to a new set of aligners, since your aligners will exert more even, gentle pressure on your teeth once they’ve been seated properly over your teeth. 

2. Make Sure You’re Wearing Your Aligners as Much as You Can

At a minimum, you need to wear your aligners for 20 hours per day. Ideally, you should be able to wear them for at least 22 hours per day, and you should take them out only to eat and drink (except water) and to brush and floss.

If you don’t wear your aligners as instructed by your Oak Park dentist, your treatment will fall behind, and your aligners will likely stop tracking your teeth properly. This will result in higher expenses and a longer treatment time, so always make sure you’re wearing your aligners as instructed to by your dentist. 

3. Ask Your Dentist About Backtracking to a Previous Set of Aligners

If your previous set of aligners seems to fit properly, you may want to talk to your dentist about “backtracking.” It may be possible that your treatment is a bit behind schedule, and your previous set of aligners did not fully move your teeth into the proper position.

By wearing your previous set of aligners for a week or two, you can ensure that your teeth have been moved into the right positions before switching to a new aligner. You should not do this without consulting with your dentist, however. 

4. Get an Invisalign Treatment Revision to Get Your Treatment Back on Track 

It’s possible that your treatment plan was inaccurate, or that your teeth simply have not moved as quickly as your dentist thought they would, and you may need a treatment revision. If your treatment falls behind because you’re not wearing your aligners properly, a treatment revision also may be necessary.

Your dentist will take images and impressions of your mouth, then work with Invisalign to develop an updated treatment plan that will ensure your aligners track properly and provide you with great results.

Interested in Invisalign in Oak Park? Come to Our Office! 

At the office of Murphy Dental Group, PLLC, Dr. Murphy specialize in Invisalign treatment. We can develop a customized treatment that will provide you with a straight, beautiful smile. If you ever have any trouble with aligner tracking or any other issues, we’ll be standing by to help. To get started, just contact us at (708) 524-0330, or stop by our office at 137 N Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60301.